Rangers look for ninth straight victory.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A clean sweep at home for the Texas Rangers, who are suddenly scoring plenty of runs for all of their pitchers and now have the longest winning streak in the majors this season.
Ryan Rua hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the fifth, Martin Perez finally got some run support and the Rangers stretched their winning streak to nine games with an 8-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.
"We don't change. We stay aggressive, on the mound, at the plate, on the basepaths, defensively," Rua said. "We're playing pretty good right now."
The Rangers swept through an eight-game home stand against three teams, only their second time in franchise history to do that. Their overall winning streak, which started with an 11-0 win at San Diego on May 9, is the longest in the majors this season.
"We win a couple of games and I think that momentum carried over, and kept carrying over, and you keep winning and winning and you don't want to lose," shortstop Elvis Andrus said. "It's always great when you keep finding a way."
The Rangers have their longest winning streak since 12 in a row in July 2011. The only time they have won more was their team-record 14 straight in May 1991, and their only other eight-game undefeated home stand was in May 2005.
Philadelphia led 2-0 before Robinson Chirinos and Rougned Odor had consecutive two-out RBI singles off reliever Joely Rodriguez (1-2) in the fifth. Rua followed with his third homer, lining a shot that just cleared the 8-foot wall in right field.
Perez (2-5) struck out eight with no walks in seven innings. The Rangers had scored two or fewer runs for the lefty in his previous six starts.
With a 9-3 win Wednesday night, when Texas scored all nine runs for first-time winner Andrew Casher after only six runs in his first six starts.
On his 28th birthday Thursday, a day after a four-hit game with his first career homer, Jared Hoying had a bunt single to start the sixth. He eventually scored on Andrus' double before Nomar Mazara's two-run single chased Rodriguez, who retired only two of the 10 batters he faced.
Maikel Franco's solo homer in the fifth put the Phillies up 2-0, after his earlier sacrifice fly that followed Michael Saunders' triple. Tommy Joseph hit a two-run homer in the ninth in Philadelphia's 15th loss in 18 games.
"We need to step it up. We're better than what we're going through right now," manager Pete Mackanin said. "I can't make excuses. We just got to hit better and pitch better."
FAN HIT BY FOUL BALL
A girl sitting in the second deck of seats down the right-field line was struck on the head by a foul ball hit by Rangers slugger Joey Gallo in the fifth. She appeared to reach up for the ball before getting struck. Medical personnel tended to her at her seat for several minutes before walking up the stairs with her. The team had no updates on her condition.
BACK TO TRIPLE-A
Phillies rookie Nick Pivetta gave up three hits and one run in 4 2-3 innings. But he threw 107 pitches with five strikeouts and four walks, and was sent back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. "Just keep working hard," said Pivetta, who made four big-league starts. "You've got stuff to work on, just limit your pitches."
DEFENSIVE GEM
With Odor batting in the second, the Phillies had a defensive shift with 3B Andres Blanco lined up near the regular shortstop spot. Odor hit a foul pop, and Blanco ran a long way to make a sliding catch in foul territory near the seats.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Phillies: Saunders left the game in the sixth inning because of left groin tightness.
Rangers: RHP Tyson Ross (tho-
racic outlet syndrome recovery) was scheduled to join the team in Detroit after a 65-pitch outing in Arizona, when he struck out five with no walks while allowing six hits and two runs in four innings.
UP NEXT
Phillies: Jeremy Hellickson, 0-1 with a 7.90 ERA in three May starts, goes for the Phillies in a series opener Friday night at Pittsburgh.
Rangers: After the undefeated home stand, Texas plays its next nine games on the road. A.J. Griffin (4-0) starts the series opener at Detroit on Friday night.
TIGERS 6, ORIOLES 5
DETROIT (AP) — Victor Martinez hit a two-run homer off Dylan Bundy to put Detroit ahead in the fifth inning, and the Tigers went on to a victory over the Orioles.
J.D. Martinez hit a three-run shot in the third for the Tigers, who ended a streak of eight straight quality starts by Bundy (5-2) to start the season. The Baltimore right-hander allowed six runs and eight hits in six innings.
Jordan Zimmermann (4-2) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings, and three relievers finished for Detroit. Alex Wilson pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.
Chris Davis, Adam Jones and Seth Smith homered for the Orioles. Baltimore led 3-0 before J.D. Martinez tied it with his fifth home run in six games.
Detroit's Miguel Cabrera sat out with a strained oblique, and Baltimore's Manny Machado was out with a sore finger.
CUBS 9, REDS 5
CHICAGO (AP) — Javier Baez hit a grand slam, Kris Bryant homered and the Cubs beat the Reds to complete a three-game sweep.
Chicago outscored Cincinnati 25-15 in the series and has 23 wins in its last 28 games against the Reds.
Baez had three hits and a season-high five RBIs.
He capped a five-run first inning against Amir Garrett (3-3) with his third career slam.
Bryant hit his eighth homer this season in the fourth, a solo drive, and the Cubs took a 9-0 lead in the fifth.
John Lester (2-2) improved to 11-0 in his last 15 regular-season home starts, allowing three runs and six hits in sixplus innings.
He left with a 9-1 lead after giving up singles to Jose Peraza, Tucker Barnhart and Arismendy Alcantara in the seventh.
BREWERS 4, PADRES 2
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Eric Sogard had his second four-hit game in three days and drove in three runs, leading the Brewers over the Padres.
Sogard is hitting .476 (10 for 21) with two homers since he was called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Friday. He went 9 for 15 in the fourgame series, including an RBI single in the fourth and a two-run single in the seventh on the 12th pitch of an at-bat against Kevin Quackenbush (0-1).
Sogard, who walked in his final plate appearance, missed last season while recovering from knee surgery.
PIRATES 10, NATIONALS 4
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Adam Frazier had a career-high four RBIs, Josh Bell and John Jaso homered, and the Pirates rolled past the Nationals.
Frazier hit a two-run double in the sixth inning and a two-run single in the seventh to help the Pirates pull away after Jaso's solo home run in the fifth inning broke a 4-4 tie. Bell opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the first.
Andrew McCutchen and Chris Stewart each had two of the Pirates' 13 hits. Jaso, who has three home runs, drove in two runs as Pittsburgh took two of three from the NL East-leading Nationals.
Tyler Glasnow (2-3) got the win despite allowing four runs — two earned — and three hits in five innings. He had six strikeouts and three walks.
Tanner Roark (3-2) was tagged for seven runs in five innings to remain winless in his last four starts.
ROCKIES 5, TWINS 1 GAME 1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nolan Arenado got Colorado going with a first-inning home run, Mark Reynolds added a two-run single and the roadtough Rockies beat the Twins in the first game of a doubleheader.
German Marquez (2-2) dodged trouble over five innings to limit the damage to a sacrifice fly by Brian Dozier, and the Rockies raised their record in away games to 13-5, the best mark in the major leagues.
Greg Holland struck out Dozier to end the game for his franchise-record 18th consecutive save to start the season, after entering with runners at first and second.
Charlie Blackmon and Ian Desmond drove in runs against Twins starter Ervin Santana (6-2), who took the mound with the major league lead in ERA (1.50).
Santana finished seven innings for the fifth time in nine tries, but two of the four walks he issued scored. He gave up six hits and all five runs.
TWINS 2, ROCKIES 0 GAME 2
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jose Berrios allowed two hits and struck out 11 over 7 2/3 innings as the Twins beat the Rockies, salvaging a split of an interleague doubleheader between the first-place teams in the AL Central and NL West.
The Twins scored just three runs in the doubleheader, but Berrios (2-0) made his scant support in the nightcap hold up with the best outing of his young career.