Texas Rangers defeat Atlanta Braves 6-2 – MLB Update
Colby Lewis pitched seven strong innings and Josh Hamilton drove in a two-run homer on Friday, June 17 to help the Texas Rangers beat the Atlanta Braves 6-2 at Turner Field, Atlanta.
Lewis, whose performance remained below par as he allowed a combined 15 runs on 17 hits in only four innings seemed a transformed starter this time round and remained stronger since the start.
"We needed everything that happened out there on our side tonight," the team manager Washington said. "We were able to get some base hits in some clutch situations and put some runs on the board. We played solid baseball tonight."
Nelson Cruz gave an early lead to the Texas Rangers as he doubled to right, allowing Michael Young to score on Randall Delgado’s fastball. Delgado gave up two hits in the inning and allowed a run that gave the Rangers an early 1-0 lead.
Lewis then remained unhittable with his swift pitches, preserving the precious 1-0 lead of the Rangers. Brian McCann homered to right in the fourth inning for the Braves to level the score.
It was here that Josh Hamilton played his much-awaited part. The Rangers, which have been struggling lately, saw Hamilton infusing new hope with his two-run homer to not only score the tie-breaking run but also give a 3-1 lead to the team.
Cruz then drove in his third and the team’s fifth run in the same inning which saw Randall Delgado give up four hits, resulting in four runs. Once the lead was effectively established, Lewis pitched with renewed confidence.
The Braves’ offence did not seem inclined to give up so early, as Freddie Freeman homered to right in the sixth inning to bring Texas’ lead down to 5-2. That prompted the Rangers to bring in reliever Arthur Rhodes to pitch.
Rhodes pitched a shut-out eighth inning as Josh Hamilton drove in his third and the team’s sixth run in the 9th inning. Jairo Asencio came out to pitch for the Braves and gave up four hits in the inning.
Neftali Feliz pitched the crucial ninth inning, remained unhittable and sent the Braves’ hitters packing, giving the Rangers their 6-2 victory in the first encounter of the three-game series.
The Rangers put in a good effort to lift their performance and contain Atlanta throughout the game. The Braves fought hard, but unfortunately it was not enough to grab a victory from the Rangers. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers manage to carry
their winning momentum into their next game. The Braves will be looking to improve their performance and draw the series with a convincing win.
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