Rangers rally in 9th to defeat Rockies
DENVER -- Mitch Moreland lined a double into the right field corner with two outs in the ninth inning, completing a three-run uprising Monday night and giving the Texas Rangers a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Rockies closer Carlos Estevez (2-7) blew a save for the second straight start and gave way to left-hander Boone Logan, who had held left-handed hitters to an average of .141 (11-for-78) with 27 strikeouts before Moreland connected.
David Dahl, facing left-hander Jake Diekman, opened the Rockies ninth with a single, extending his hitting streak to 14 games to start his career. Diekman struck out Nick Hundley and got Cristhian Adames to ground into a game-ending double play to earn his third save.
Keone Kela (3-1), who gave up a run in the eighth, was the winning pitcher.
Rookie Tyler Andeson, who didn't pitch in 2015 while recovering from a second stress fracture his left elbow, stymied the potent Texas Rangers in his 11th career start.
Anderson allowed a second-inning single to Rougned Odor and then retired 13 of his next 16 batters, including the final eight, before the Rangers, whose 66-47 record is the best in the American League, broke through against him when Adrian Beltre led off the seventh with his 17th home run, cutting the Rockies' lead to 2-1. It was just the second hit off Anderson.
He tied his career high by working seven innings for the second straight start and faced two batters with a runner in scoring position, both in the second after Odor's single.
He took second on a wild pitch as Anderson was in the process of striking out Jurickson Profar. Anderson then intentionally walked Elvis Andrus to get to pitcher Cole Hamels, who was batting eighth, and struck him out.
Charlie Blackmon singled home a run in the third. And Nolan Arenado hit his National League-leading 30th homer and the 100th of his career in the fourth. Arenado's single in the eighth gave him a NL-leading 89 RBIs.
But closer Carlos Estevez blew his second straight save. He gave up four runs in his last outing Friday against Miami, blowing a save and taking the loss and blew a save and suffered the loss. Estevez gave up a leadoff single to Beltre. He got Odor to hit into a force play, thanks to first baseman Mark Reynolds' diving stop, and then walked Jurickson Profar on four pitches. The Rangers pulled off a double steal on Estevez's first pitch to Andrus, who tied the game by grounding a two-run single up the middle on Estevez's 2-1 changeup.
Logan relieved Estevez and gave up the go-ahead double to the left-handed hitting Moreland.
Anderson whittled his ERA to 3.04, the lowest by a Rockies starter in their first 11 starts in franchise history. Anderson has pitched at least six innings in nine starts and pitched into the sixth in the other two. In eight starts at Coors Field, Anderson is 5-1 with a 3.04 ERA
Adam Ottavino relieved Anderson and gave up a single and a walk. But he struck out Jonathan Lucroy to end the inning. Ottavino has made 15 consecutive scoreless appearances totaling 11 2/3 innings since he returned from Tommy John surgery July 5.
The Rockies mustered little in the way of an attack against Hamels, who gave up six hits and two runs in six innings and threw 115 pitches, his second-highest total this season.
Anderson recorded eight ground-ball outs and had four strikeouts among his first 15 outs.
Hamels, who was seeking to win his fifth straight start, allowed six hits and was in a two-run hole after the fifth.
Arenado led off the fourth with league-leading 30 home run, driving Hamels' 1-1 fastball over the wall in center to put the Rockies ahead 2-0. It was career homer No. 100 for Arenado, who hit two on Sunday.
The Rockies scored their first run in the third. Cristhian Adames led off with a single, stole second and scored on Charlie Blackmon's one-out single.
Hamels batted eighth, and Anderson intentionally walked Elvis Andrus to get to the pitcher with one out and a runner on second in the second. The move paid off as Hamels grounded out.
Colorado right fielder Carlos Gonzalez was lifted for a pinch hitter in the second inning due to left ankle inflammation. He sprained the ankle on Wednesday while coming out of the batters' box.
NOTES: Rockies RHP Justin Miller re-strained his left oblique slightly Sunday and had his rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque halted. He last pitched July 2 for the Rockies. ... Rockies RHP Chad Qualls (colitis) will throw to hitters Wednesday and, barring a setback, will then go out on a rehab assignment. He last pitched July 15 for the Rockies. ... Rockies LHP Chris Rusin got an autographed bat from Ichiro Suzuki after giving up his 3,000th hit in the majors Sunday. ... Rangers manager Jeff Banister said OF Carlos Beltran will probably be in the lineup Tuesday and replace Shin-Soo Choo in right field. Beltran left Saturday's game with a bruised left quadriceps but pinch hit Sunday and was available to do so again Monday. ... Rangers LHP Cole Hamels was placed eighth in the starting batting order for the first time in his career.