Carter and Burger power Rangers to 4-2 win over Nationals
WASHINGTON (AP) — Evan Carter and Jake Burger each finished a triple short of the cycle as the Texas Rangers beat the slumping Washington Nationals 4-2 on Sunday.
Carter hit a two-run homer, doubled and singled his first three times up, but struck out in the eighth inning. Burger doubled, flied out and singled before providing an insurance run with a homer in the eighth.
Jacob Webb (3-3), the second of five Texas pitchers in a bullpen game, threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win. Robert Garcia got four outs for his fourth save.
Alex Call homered and singled for the Nationals, who have scored only 11 runs in their past seven games. Nathaniel Lowe had three of their six hits.
Washington starter Trevor Williams (3-7) gave up three runs — two earned — and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
The first pitch was delayed by rain for 1 hour, 40 minutes.
Marcus Semien reached on a bad-hop single leading off the second and Carter homered one out later to make it 2-0.
Call homered leading off the fourth. Amed Rosario walked and scored on a fielder's choice to tie it.
Semien's groundout brought home Josh Smith with the go-ahead run in the fifth. Smith doubled with one out and went to third on an error.
Jacob Latz started for Texas and gave up two runs on two hits in 3 1/3 innings while striking out eight. After the walk to Rosario, manager Bruce Bochy and an athletic trainer came out and Latz left with the trainer.
Key moment
Call reached on an error with two outs in the eighth, but Garcia entered and got James Wood to ground out.
Key stats
Semien had two hits for Texas and is 15 for 27 (.517) with three homers, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored in his last nine games. ... Rangers shortstop Corey Seager is hitless in his last 25 at-bats.
Up next
Rangers: RHP Tyler Mahle (5-3, 2.02 ERA) pitches the opener of a three-game series at Minnesota on Tuesday.
Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-5, 2.87) starts the first of three games at the New York Mets on Tuesday.
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