Ezequiel Duran Blast Caps Texas Rangers Rally Past Diamondbacks
ARLINGTON, Texas – The surprising start to the season for the Texas Rangers has included several comebacks.
Add another to the list Tuesday night.
The Rangers rallied from a three-run deficit to down the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 at Glove Life Field, with Ezequiel Duran providing the go-ahead blow.
Texas improved to 18-11 with its fourth straight win and moved 2.5 games ahead the Houston Astros in the American League West. The Rangers, down 4-1 early, have six come-from-behind victories this year.
Starting in place of injured shortstop Corey Seager, Duran blasted two-run homer in the Diamondbacks bullpen in left-center in the sixth inning. The 431-foot blast off reliever Scott McGough made it 5-4 and scored Jonah Heim, who kept the frame alive with a two-out single.
The rally saved Texas starter Jon Gray from a loss. The right-hander just didn’t have it in his sixth start, giving up a season-high four runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The Rangers began their rally in the fifth off Arizona ace Zac Gallen, scoring twice to cut the lead to 4-3. Marcus Semien and Travis Jankowski both drove in runs, but the threat died with Nathaniel Lowe grounding into a double play.
The D-backs got to Gray quickly with two runs in the first, including Ketel Marte’s solo shot. Arizona tacked on a run in both the second and third.
Texas got on the board in the bottom of the first. Semien doubled to lead off and scored two batters later on Lowe’s single to left. The Rangers added an insurance run in the seventh on a wild pitch, with Bubba Thompson scoring.
Brock Burke (2-0) picked up the win for Texas, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Gray. Jonathan Hernández and Will Smith closed it out from there.
The two-game series ends Wednesday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. start. Andrew Heaney (2-2, 4.38) is slated to go for Texas, while Arizona (16-14) hasn’t announced its starter.
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