Major League Baseball

Ross pitches well as Padres edge Rangers 2-1

Published Jul. 12, 2015 6:31 p.m. ET

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) The San Diego Padres' first road-series victory since early June has interim manager Pat Murphy optimistic going into the second half of the season.

Tyson Ross pitched 6 2-3 shutout innings as the Padres edged the Texas Rangers 2-1 on Sunday. Winning two of three allowed San Diego to finish a 10-game road trip at 4-6.

''We're a little more resilient,'' Murphy said. ''This whole road trip, we've been competitive every game.''

Ross (6-7) extended his homerless streak to 86 2-3 innings over 14 starts, the current longest streak in the majors.

He went into the game ranking third in the majors in ground-ball percentage at .630 and first in walks with 53. He recorded 11 outs on grounders compared to two fly balls, walked two and allowed three hits on a sunny afternoon when the temperature reached 96 degrees.

''It's hotter when you're losing,'' Ross said. ''So, it was nice having that lead and pitching from ahead.''

Ross pitched from ahead after Will Venable scored San Diego's first run in the second inning on an odd sequence.

Venable tripled on a sharp grounder that caromed off the glove of first baseman Mitch Moreland into right field. Second baseman Rougned Odor retrieved the ball before rightfielder Shin-Soo Choo got to it.

Venable scored when Odor, with the infield in, moved to his left to field a grounder hit by Will Middlebrooks, and Odor's throw home skipped past catcher Carlos Corporan.

Choo said he thought Odor was going to get it the rolling ball and, ''I gave up too early.''

Texas manager Jeff Banister said the play was tough to watch and tough to be a part of.

''To allow a batter to go all the way to third base on a ball that barely gets out to the outfield,'' Banister said. ''We go after the baseball. That should be our mindset, and we didn't.''

''When I got to second,'' Venable said, ''it didn't seem like anyone wanted to make a play on the ball. I knew if the second baseman fielded the ball, there was no way he could turn and throw me out at third.''

Justin Upton got San Diego's other run in the seventh when he reached on a fielder's choice and came home on Jedd Gyorko's two-out single.

Craig Kimbrel recorded a four-out save, his 23rd of the season, and left runners on first and second.

RAIN DELAY HELPED: Ross' previous start last Tuesday at Pittsburgh consisted of only 27 pitches, halted by a lengthy rain delay. He said that aided him Sunday: ''My stamina was better than what it might have been if I pitched six or seven innings in Pittsburgh.''

TWO MORE FOR KEMP: Matt Kemp singled twice, giving him three straight two-hit games and four in the last five games. He raised his batting average from .239 last Monday to .250, the highest since June 28.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Padres: C Tim Federowicz (right knee) was 1 for 4 Sunday as the DH beginning a rehab assignment with Low-A Fort Wayne. He had an RBI double and three strikeouts.

Rangers: LHP Martin Perez (left elbow) was scheduled pitch on Sunday night for Triple-A Round Rock in what could be his final rehab start before being activated. Perez had Tommy John surgery in May 2014.

UP NEXT

The Padres will open a 10-day homestand, which will equal their longest of the season, on Friday against Colorado.

Texas will begin a nine-game road trip on Friday at Houston, where it swept three games in early May.

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