Rowdy Tellez hit a three-run home run to back a strong start by Kumar Rocker as the Texas Rangers defeated the struggling Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Saturday in the second of three-game series in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers’ pitching has been dominating thus far, shutting out Detroit in the first game of this set on Friday and nearly doing it again on Saturday. The Tigers did not get a runner past second base until a Riley Greene home run to open the ninth inning.
Tellez’s homer was a boon for Rocker (4-4), who allowed one hit, walked three and struck out six over 6 1/3 innings of work. Rocker worked out of a jam in the fourth inning when he walked the first two batters and didn’t allow a hit until Wenceel Perez singled with two out in the sixth.
Texas has captured five of its past six games and, with the victory on Saturday, is guaranteed of winning its second straight series against a first-place team. The Rangers took two of three from American League West frontrunner Houston prior to the All-Star break.
The Tigers lost their season-high sixth straight game but still own a double-digit lead in the AL Central and are tied for the most wins in the majors (59). Detroit has just seven combined hits in the first two games of this set, however.
Tellez, who was signed to a minor league contract on July 5 by the Rangers a week after being released by Seattle, wasn’t on the team until Friday, when he went 0-for-3. But he made the most of a green light on a 3-0 count in the second inning in his first at-bat on Saturday, ripping a three-run homer over the center field fence off Tigers’ starter Keider Montero (4-2).
Texas added a run in the fifth when Corey Seager’s single drove in Alejandro Osuna, who had walked.
Montero went 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
Rocker was lifted with none on and one out in the seventh after 96 pitches for Hoby Milner, who allowed a single to Matt Vierling and a walk to Jake Rogers but no further damage. Jacob Webb pitched the final two innings for Texas.
Greene’s home run in the ninth snapped a 19-inning scoreless streak for the Tigers.
