The visiting Texas Rangers hit three home runs to back the solid pitching of Michael Lorenzen and beat Atlanta 6-4 on Sunday to salvage a game in the three-game series and end the Braves’ six-game winning streak.
Evan Carter, Andrew Knizner and Adolis Garcia each went deep for the Rangers, who finished their 10-game road trip with a 5-5 record.
Lorenzen (2-0) pitched six innings and allowed three runs on three hits, three walks and seven strikeouts.
David Robertson pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed an unearned run. Kirby Yates followed and struck out Orlando Arcia with runners on the corners to end Atlanta’s threat in the eighth. Yates returned to pitch a scoreless ninth and earn his third save of the season.
Atlanta starter Darius Vines (0-1) left after allowing a leadoff double to Garcia to open the sixth inning and the Braves down by one run. He gave up four runs on seven hits, struck out two and surrendered two home runs.
Marcell Ozuna got Atlanta on the board with a three-run homer in the first inning, giving him the major league lead with nine homers and 27 RBIs.
The Rangers took a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning on a pair of home runs off Vines. Carter hit a changeup deep into the seats in right-center field, his third of the season, to open the inning. Knizner added a three-run shot, his first since joining the Rangers as a free agent in the off-season.
Carter made two fine defensive plays in left field: in the second inning to rob Jarred Kelenic, and in the seventh to take a hit away from Luis Guillorme. Center fielder Leody Taveras made a diving catch in the fifth inning to take a likely double away from Ronald Acuna Jr.
Garcia hit a two-run homer off reliever Tyler Matzek in the eighth inning. It was his sixth of the season and first of the series. He went 2-for-4 and upped his average to .326.
Atlanta scored an unearned run in the eighth on Austin Riley’s RBI single, which cut the lead to 6-4.
–Field Level Media
