Rangers Rout Tigers
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DETROIT — Manager Ron Washington of Texas is pushing all of the buttons he can find in an effort to compensate for all of the Rangers’ injuries.
Many of them seem to be working.
Rookie Nick Martinez posted his first major league win and rookie second baseman Rougned Odor, at the bottom of a shaken-up lineup, had four hits and five RBIs on Saturday to lead the Texas Rangers to a 12-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
“He had good downward plane on the ball — a guy we hadn’t seen before,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said of Martinez. “And maybe we were a little bit flat early in the game.”
“He’s pretty confident,” Washington said of his starter. “And he should be because he’s got good stuff. He made quality pitches.”
Martinez (1-1) gave up eight hits in six innings, walking one and striking out two, as the Rangers handed the Tigers their fifth loss in six games. He was making just his fourth start and appearing in his ninth game for the Rangers.
“It all started with Nick on the mound,” Washington said. “He mixed his pitches well and
kept them off balance. In the fifth and sixth (when he allowed five of his eight hits) they worked him pretty good, but he did what he had to do to get out of it.”
Washington restored left fielder Shin-Soo Choo to leadoff, put first baseman Mitch Moreland in the third spot, had catcher Chris Gimenez sixth and center fielder Leonys Martin seventh in his latest batting order, to compensate for the absence of injured regulars.
Shortstop Andrew Romine singled with two out in the second inning and scored on a double down the left-field line by left fielder Rajai Davis to give Detroit a 1-0 edge.
Right-hander Rick Porcello (7-2) was in control for Detroit until losing his control in the fourth. He was charged with the first eight Rangers runs.
“We made him work,” designated hitter Donnie Murphy said. “He started falling behind hitters (in the fourth) and gave us pitches we were able to handle.”
“His stuff was pretty good,” Ausmus said of Porcello. “He started out pretty well, but he left a couple of pitches up and they tallywhacked him.”
Gimenez, who had four hits off Detroit pitching on Thursday, had a two-out RBI double in the fourth. Martin singled home a run and Odor added a two-run triple to right.
Third baseman Adrian Beltre hit a solo home run, his fifth homer of the season, in the fifth for a 5-1 Rangers lead.
Murphy’s two-run homer in the sixth inning gave Texas a 7-1 lead and Moreland added an RBI double off right-hander Corey Knebel, making his major league debut.
Knebel gave up a bases-loaded triple to Odor in the seventh.
Choo left the game in the middle of the sixth with left ankle soreness.
Relievers Shawn Tolleson, Neal Cotts and Aaron Poreda pitched the last three innings for Texas. Poreda gave up an RBI single to Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler.
Detroit shortstop Danny Worth pitched the ninth, his second appearance on the mound in three days, and gave up an RBI double to left fielder Michael Choice.
“He got outs,” Washington said. “Any time you have a position player who can get outs, that’s a plus. They’re fortunate to have a guy like that.
“But I’ll tell you this: If they try to make a pitcher out of him, he won’t last long.”
Ausmus was 2-for-2 in having stolen bases turned into outs upon review. Choo was wiped off third in the first inning and shortstop Elvis Andrus was ruled out at second in the fifth.
Washington asked for a review in the sixth on a safe call at first and it was reversed into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
