Adolis Garcia’s bases-loaded triple broke open a close game and sparked the Texas Rangers to a 7-3 win over the visiting Atlanta Braves on Sunday in Arlington, Texas.
Garcia was 3-for-5, scored a run and drove in four to help the Rangers win their second three-game series of the year. Garcia knocked in 11 of the team’s 25 runs during the seven-game homestand.
Starting pitcher Taylor Hearn (1-2) bounced back from consecutive poor outings to earn his first win. He worked five innings and gave up two runs on four hits and three walks while matching his season high with six strikeouts. Hearn had allowed nine runs over his previous eight innings.
The losing pitcher was Kyle Muller (0-1), who was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to make his first major league start of the season. Muller was wild in his 2 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs on four hits, six walks and three strikeouts.
One of Muller’s walks led to the ejection of pitching coach Rick Kranitz, who was thrown out of the game by home plate umpire Cory Blaser after arguing a check-swing call while returning from a mound visit.
The Rangers scored in the first inning for the second straight game. Mitch Garver singled home Garcia for the first run.
Texas scored twice in the second inning on infield grounders, one struck by Marcus Semien, the other by Garcia.
The Braves made it 3-2 in the third on a run-scoring ground ball by Matt Olson and an RBI single by Austin Riley.
But the Rangers put it away with four runs in the bottom half of the inning. Charlie Culberson got the first run home with a squeeze bunt and Garcia followed by lacing a 2-2 pitch past right fielder Travis Demeritte, ending up as a triple.
Atlanta’s Dansby Swanson added a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.
–Field Level Media
