Ezequiel Duran and Marcus Semien drove in runs to back the pitching of Kumar Rocker and three relievers as the Texas Rangers did just enough to beat the reeling Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.
The Rangers swept the series and won their fourth straight game and seventh in their past eight outings while Chicago dropped their fifth consecutive contest. Three of those losses by the White Sox were by one run and another was by two.
Rocker (2-4) drew the start for Texas after being activated by the team earlier Sunday to take the roster spot of Tyler Mahle, who went on the injured list retroactive to June 12 with right shoulder fatigue. Rocker went five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk and striking out six despite battling dehydration in the fifth inning. He posted his first win since April 17, a stint covering three Major League starts.
Both Jacob Webb (one run on two hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings) and Cole Winn (two hits in 1 2/3 innings) had to work out of trouble in the sixth, seven and eighth innings to keep Texas on top. Luke Jackson struck out one in a perfect ninth inning to earn his ninth save of the season.
Aaron Civale (1-3), who was acquired by the White Sox on Friday in a trade with Milwaukee, gave up two runs on six hits and four walks over five innings while striking out four.
The Rangers jumped to the lead in the second inning when Duran’s two-out double drove home Adolis Garcia, who had walked.
Texas added to its advantage in the fifth. Josh Smith singled and went to third on Corey Seager’s single and a fielding error by the White Sox’s Andrew Benintendi. Smith then scored on a sacrifice fly by Semien but Civale was able to pitch his way out of trouble by striking out Jake Burger with runners on second and third.
Miguel Vargas trimmed the Chicago deficit to one run with a solo home run in the sixth off Webb. The White Sox stranded runners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth innings and went 1 for 9 with runners on second or third in Sunday’s loss.
