ABC News Sports reported that the Texas Rangers defeated their opponent 8-1 on Monday night. The Texas starter limited the opposing lineup to 1 hit over 7 shutout innings and recorded 8 strikeouts. Lawrence Butler produced that lone hit with a second-inning single to right field.
Butler was later removed on a double play, allowing the pitcher to finish his outing having faced the minimum 21 batters. The performance followed one of the starter’s worst major league appearances, when he surrendered 6 runs in the first inning and 8 overall in 3 2/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox last Tuesday. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has been considerably stronger at Globe Life Field, where his record is 7-2 with a 2.42 ERA, compared with 3-7 and a 5.86 ERA away from home. He had also given up 1 hit in 6 scoreless innings during his previous home start against Washington, while matching a season best with 10 strikeouts.
Brandon Nimmo collected 2 hits, drove in 2 runs and scored once for Texas. Justin Foscue supplied a solo homer, his 10th of the season, to lead off the fourth inning. Nimmo scored during a two-run second, singled home Corey Seager in the third and brought Ezequiel Duran home with a sacrifice fly during the three-run fifth.
Rookie Gage Jump was charged with 7 runs in 4 1/3 innings for the losing side. The opponent has dropped 4 consecutive games and went 8-20 in August, its weakest August showing since a 7-21 mark in 1978. Carlos Cortes scored in the ninth after reaching against Ben Peoples, with Darell Hernaiz bringing him home on a sacrifice fly. Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore is scheduled to face Athletics LHP Brady Basso on Tuesday.