ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Miami Marlins beat the Texas Rangers 8-5 on Tuesday. Some thoughts here:
How it happened: The Rangers took a one-run lead in the sixth but couldn't hold it, as the Marlins scored two runs in the seventh on a two-out, two-RBI single to left. The Marlins' bullpen held the Rangers after that and added to the lead to preserve the win.
strong>What it means: Texas is three games under .500 at 31-34 and 8½ back in the AL West, awaiting the Oakland-Los Angeles result. They are four back in the AL wild-card race. The Rangers are 2-6 on this homestand and have lost eight of the past 11.
Two errors on same play: Miami added to the lead in the eighth, as the Rangers had two errors on one play. Michael Choice charged a single to left field and tried to throw to third to get the runner. The throw deflected off Beltre and toward Tanner Scheppers, who tried to throw to second to get the trailing runner. That throw went into center field, allowing a run to score. Both Choice and Scheppers got errors on the play. Choice gets one because the scorer determined that the runner would not have tried to advance to second if the throw hadn't deflected off Beltre (or the runner).
Still no quality start: Lewis was looking to end a stretch without a quality start but wasn't able to do it. He has now gone his past 11 outings without a quality start (six or more innings pitched with three or fewer runs allowed). Lewis made it through five innings and gave up three runs, putting a least one man on base in every inning. He threw 106 pitches and took a liner off his right biceps in the fifth, though he came out of the game because of pitch count. Lewis was able to grind through his outing and keep the Marlins to three runs despite seven hits and plenty of trouble.
Odd move: With runners at second and third and the Rangers up one, manager Ron Washington put in Neal Cotts hoping that the lefty-lefty matchup would work for him. But coming into the at-bat, lefties were hitting Cotts better than righties (lefties were hitting .282 against him) and Marlins batter Christian Yelich hits lefties better than righties himself (.302 against lefties). Yelich hit a two-out single over the outstretched glove of Adrian Beltre to score two runs and give the Marlins the lead for good.
Heads-up hustle: Brad Snyder, called up before Tuesday's game, didn't hesitate at third base when he saw that Rougned Odor's slow roller was going to be a close play in the sixth inning. As Odor beat the throw to first, Snyder rounded third and sprinted home. By the time first baseman Garrett Jones turned to throw home, Snyder was sliding in safely. It was an aggressive play that allowed the Rangers to get the go-ahead run.
Sixth: The sixth inning altered the game. The Rangers scored four runs on only two hits. But Shin-Soo Choo got hit by a pitch to start things off, and then a single and a walk loaded the bases for Snyder, who had a nice at-bat in drawing a walk to plate a run. A sac fly and the aggressive baserunning scored the other two runs.
Rough night: It was not a memorable game for Leonys Martin. He had strikeouts in his first two at-bats and then wasn't expecting Yelich to turn a single into a double. Martin wasn't ready and Yelich got to second base before the tag could be applied. Perhaps that was one reason Washington pinch-hit for Martin with runners on the corners and one out in the sixth as Daniel Robertson hit against the left-handed reliever.
Cut off?: Snyder, in just his third professional game at first base, cut off a relay throw from Elvis Andrus in the fourth inning that might have had a chance to make it a close play at home. He cut it off at the mound and didn't have a play on the runner at second, so it probably wouldn't have hurt to let it go. But that's part of learning a new position. ... Snyder's first at-bat as a Ranger was a single to right. That put Alex Rios at third base, and he scored on Robinson Chirinos' sac fly.
Rios keeps hitting: Some of Rios' teammates are struggling, but he certainly isn't. Rios, who came into the game with the best average in the American League, singled in the first inning and scored the Rangers' first run. Rios is 13-for-29 (.448) on this homestand with a double, two triples, three RBIs and three runs scored.
Choo not on track yet: Maybe an upcoming road trip will help Choo. He's 1-for-26 (.038) with only one RBI in the eight games on this homestand. Choo is hitless in his past 16 at-bats. Over the past three weeks, he has seen his average drop below .260 after it was as high as .310.
Up next: RHP Yu Darvish (6-2, 2.36 ERA) takes the hill against the Miami Marlins and RHP Jacob Turner (2-3, 5.93 ERA) in the final game of this two-game set, at 7:05 p.m. CT on FSSW and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM.