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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kumar Rocker pitched one-hit ball over six innings for his first win in his last 10 games, Brandon Nimmo homered among his four hits and the Texas Rangers routed the Chicago White Sox 10-0 on Tuesday night.
Nimmo's two-run shot in the first inning, his 10th homer of the season, put the Rangers ahead. No. 9 batter Alejandro Osuna drove in three runs and had three singles, and Wyatt Langford also hit a two-run homer.
A night after losing the series opener 10-3, the Rangers (51-50) finished with a season-high 18 hits and avoided falling below .500 for the first time since June 27. They are 9-4 following a loss of at least six runs.
Rocker (3-8) struck out six and walked two. The only hit off him was rookie All-Star Munetaka Murakami’s single leading off the fourth.
Marco Gonzales allowed two hits over the final three innings for his first career save to wrap up the Rangers’ ninth shutout this season.
Chicago starter Noah Schultz (3-6) yielded five runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The White Sox (53-47) were blanked for the sixth time and are a percentage point in front of Cleveland atop the AL Central.
The previous win for Rocker was also a 10-0 victory in which Nimmo homered, at Colorado on May 19 when the right-hander permitted only three hits over 7 2/3 innings. He went 0-4 over his next nine games, including two when he threw six scoreless innings and got no-decisions.
Up nextIn the series finale Wednesday night, right-hander Cal Qauntrill (3-2, 3.93 ERA) is expected to make his sixth consecutive start for Texas since Jack Leiter went on the injured list a month ago. Left-hander Anthony Kay (6-4, 4.24) goes for the White Sox.
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