Rangers Shut Out by Padres

SAN DIEGO — Tyson Ross can be tough on himself. On Monday night, he treated the Texas Rangers in a similar manner.

Ross pitched seven shutout innings as the San Diego Padres blanked the Rangers 7-0.

“He wants to be better than he is,” Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said. “He’ll critique himself and try to be even better.”

Ross (10-9) allowed three hits, struck out seven, issued two walks and a hit batter while snapping Texas’ four-game winning streak.

“He has electric stuff,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “He creates a really good angle with the fastball, but the slider is his pitch. You got to get him early or he makes it tough on you, and he seemed to have his good stuff tonight.”

The Padres won for the third time in eight games, and Ross won for fourth time in his past five decisions.

“I was just going out there trying to put up zeros, and when we score like that, it kind of takes a little bit of pressure off me,” Ross said.

Bud Norris didn’t surrender a hit while pitching the final two innings for the Padres.

Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis (14-7) dropped his second consecutive start. He was charged with six runs (five earned) and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked two (one intentional) and had

two strikeouts.

“Like I always say, there are no excuses,” Lewis said. “I just didn’t make the pitches when I needed to make the pitches.”

San Diego broke the game open with four runs in the sixth as it sent 10 batters to the plate in padding its lead to 6-0.

First baseman Yonder Alonso led off with a double, right fielder Matt Kemp walked, and Alonso scooted to third on left fielder Justin Upton’s fly ball. Shortstop Jedd Gyorko followed with a sacrifice fly to score Alonso. Kemp scored on second baseman Cory Spangenberg’s double before catcher Austin Hedges was intentionally walked to get to Ross.

Ross, batting eighth, collected his fourth RBI of the season with a sharp single to center to score Spangenberg and chase Lewis.

“I snuck a little base hit in there,” Ross said. “Two outs, runners on, I got a pitch back up the middle and keep the rally going. It’s a humbling experience to be in there and see how tough hitting actually is, the way the pitches move. It’s pretty tough.”

Third baseman Yangervis Solarte scored Hedges with a single off reliever Andrew Faulkner, who was making his major league debut.

The Padres opened the scoring in the third inning thanks to speed and strength.

Rookie center fielder Travis Jankowski, batting ninth, had a one-out single and then collected his first major league stolen base. Alonso drove in Jankowski with a single to left-center.

Kemp hit a booming double off the left field fence, with Alonso coming around for a 2-0 Padres lead. Kemp homered off Lewis the last time he faced him on July 11.

“Gave up two runs, with our offense, I wasn’t worried about it,” Lewis said. “I just told myself I had to go out there and put up zeros. I just didn’t get it done.”

Alonso, Spangenberg and Jankowski finished with two hits apiece for San Diego. Shortstop Elvis Andrus recorded two of Texas’ three hits.

Ross was pleased with his performance, especially considering the team it came against.

“They’re playing great baseball, they’ve got a good lineup, and we’ve got a long homestand,” Ross said, “so it’s a nice way to start off in the first game of 11 at home.”

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