MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ezequiel Durán homered, doubled and drove in three runs to help the Texas Rangers avoid a sweep by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 on Sunday.
Joc Pederson added a solo shot as the Rangers snapped their own four-game skid and the Brewers’ four-game winning streak. Milwaukee’s Gary Sánchez hit his 200th career homer.
Durán tied the game with a two-out solo homer in the third and put the Rangers ahead for good by driving in two runs with a ground-rule double in the fifth.
Both his hits came off Brewers starter Dustin May (6-9).
May (6-9) was pitching four days after he got hit in the upper back by a 106-mph line drive off the bat of the New York Mets’ A.J. Ewing. The comebacker caused May to leave that game with a bruised right scapula after throwing just one pitch.
Pederson’s homer off Grant Anderson in the sixth extended Texas’ lead to 5-2. Jake Burger and Cody Freeman added RBI singles to make it 7-2 in the seventh.
Sánchez’s two-run shot off Jordan Montgomery cut Texas’ lead to 7-4 in the bottom of the seventh, but the Brewers wouldn’t get any closer.
Tyler Alexander (5-2) pitched two innings of shutout relief to earn the win. Jacob Latz worked the ninth for his 27th save in 30 opportunities.
Milwaukee had taken an early 2-0 lead as each of the first four batters to face Texas starter Kumar Rocker reached base. Brice Turang drew a leadoff walk before Garrett Mitchell, Jake Bauers and Jackson Chourio singled.
Up next
Rangers: Return home to face the Athletics. Jacob deGrom (9-9, 4.21 ERA) pitches for the Rangers and Gage Jump (6-8, 4.69) starts for the Athletics in Monday’s series opener.
Brewers: Head to Chicago to begin a four-game series with the Cubs. Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.79) pitches for Milwaukee and Clay Holmes (5-6, 2.26) starts for Chicago on Monday.
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Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
