Rangers blow 3-run lead in 9th inning but recover to top Phillies 5-4 in the 10th
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7:29 PM on Saturday, March 28
By DAN GELSTON
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jake Burger and Corey Seager each homered and the Texas Rangers recovered from blowing a three-run lead in the ninth inning to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 in 10 innings on Saturday.
The Phillies nearly tied it again in the 10th.
Bryce Harper snapped an 0 for 8 start to the season with a broken-bat, two-out single to right off Tyler Alexander that made it 5-4. Alec Bohm popped up against Alexander, who earned the save, to end the game.
Wyatt Langford singled off Phillies closer Jhoan Duran to open the 10th that sent the automatic runner to third. Duran (0-1) uncorked a wild pitch that scored Brandon Nimmo and allowed an RBI single to Andrew McCutchen for a 5-3 lead.
Chris Martin (1-0) got one out in the ninth for the win.
The Phillies tied the game with three unearned runs in the ninth aided by Burger's second error of the game at first base.
With two outs, the Phillies put two runners on and chased reliever Robert Garcia. Martin's first pitch to former Ranger Adolis Garcia was popped into foul territory and dropped by Burger. Garcia took advantage of his second chance and ripped an RBI double to left. Brandon Marsh followed with a two-RBI single to right that tied the game at 3-all.
Seager hit a two-out solo homer in the first off Phillies starter Aaron Nola.
Burger homered for the second straight game, this one a two-run shot in third off the left field foul pole.
Jacob Latz was pressed into action when the Rangers scratched two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom hours ahead of his scheduled start because of neck stiffness. deGrom will instead start Tuesday or Wednesday at Baltimore.
Latz tossed three-hit ball over four shutout innings.
The Phillies did get good news down on the farm.
Zack Wheeler, their ace who wasn’t pitched since August because of a blood clot found near his right shoulder and thoracic outlet surgery, threw 38 pitches over three shutout innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He walked one and struck out three.
Phillies reliver Orion Kerkering (right hamstring) struck out one in a scoreless inning in his first rehab appearance in Triple-A.
The Rangers send MacKenzie Gore (5-15, 4.17 ERA) to the mound Sunday against Phillies LHP Jesús Luzardo (15-7, 3.92 ERA).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
