Rangers Finally Beat Rockies
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ARLINGTON, Texas — After getting pounded by the Colorado Rockies for three straight days, the Texas Rangers finally figured something out Thursday night.
It started on the mound.
Texas starter Matt Harrison and four relievers kept the Colorado red-hot bats in check in the Rangers’ 5-0 shutout at rain-soaked Globe Life Park.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak — all at the hands of Colorado — and kept Texas (18-17) from falling below .500. Harrison won his first game of the season after two no-decisions.
“It was huge, especially after the last three games,” Harrison said after his first victory since Sept. 27, 2012. “The defense made a lot of great plays behind me. That’s a good club over there.”
The Rockies (22-15) outscored Texas 29-5 over the previous three games this week. Colorado managed only five hits in losing for just the third time in the last 12 games.
The Rockies weren’t at their defensive best, either. Three errors, a wild pitch, a balk, a passed
ball and a hit batter contributed to an overall sloppy night for the National League West co-leaders, who were shutout for the first time this season.
“Harrison did a good job pitching back and forth with the fastball-changeup combo,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “We had some opportunities early and couldn’t get the big hit tonight, but we’ve been winning series so we’ll try to stick to that formula moving forward.
Colorado starter Franklin Morales (3-2) was touched up for all five runs (four earned) in six innings.
“I thought he did a nice job,” Weiss said of Morales. “We just got shut down on the offensive end.”
Texas gladly took advantage of the gifts, along with a solid performance from Harrison. The left-hander worked into the sixth inning and didn’t allow a run, working around four walks and three hits.
The Rangers also benefited from first baseman Prince Fielder’s solo home run in the sixth off the second deck in right and several key defensive plays. Left fielder Michael Choice and center fielder Leonys Martin drove in runs for Texas.
“Tonight we created some opportunities and we took advantage of it,” Texas manager Ron Washington said. “It was nice. We did everything. We played defense, ran the bases, pitched and hit.”
The Rangers got on the board in the second with two runs resulting from two hits and two Colorado miscues.
Right fielder Alex Rios doubled down the left-field line and scored after Martin stroked a single to right. Martin moved to second on a balk from Morales, stole third and strolled home after Colorado catcher Michael McKenry’s throw sailed into left field.
The Rockies squandered a golden scoring opportunity in the top of the second after loading the bases with one out. Harrison worked out of the jam by coaxing a ground-ball double play from McKenry.
