Rangers Defeat Diamondbacks
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PHOENIX — Texas first baseman Prince Fielder said he felt no urgency to get his first home run out of the way this season. RBIs are his prize.
“I’m just into driving in runs,” Fielder said. “Home runs are a great way to drive in multiple runs at one time. But as long as I am hitting the ball hard, getting on base, and driving in runs, I’m doing my job.”
Fielder hit a two-run homer to cap four-run eighth inning to break a tie at 1 and drove in three when the Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 at Chase Field on Tuesday.
His homer into the right field stands was his first since May 8, 2014, and his first on the road since Sept. 10, 2013. He played only 42 games last season before missing the rest of the year with a herniated disk in his neck.
“A man was on third, just try to get him in,” Fielder said. “I got a pitch I could drive. It worked out.”
Rangers left fielder Jason Smolinski reached on an error by third baseman
Cliff Pennington with one out in the eighth inning and center fielder Leonys Martin walked off Daniel Hudson (0-1) before shortstop Elvis Andrus singled to drive in Smolinski.
Martin and Andrus pulled off a double steal, and Martin scored when catcher Tuffy Gosewisch’s throw to third went into left field. Fielder followed with his first homer of the season for the Rangers (6-8), the 289th of his career.
“It was a changeup right in the middle of the plate,” said Hudson, who had not given up a run in his previous four appearances. “Just one of those nights.”
Fielder, who also doubled in a run in the first inning, is hitting .386 with nine RBIs. He has five homers in 20 starts at Chase Field.
“It’s nice here,” he said. “The batter’s eye is good.”
Rangers right-hander Shawn Tolleson (1-0) struck out D-backs first baseman Paul Goldschmidt with two runners on to end the seventh inning and retired all four batters he faced, striking out three.
Rangers center fielder Leonys Martin had a two-run single in the ninth inning. He had two hits and scored twice, doubling in the first and scoring on Fielder’s ground-rule double that bounced into the seats in deep left-center.
“One of our trademarks is good defense, and we didn’t play very good defense tonight,” said Arizona manager Chip Hale, whose team had three errors after committing five in the first 13 games.
Third baseman Yasmany Tomas had two singles and scored on Nick Ahmed’s infield grounder in the second inning in his first major league start for the D-backs (7-7).
Tomas, who signed a six-year, $68.5 million free agent deal in the offseason, also committed a fielding error in three chances before being removed for a pinch-runner in the sixth inning.
Rangers right-hander Nick Martinez gave five hits and one run in six innings, the first earned run he has given up in 20 innings this season. He struck out three and walked one.
He pitched around an infield in sixth inning and left the bases loaded.
“You just have to keep making pitches,” Martinez said. “Sometimes you have to get four outs. Some days they are going to save you. Those guys are going to be there behind me.”
D-backs right-hander Chase Anderson gave up one run and three hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking one.
