Odor homers in 10th inning to lift Rangers over Tigers 5-4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Rougned Odor homered with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Texas Rangers a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.

Odor’s opposite-field drive into the Detroit bullpen in left-center came with a full count against Nick Ramirez (5-4). That was a pitch after third base umpire Dave Rackley ruled Odor was able to check his swing on 2-2 pitch.

Jose Leclerc (2-3), a night after his first save since April 17, pitched a perfect 10th inning.

The Rangers have won the first two games of this three-game set for their first series win since a three-game sweep at Detroit in late June. Texas had since gone 0-6-3 for its longest span of winless series since 10 in a row in 2003.

Miguel Cabrera’s 472nd career homer was a towering two-run shot to center in the first that put the Tigers up 2-0. After Willie Calhoun‘s leadoff homer in the Rangers fourth tied the game, Detroit went ahead 4-2 on Harold Castro’s two-out single in the fifth.

Tigers lefty Matthew Boyd struck out nine and walked one over 5 2/3 innings in his first start since the trade deadline passed three days earlier with him still in Detroit, despite speculation otherwise before that.

Boyd exited with a 4-2 lead, but had his third consecutive no-decision and is 1-4 over his last 11 starts.

The Rangers tied the game at 4 with two unearned runs in the seventh. Jose Trevino started the inning reaching on a two-base error when rookie right fielder Travis Demeritte misplayed a flyball. He scored on a double by Delino DeShields, who raced home and scored on a head-first slide just ahead of the tag on a sac fly to right by Elvis Andrus.

Trevino, the prospect catcher playing his first big league game since hitting a game-ending, two-run single on Father’s Day 2018, had an RBI single in the third after Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled.

Third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera and catcher Tim Federowicz were both designated for assignment by the Rangers on Thursday. Trevino and Kiner-Falefa, now primarily playing third base instead of catch, were then recalled.

MIGGY’S BIG NUMBERS

Miguel Cabrera took over 26th place alone on the career RBI list, breaking his tie with Gary Sheffield. Cabrera has 1,678 career RBIs, 17 shy of Cal Ripken Jr. for 25th. On the career homer list, Cabrera is one short of matching Carlos Delgado for 33rd place.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: SS Jordy Mercer left the game because of lower body cramps. Gordon Beckman replaced him as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, and then took over at second base with Niko Goodrum sliding over to shortstop. With at second base in the ninth, Beckham made a diving inning-ending catch to snag a liner by Elvis Andrus.

UP NEXT

Jordan Zimmermann (1-8, 7.23 ERA), whose lone victory came in his last start for Detroit, is on the mound for the series finale. Rookie right-hander Pedro Payano (1-0) goes for the Rangers.