Texas' bats stiled in tough loss
After winning five of six at home, Rangers split series with White Sox.
Miguel Gonzalez and Juan Minaya pitched out of trouble just well enough on Sunday.
Gonzalez escaped early trouble to finish six scoreless innings and Minaya recorded the final out after giving up a two-run homer, leading the Chicago White Sox over the Texas Rangers 3-2.
Texas (61-62) dropped 2 ½ games behind the Twins and the Angels for the AL’s second wildcard spot. The Rangers finished a 10-game homestand 7-3, but split the four-game series against Chicago (47-74).
Gonzalez (7-10) pitched out of one-out, bases-loaded jams in both the second and third innings.
“I just didn’t have that feel in the second and third inning,” he said. “I was just pushing the ball instead of going through my catcher.”
Rangers manager Jeff Banister said his batters couldn’t take advantage.
“I felt like Gonzalez made some pitches,” he said, and added, “There were no productive outs in today’s game.”
With the bases loaded, Texas batters went down on two popups and two short fly balls.
After allowing singles to the first two batters in the fourth, Gonzalez retired the last nine batters he faced.
“Just one of those days where you had to think through it and make adjustments while the game
went on.”
Gonzalez tied his season high with six strikeouts, and gave up four walks and four hits, all singles. He’s 2-0 in his last three starts, allowing two runs in 20 innings.
“I thought he was running the ball, cutting the ball, working both sides of the plate, staying on the fringes,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “He never really left anything to the middle that allowed them to do a whole lot.”
Minaya recorded his second save, both in the last three games, despite giving up Rougned Odor’s 27th homer with two outs in the ninth.
Minaya got pinch hitter Shin-Soo Choo to ground into a double play ahead of the homer. After it, Minaya retired Elvis Andrus on a game-ending fly ball.
The Rangers left 10 run- ners on base after scoring 29 runs in the series’ first three games. They were 2-for12 with runners in scoring position. Chicago capitalized on
the Rangers’ stranding run- ners by scoring three runs in the fourth inning against A.J. Griffin (6-4).
Omar Narvaez stretched his hitting streak to eight games with an RBI single and Tyler Saladino followed with a two-run double. Saladino had just six RBIs in his 53 previous games this season. “I just wasn’t able to get
ahead,” Griffin said. “They got a couple of base hits with guys on and scored a couple of runs.”
Trainer’s room
White Sox: Inf i el d er Yoan Moncada didn’t play for the second straight game because of shin splints. Renteria said he hoped Moncada could play in both games of Monday’s doubleheader.
Rangers: Third baseman Joey Gallo (bloody nose and swollen upper lip) and righthander Matt Bush (bruised right knee) both left the game in the eighth inning after colliding while chasing a popup. Bush’s head slammed into Gallo’s nose. Both were being evaluated under Major League Base-
ball’s concussion protocol. Neither will travel with the team to Anaheim.
Up next
White Sox: Host Minne- sota in a Monday double- header to begin a five-game series. Left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-4, 4.00 ERA) is the scheduled first-game starter, with righty Carson Fulmer coming up from Triple-A Charlotte for his first major league start in the second game. Fulmer was 0-2 in 11 relief appearances for the White Sox last season, and is 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA for Charlotte. Rang e rs: Lefty Cole Hamels (8-1, 3.48) is seek- ing his fifth straight win Monday night when Texas visit s the Angels for a four-gam e series.