SAN DIEGO — Tyson Ross had it all working Monday night: pitching, hitting and sportsmanship toward a good friend and former teammate.
Ross held Texas to three hits in seven innings and hit an RBI single, and the San Diego Padres won 7-0, handing the Rangers just their third loss in 10 games.
The dominating performance by Ross (10-9) allowed him to reach double digits in victories for the second straight season. He struck out seven and walked two in his second victory over Texas this season, the other one coming on July 12. It was his fourth win in five decisions.
Ross said he had a good tempo and was able to move his fastball around.
"They’re playing great baseball, they’ve got a good lineup and we’ve got a long homsetand, so it’s a nice way to start off in the first game of 11 at home," Ross said.
An early lead helped.
"Support is always key," Ross said. "I was just going out there trying to put up zeroes and when we score like that it kind of takes a little bit of pressure off me."
The Rangers dropped four games behind first-place Houston in the AL West and remained in the second AL wild-card spot.
With two runs already in during the sixth, the Rangers intentionally walked rookie catcher Austin Hedges to get to Ross, who was batting eighth. Ross hit a sharp single to centre to bring in Cory Spangenberg, aboard on an RBI double, and chase Colby Lewis. Jedd Gyorko hit a sacrifice fly and Yangervis Solarte added an RBI single that inning.
Texas outfielder Will Venable, acquired in a trade with San Diego on Aug. 18, got a nice ovation as he took the field in the bottom of the first and again when he came to bat in the second. Ross tipped his cap to Venable, and then struck him out to end the inning.
"It was weird. I’m happy the fans showed him some love. Much deserved," Ross said. "I miss him on this side. It was good to see him."
And to strike him out.
"It’s competition. That’s the name of the game," Ross said.
"He threw the ball well," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "He has electric stuff. He creates a really good angle with the fastball but the slider is his pitch and he came out early throwing the slider and mixing in a cut fastball to our left-handers. You’ve got to get him early or he makes it tough on you and he seemed to have his good stuff tonight."
Lewis (14-7) allowed six runs, five earned, and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out two and walked two. He faced the Padres on July 11, getting a no-decision in a 6-5 Rangers loss.
The Padres scored two runs with two outs in the third. Rookie Travis Jankowski, batting ninth, beat out an infield single to shortstop and stole second. Yonder Alonso hit an RBI single to centre and Matt Kemp followed with an RBI double to left-centre.
"Just a couple pitches I didn’t make," Lewis said. "They put the ball in play and made it happen. There are no excuses. I just didn’t make the pitches when I needed to make the pitches."
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: 2B Rougned Odor returned to the lineup after injuring his finger last Tuesday. … OF Josh Hamilton will be activated from DL on Tuesday, but he’s not expected to play in the field right away.
Padres: OF-INF Wil Myers (wrist) will be sent out on a rehabilitation stint Tuesday to Single-A Lake Elsinore. … RHP Josh Johnson (elbow) is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (11-9, 3.14) is scheduled to start Tuesday night. He lost 2-1 to the Padres in Arlington on July 12.
Padres: RHP Andrew Cashner (5-13, 4.05), who is from Conroe, Texas, will face the Rangers for the first time in his career.
