Rangers at Nationals
The Texas Rangers have a chance to clinch their first series victory in nearly three weeks when they continue a three-game set at the Washington Nationals on Saturday. The Rangers pounded out 13 hits in a 5-2 win to begin the series Friday night, just their fourth victory in the last 15 games.
Jonathan Lucroy extended his hitting streak to four games with a home run and two singles while driving in three runs for Texas, which played another game without third baseman Adrian Beltre. The hobbled veteran has missed two straight games with an ankle injury and it appears as if the club wants to give Beltre another day to test the injury before deciding if he needs to be placed on the disabled list. The National League East-leading Nationals committed three errors and left eight runners on base in Friday's loss, falling to 17-10 at home. Daniel Murphy had two of their nine hits in the setback and he is batting .442 in 10 games since May 29.
TV: 12:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Southwest (Texas), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Martin Perez (2-6, 4.64 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (5-1, 3.03)
Perez allowed three runs or fewer in four straight starts before back-to-back rocky outings, including a matchup with Houston on Sunday in which he was reached for six runs (five earned) in 3 2/3 innings. He served up three home runs in that start after giving up a total of three over his previous eight appearances. The 26-year-old, who will be pitching in his 100th career game (94th start), has never faced Washington but is 5-5 with a 4.32 ERA in 15 interleague starts.
Gonzalez has won back-to-back starts after limiting the Los Angeles Dodgers to two runs on four hits over six innings Monday on the road. The former first-round pick has a 1.69 ERA in six home starts, although he has had to work around 19 walks in 37 1/3 innings. Gonzalez is 4-2 with a 2.55 ERA in 10 career encounters (eight starts) with Texas but he has been hit hard by Beltre (8-for-19, three home runs), Lucroy (8-for-13) and Elvis Andrus (6-for-18).
WALK-OFFS
1. Texas INF Jurickson Profar got recalled on Friday and LHP Dario Alvarez was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock.
2. Nationals 3B Anthony Rendon is batting .308 with 26 RBIs in 25 home games.
3. Rangers RF Nomar Mazara boasts five multi-hit efforts in his last 10 games.