ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Elly De La Cruz singled home the winning run in the eighth inning after scoring in the fourth inning with the use of his speed as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Texas Rangers 2-1 on Sunday to sweep the three-game weekend series.
De La Cruz sliced an opposite-field hit to right field to score Matt McLain, who walked leading off the inning against Robert Garcia (0-1) and stole second base.
De La Cruz scored from second base in the fourth on Eugenio Suárez’s single up the middle after singling and tagging up on Sal Stewart’s 358-foot fly out to the warning track in right.
Sam Moll (1-0) retired one batter, striking out Brandon Nimmo with runners on second and third to end Texas’ seventh. Cincinnati’s Brock Burke struck out the side in the ninth for his first career save in 210 career relief appearances.
Texas tied the score 1-1 in the seventh on a home run by Joc Pederson that ended the major leaguers’ longest hitless start by a batter this season at 16 at-bats. After Pederson saw his fly ball barely clear the wall, he flung his bat toward the Rangers’ dugout.
The Rangers have lost four consecutive games and scored one run in the series’ final 20 innings.
Reds starter Chase Burns allowed one run and five hits in six-plus innings.
Rangers starter Jack Leiter gave up one run and four hits in five innings.
Cincinnati was 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base. Texas was 0 for 6 and left eight.
Nimmo singled twice and has reached base in all nine Rangers games.
Up next
Reds LHP Brandon Williamson (0-1, 11.57 ERA) will open a four-game series at Miami against Marlins RHP Janson Junk (0-0, 4.15) on Monday.
Texas RHP Jacob deGrom (0-0, 5.79) will face Seattle Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert (0-1, 6.75) at home on Monday.
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