Mazara homers twice as Lynn, Rangers edge White Sox 6-5
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nomar Mazara hit two home runs, Lance Lynn shook off a four-run first inning and retired 17 of the last 18 batters he faced, and the Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 6-5 on Saturday night.
Run-scoring singles by Texas’ Shin-Soo Choo and Delino DeShields wiped out Chicago’s 5-4 lead in the sixth inning.
Mazara had his fourth career two-homer game and drove in three runs.
Lynn (9-4) improved to 6-0 at home and tied his season high with seven innings pitched, but allowed five earned runs and fell one short of tying the Rangers record of nine consecutive quality starts. Chris Martin pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his third save in four opportunities.
Tim Anderson hit a solo home run and three-run double for Chicago.
On Anderson’s two-out, two-strike double in the first, DeShields couldn’t run down the ball at the right-center field wall. Anderson scored four pitches later on a double to left-center by Yolmer Sanchez.
The first two White Sox to bat in the game, Leury Garcia and Yoan Moncada, singled. Yonder Alonso walked to load the bases with one out, but Lynn struck out Eloy Jimenez before Anderson fouled off two pitches with two strikes.
Chicago starter Odrisamer Despaigne retired the first two Rangers in the first, but gave up a two-run homer to Mazara and a run-scoring double by Logan Forsyth. The final out came when Asdrubal Cabrera was thrown out trying to score on Forsyth’s double. The White Sox led 4-3.
Mazara tied the game against Despaigne in the third with a solo homer, his third in six plate appearances in the series.
Lynn retired 13 White Sox batters in a row before Anderson regained Chicago’s lead with his homer to center field.
Texas took its first lead with the two sixth-inning runs against Evan Marshall (3-1), who had not allowed an earned run in 17 1/3 previous innings this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: RHP Dylan Covey (right shoulder inflammation) is scheduled for a bullpen session on Sunday that could determine whether he’ll return after being placed on the injured list June 9. His return could determine who would start for Chicago on Tuesday at Boston.
“We’ll see how it goes (Sunday),” manager Rick Renteria said, “and then we could make a clear assessment of when we’ll use him.”
Renteria wasn’t sure whether he might have to use all bullpen pitchers Tuesday. “I don’t have a crystal ball for you without knowing how Dylan throws.”
Rangers: They could have both of their All-Star finalists back from the injured list for their next series at Detroit. OF Joey Gallo (strained left oblique, on the IL since June 2) is expected back from an injury-rehab assignment “right now, Tuesday,” manager Chris Woodward said. OF/DH Hunter Pence (strained right groin) is expected to play Thursday, the first day he’s eligible to come off the IL.
UP NEXT
Chicago RHP Ivan Nova (3-5, 6.01) is 3-0 with a 2.97 ERA on the road this season, and 2-1, 3.09 in four career games at Arlington. Rangers rookie RHP Adrian Sampson (5-4, 4.40) will be facing the White Sox for the first time in the conclusion of the three-game series.
