Texas Rangers Lose 6th Straight As AL West Lead On Astros, Mariners Dwindles

The Texas Rangers' season-worst losing streak allows Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners to close AL West lead.

The Texas Rangers started August as the hottest team in baseball.

Now they are the coldest.

The Rangers (72-54) lost their season-worst sixth consecutive game as the Arizona Diamondbacks won 6-3 Tuesday at Chase Field.

The Rangers' lead atop the AL West is down to a 1/2 game on the Houston Astros and one game on the Seattle Mariners. Both teams won earlier in the day.

The Diamondbacks (66-61) slapped the Rangers with their second consecutive sweep by taking the two games in Phoenix, a rough start to Texas' nine-game road trip that next includes four against the Minnesota Twins and three against the New York Mets.

The Rangers are off Wednesday.

The Diamondbacks scored three times in the second and twice in the fifth to build a 5-0 lead before Mitch Garver homered in the sixth to make it 5-1. Arizona got the run right back in the bottom of the inning against Brock Burke.

Dbacks ace Zac Gallen (14-5) struck out 11 and held the Rangers to one run on seven hits and a walk in six innings to earn the win. Rangers starter Jon Gray took the loss after failing to retire a batter in the fifth inning.

Corey Seager's two-run single in the seventh pulled the Rangers to within 6-3.

The Rangers loaded the bases with one out in the 9th but Garver struck out and Travis Jankowski grounded out.

Diamondback 6, Rangers 3

Double The Pleasure

Nathaniel Lowe's two-run double in the 11th Monday was his 35th double this season, tied for the most in the AL. It's the most doubles by a Rangers player since Jurickson Profar had 35 in 2018.

Lowe is unlikely to be the only one to surpass 35 doubles in 2023. Corey Seager had 33 and Marcus Semien hit No. 31 on Tuesday.

Gray's Short Day

Starter Jon Gray only went four-plus innings after allowing three consecutive singles to start the fifth, trailing 3-0. Grant Anderson surrendered a bloop single that pushed the DBacks' lead to 4-0.

Gray allowed three runs in the second inning after the first three batters reached on singles and a walk. Two more singles and a walk helped the DBacks take a 3-0 lead. After two quick innings in the third and fourth, Gray struggled in the fifth. He was charged with five runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks in four innings. He struck out five. It's Gray's shortest outing since he allowed six runs in 2 1/3 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 18.

Up Next

The Rangers are off Wednesday before starting at four-game series at 6:10 p.m. Thursday against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.

Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney (9-6, 4.27) is scheduled to face right-hander Pablo López (9-6, 3.51) in the series opener.

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You can follow Stefan Stevenson on Twitter @StefanVersusTex.

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