Josh Jung accounted for all the scoring with two home runs to back the solid pitching of Jack Leiter as the Texas Rangers defeated the hapless Colorado Rockies 4-1 on Tuesday in the middle game of a three-game interleague series in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers won their fourth game in a row and the first two of this set to capture their second straight series after losing six in a row.
Colorado, meanwhile, dropped its 10th game in its last 11 outings and hasn’t won a series this season. The Rockies are 0-2 under interim manager Warren Schaeffer, who took the reins of the team after Bud Black was fired on Sunday when the team began the year 7-33.
Leiter (3-2) allowed a run on two hits over six innings while striking out five and walking three. He was followed to the mound by Hoby Milner, Chris Martin and Shawn Armstrong, who struck out three with a pair of runners on the ninth to earn his first save of the year.
Kyle Freeland (0-6) went six innings for Colorado, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
The Rockies grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first when Hunter Goodman’s two-out single drove home Jordan Beck, who had singled and stole second.
Texas answered with aplomb in the bottom of the frame as Sam Haggerty and Wyatt Langford singled before Jung ripped a three-run home run to center field to make it 3-1.
Colorado didn’t get another baserunner until a pair of one-out walks in the fifth but Leiter wiggled off the hook by coaxing flyouts from Alan Trejo and Brenton Doyle.
Jung added to the lead with a solo homer in the eighth off Rockies reliever Zach Agnos.
Colorado threatened in the ninth inning for the second consecutive game, with Ryan McMahon opening the frame with a double that chased Milner. Goodman then greeted Chris Martin with a first-pitch single after which Martin left the game with an apparent injury.
But Armstrong was up to the task, ending the game by striking out Owen Miller looking.
–Field Level Media
