Rox win on wild pitch in 11th; Texas' 13th road loss in row
DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon scored on Brett Martin’s wild pitch in the 11th inning and the Colorado Rockies beat Texas 3-2 Tuesday night, the Rangers’ 13th straight road loss.
McMahon started the inning on second base, moved to third on a groundout and raced home when Martin (0-2) bounced a pitch to Brendan Rodgers that got away from catcher Jonah Heim.
“I don’t think it was a mistake on Brett. He was trying to bury that slider,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “He threw it in the right spot, maybe got a little too far in front of the plate. It’s a ball Jonah would tell you he’d like to block. It kicked away.”
Texas has lost seven in a row overall.
Yonathan Daza had three hits for Colorado and Mychal Givens (2-2) pitched the 11th to get the win.
Heim started the top of the 11th on second base but Givens picked him off trying to steal third.
“I was reading the situation and saw that Heim was creeping toward third,” Givens said. “I did it at the right time.”
The Rockies got a break in the first inning when C.J. Cron’s grounder up the middle hit second base umpire David Rackley for a single, keeping the inning going. Charlie Blackmon followed with a single to score McMahon, who had doubled with two outs.
“Yeah, we definitely got unlucky a few times,” Woodward said. “I haven’t seen a ball hit an umpire and result in a run in a long time. I’ve never seen it. That’s life.”
Texas tied it in the fourth on Rodgers’ throwing error from shortstop on a potential double-play ball that allowed Nate Lowe to score from second.
That was the last Rangers batter to reach off Colorado starter Germán Márquez. He retired the last 12 batters he faced and ended with a strikeout to finish the seventh. He allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out seven.
“That was maybe the toughest decision I had all night,” Rockies manager Bud Black said of taking out Márquez. “When we talked after the seventh he indicated to me he had hit the end of the line.”
Daza’s two-out single in the fifth put Colorado ahead 2-1. Khris Davis’ pinch-hit homer in the eight off Carlos Estévez tied it again.
“Carlos just made a mistake and Davis didn’t miss it,” Black said. “He squared it up.”
It was the first pinch homer by a Ranger since Danny Santana on June 19, 2019 vs. Cleveland.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Kyle Gibson (right groin strain) was scheduled to throw an extended bullpen session before Tuesday’s game, Woodward said. It is Gibson’s first bullpen session since going in the injured list May 25 (retroactive to May 22).
Rockies: Chris Owings is getting closer to baseball activities, Black said. “He’s feeling good, he’s running, he’s playing catch, shagging. He’s doing well, he’s on target,” Black said. ... LHP Ben Bowden was activated from the IL and optioned to Triple-A. Colorado recalled INF Alan Trejo from Albuquerque and optioned utility player Connor Joe to Triple-A.
CROWDED HOUSE
Colorado’s home field advantage was enhanced with more fans in the stands. Capacity was increased to 70 percent, or 35,000 fans, up from 42.3 percent and 21,636.
STORY TIME
Shortstop Trevor Story had a “clean” MRI on his tight right elbow and took grounders Tuesday. Black said he is “fairly optimistic” that Story will return when he is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list next Tuesday.
Prior to the game Story was taking grounders but not throwing.
“He’s not going to throw or hit; that’s going to come in the next day or two and build up throughout the rest of the week so that he’s potentially ready for next Tuesday in Miami,” Black said.
MEAT BALL
Texas starter Dane Dunning had not faced live pitching in a game since high school but that didn’t seem to bother him when he stepped into the box in the third inning. He hit the first pitch he saw up the middle for a single, the Rangers’ first hit of the night.
“I made a little bet with my dad if I get a hit he has to buy me a steak dinner, and if I struck out I’d have to buy him one,” Dunning said. “Fortunately I got a hit and he owes me a steak dinner.”
UP NEXT
Colorado RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-5, 4.97) will face RHP Jordan Lyles (2-4, 5.79) in Wednesday’s second game between the teams.
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