Max Kepler’s two-run double in the seventh inning propelled Philadelphia to the front and backed the solid outing by Jesus Luzardo as the Phillies beat the Texas Rangers and struggling ace Jacob deGrom 3-2 on Saturday in the second of a three-game interleague series in Arlington, Texas.
The Phillies guaranteed their third straight series win and have captured five of their past six games. Texas, meanwhile, has dropped three in a row.
Luzardo (11-5) was the beneficiary of the Phillies’ seventh-inning rally after hurling six frames while allowing a run on seven hits with four strikeouts and a walk. He won his third straight start and is 4-0 over his past six appearances while allowing 14 runs over 35 2/3 innings over that stretch.
deGrom (10-5) lost for the third outing in a row despite cruising through 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
However, things unraveled for him and the Rangers in the seventh. Brandon Marsh singled with one out and went to second on deGrom’s only walk of the game. Kepler followed with a ringing double to right field that scored both baserunners and put the Phillies up 2-1.
After Edmundo Sosa’s flyout to center pushed Kepler to third, the Rangers’ starter was lifted in favor of Danny Coulombe, who allowed an RBI single by Stott that expanded Philadelphia’s lead.
deGrom, who has won just once in his past six starts, allowed all three runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out eight.
Corey Seager trimmed Texas’ deficit to one with a solo homer in the eighth off Matt Strahm before closer Jhoan Duran struck out one in a perfect ninth to earn his 19th save.
The Rangers staked deGrom to an early lead when Wyatt Langford’s one-out single in the first inning drove home Seager, who had singled and advanced to second on a single by Marcus Semien.
Philadelphia threatened in the third when Bryson Stott ripped a two-out double into the right field corner. But deGrom fanned Trea Turner to end the inning. The Rangers’ Sam Haggerty opened the bottom of the frame with a double but was also stranded when Luzardo struck out Seager before coaxing Semien and Langford into groundouts.
–Field Level Media
