Rangers Win Streak Ends At 8

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ARLINGTON, Texas — A pair of unlikely power sources led the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-1 win over the Rangers on Tuesday, ending Texas’ eight-game winning streak.

Milwaukee rookies Scooter Gennett and Khris Davis entered the night with a combined five homers this season, but Gennett went deep twice and Davis also homered in the opener of the two-game series. The blasts handed the AL West-leading Rangers (69-51) their first loss since Aug. 3 and only their second in the past 14 games.

“I’m really not trying to do too much out there,” said Gennett, who is batting .450 (9-for-20) during career-best six-game hitting streak. “I’m not trying to hit home runs. I’m just trying to get go at-bats.”

The Brewers (52-67) might be playing out the string, but they are 5-3 on their trip, which ends with the series finale Wednesday. The offense from Gennett and Davis, plus a solid pitching performance from Marco Estrada (5-4), were welcome.

The Brewers can use whatever big bats they find these days with slugger Ryan Braun suspended.

Estrada, who went six innings and allowed one run on four hits, earned his first win since May 24.

“I was able to keep us in the ballgame and we pulled it out,” Estrada said.

Davis, making just his second start at designated hitter in his third stint with

the club, chased Texas starter Alexi Ogando (5-4) with a solo shot off the foul pole in left field for a 4-1 lead in the seventh.

“I don’t know if it makes you smile, but it’s sure nice to see,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of the homers from Gennett and Davis.

It wasn’t the type of outing the Rangers wanted out of Ogando, who is seemingly entrenched in the rotation with Matt Harrison and Colby Lewis both out for the season due to injuries.

“Gennett was the issue tonight,” manager Ron Washington said. “He got him twice and then Davis got one. (Ogando) got us to the seventh, so that’s important, but we’ve got to keep the long ball from happening.”

The Rangers loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, hitting three singles — two infielders — off Brewers reliever Mike Gonzalez. Rob Wooten replaced Gonzalez and struck out Elvis Andrus. Jim Henderson then came on to get Ian Kinsler to end the potential rally, and Henderson pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 17th save.

The loss in the opener of an eight-game homestand followed a 9-1 road trip by Texas.

“I don’t know if we were out of sorts,” said Washington, who was honored before the game after becoming the franchise’s winningest manager. “You have to give Estrada credit. He kept us off balance. We had some chances.”

The Brewers’ early offense came solely from the last spot in the lineup. Ninth-place hitter Gennett doubled his home run total on the season with bombs off Ogando in the third and fifth innings.

Gennett gave Milwaukee a 1-0 lead in the third on a towering blow into the second deck in right field. The second baseman added a two-run shot to right in the fifth for a 3-1 lead and the first multi-homer game of his career.

“He’s got power,” Roenicke said.

Texas’ Mitch Moreland hit his 17th homer in the third inning. The line drive just cleared the short porch in right.

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