Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz combined for five hits, four RBIs and three runs on Sunday afternoon, and the Washington Nationals held off the Texas Rangers 6-4 at Arlington, Texas.
A Texas native, who played his high school baseball in Dallas, Bell went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs. Cruz, a two-time All-Star in eight seasons with the Rangers, had two hits, three RBIs and a run.
The Nationals, making their first appearance at Arlington since 2005, took two-of-three in the interleague series.
Washington’s Tanner Rainey logged his 10th save, entering after the Rangers scored three runs off lefty Francisco Perez in a frantic ninth inning.
Trying to finish off the Nationals’ victory with a five-run lead, Perez gave up a double to Kole Calhoun, who scored on Nathaniel Lowe’s RBI single. Jonah Heim belted a two-run homer, his 10th on the season, prompting the move to Rainey.
Washington struck for six runs in the opening two innings against Glenn Otto (4-3), who was making his first start since June 4. The Rangers right-hander had been on the COVID-19 injured list since June 10.
Washington’s Jackson Tetreault (2-1), in his third big league start, was effective for six-plus innings. Not overpowering, Tetreault gave up one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
The rookie entered the game having thrown 11 big league innings, with four total strikeouts.
The 26-year-old held the Rangers scoreless until the seventh inning, when he gave up a leadoff single to Adolis Garcia and a double to Calhoun. At 99 pitches, Tetreault was lifted for Erasmo Ramirez.
Heim’s sacrifice fly to center put Texas on the board at 6-1.
In the first inning, Bell had a single, and Cruz delivered an RBI single to right. Yadiel Hernandez’s sacrifice fly to right scored the second run, and Lane Thomas collected a run-scoring double.
In a three-run second inning, Bell pulled an RBI double to right, and Cruz went to the opposite-field with a two-run single, giving the Nationals a six-run lead.
With Otto’s pitch count at 60 through two innings, he was relieved by Garrett Richards in the third inning.
— Field Level Media