ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Jonathan Lucroy hit a go-ahead, two-run double against his former team in the sixth inning to help the Texas Rangers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 on Tuesday night.
The Rangers now have a half-game lead over Boston for the best record in the American League. The Red Sox lost 6-4 to the Yankees on Tuesday.
Lucroy's hit made a winner of reliever Tony Barnette (7-3). Barnette worked one scoreless inning, leaving runners at second and third in the sixth. It was his first appearance since Sept. 4, having been sidelined with a strained oblique.
Lucroy, who played six-plus seasons for the Brewers before being traded to the Rangers on Aug. 1, pulled a pitch from Jimmy Nelson (8-16) down the left-field line into the corner.
Sam Dyson earned his 37th save, striking out Domingo Santana to leave runners at first and third in the ninth inning. Five Rangers relievers worked 4 2/3 innings and built the bullpen's scoreless streak to 24 2/3 innings though it allowed an inherited run to score.
Carlos Gomez drove in Texas' first three runs with a third-inning home run, the first hit off Nelson. The homer followed back-to-back walks to Jurickson Profar and Elvis Andrus, the Rangers' Nos. 8 and 9 hitters opening the inning.
Rangers starter A.J. Griffin lasted only 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. That included his 27th and 28th home runs in 119 innings this season.
Gomez has seven homers in 30 games for Texas after hitting five in 85 games for the Houston Astros.
Chris Carter gave Milwaukee a 2-0 lead in the first inning with his 39th home run.
Nelson, who leads the National League in losses, gave up five runs on four hits and four walks. Three batters who walked scored.
SHORT HOPS
Carlos Beltran, 39, stole a base for the first time since 2014 and made a diving catch in right field. ... Jonathan Villar stole his major league leading 60th base. ... Texas extended its majors leading total for come-from-behind wins to 48.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: Manager Craig Counsell said he gave LF Ryan Braun (sore wrist) a day off on Tuesday and that Braun should play in Wednesday's series finale.
Rangers: Shin-Soo Choo (fractured left forearm) went 2-for-5 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a steal batting in all seven innings of an instructional league game on Tuesday in Arizona.
UP NEXT
Brewers RHP Chase Anderson (9-11), a native Texan who lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is 5-1 with a 2.30 ERA over his last 11 starts.
If Rangers LHP Cole Hamels (15-5) pitches at least 6 1/3 innings in what should be his regular-season finale, he'll reach 200 for the season for the eighth time in 11 years.
