Rangers Edge Padres
SAN DIEGO — Before the Rangers headed to north to Anaheim, the happiest place on earth was the Texas clubhouse.
“That was a wild one,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said Wednesday night after Mitch Moreland’s 10th-inning double lifted Texas to a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres.
Moreland added, “It was a tough, hard-fought game, and it was a good win for us.”
Rangers reliever Sam Dyson (2-1) pitched the final two innings for the win.
“Dyson showed up big for us in the last two innings,” Banister said.
The extended stint didn’t faze Dyson.
“You show up and be prepared and pitch when they call your name,” Dyson said.
The second-place Rangers (70-62) won for the ninth time in 12 games, and they pulled within two games of the AL West-leading Houston Astros.
“It’s been a good stretch and we got a ways to go,” Banister said after the Rangers’ 25th come-from-behind win of the season. “We got to continue to play well and play hard.”
Shortstop Elvis Andrus started the winning rally with a one-out single off
Bud Norris (1-1). Moreland’s double to deep right knocked in Andrus.
The Padres (64-69) had the tying run at second with one out in the bottom of the 10th, but pinch hitter Yangervis Solarte was retired trying to advance to third on a ground ball to shortstop.
“Soly knows better than that, but he was a little anxious,” Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. “He was on the bench all night for 10 innings. It’s not unforgivable, but it changes things a little bit.”
The Rangers struck early for a 1-0 lead.
First baseman Prince Fielder drew a two-out walk in the first inning, and third baseman Adrian Beltre followed with a double. When right fielder Matt Kemp dropped the ball for an error after it caromed off the wall, Fielder scored from first base.
San Diego second baseman Jedd Gyorko collected his second single to open the fourth. Kemp followed with a walk, reaching base in his 22nd consecutive game. After two strikeouts, shortstop Clint Barmes sliced a double just inside the right field line for a 2-1 Padres lead.
Texas catcher Chris Gimenez smacked his fifth homer of the season in the fifth, tying the game at 2-2.
Barmes gave the Padres a 3-2 edge in the sixth, with some help from his counterpart.
With runners on the corners and one out, Barmes hit a double-play ball to second base. Rougned Odor’s feed to Andrus erased Brett Wallace, but Andrus struggled getting the ball out of his glove, eliminating his chance to get Barmes at first to end the inning. That enabled left fielder Justin Upton, who singled to start the inning, to score and put the Padres ahead.
Joaquin Benoit relieved Ian Kennedy in the eighth and walked right fielder Shin-Soo Choo. Fielder singled, with Choo taking third. Beltre tied the game 3-3 with a sacrifice fly.
The Rangers loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Craig Kimbel struck out pinch hitter Mike Napoli and third baseman Adrian Beltre to end the threat.
“That is why he is a premium closer,” Banister said. “We left a village on base tonight.”
Added Murphy: “That’s what (Kimbel) does best. He gets his back up against the wall and he punches guys out. Full count with the bases loaded and one out is not fun to watch, but he is one of the best.”
Kennedy tied a career high with 12 strikeouts. He allowed two runs on five hits with two walks over seven innings. It was impressive coming against the Rangers.
“They are a good team, a great hitting team.” Kennedy said. “You try to navigate through that lineup. I caught myself thinking one time, there is no break in this lineup.”
Rangers starter Cole Hamels, a San Diego native, worked eight innings and was charged with three runs on eight hits.
