ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Nicky Delmonico already had one homer when his eighth-inning liner in a tie game eluded leaping Texas right fielder Nomar Mazara and bounced near the top of the wall.
The long carom finally stopped about 100 feet from the crumpled Mazara on the warning track, and the Chicago White Sox rookie whose career is off to a stirring start, was on his way.
Delmonico’s inside-the-park home run was his second go-ahead homer of the game, helping the White Sox stop a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Rangers on Friday night.
With no other Texas fielder anywhere near the ball in right and Mazara on the ground clutching his left knee, second baseman Rougned Odor sprinted to retrieve it. But Delmonico beat the throw with a head-first slide despite appearing to slow as he reached third base.
“Gosh, maybe rounding third base?” Delmonico said of when he thought he could circle the bases. “I felt like I ran out of gas right before, but luckily I was able to score.”
A day after the end of the 25-year-old’s club-record streak of reaching base the first 13 games of his career, Delmonico drilled a two-run shot over the wall in right for a 3-2 lead in the sixth.
Delmonico had his second two-homer game in three nights as the White Sox ended an eight-game road skid. The inside-the-park shot was his second of the season. He had one with Triple-A Charlotte on May 23, and the opposing left fielder was taken out of that game.
This time, Mazara stayed in the game after spending several minutes with manager Jeff Banister and trainers. He flied out to center in the eighth after reaching each of his first three times up and scoring a run. Banister said it appeared to be a hyperextension that wasn’t serious.
“I’m OK,” Mazara said. “When I jumped and got down my leg locked a little bit and I felt something I’ve never felt before. And then when I got up I got scared. Banny asked me three times if I was OK. I told him I could finish the game.”
Mike Napoli’s 25th homer, a two-run shot , put Texas ahead 2-1 in the fourth, and the Rangers pulled even on Delino DeShields’ run-scoring grounder in the seventh.
Texas’ four-game winning streak ended, although the defending AL West champs remained 1 1/2 games back in the race for the second wild card.
LOTS OF FIRSTS
Gregory Infante (1-1) retired all five batters he faced for his first big league win, and Juan Minaya pitched around a leadoff walk in the ninth to convert his first save chance in the majors. Ricky Rodriguez (0-1) was greeted by Delmonico’s inside-the-park homer for his first loss in his third big league appearance.
TEXAS HOMECOMING
White Sox left-hander Derek Holland was set to face the Rangers in Arlington for the first time Saturday night after spending his first eight seasons with Texas. He signed with Chicago as a free agent after going to the World Series twice with the Rangers and becoming a fan favorite. Holland’s old teammates roughed him up for five runs in 5 1/3 innings in a 10-4 Texas victory at Chicago on July 1. “It’s going to be way different,” Holland said. “This is where all the memories began.”
SHORT HOPS
Tim Anderson had three singles for the White Sox. … Adrian Beltre singled to pull even with former Ranger Rafael Palmeiro for 27th on the career hits list at 3,020.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: RHP Chris Beck was available in the bullpen a day after taking a glancing blow off his right shoulder on a comebacker and leaving the game after the next batter. He was the second of two injury replacements in the fifth inning. Starter Reynaldo Lopez is still being evaluated after leaving with soreness in his right side. … RF Avisail Garcia was out of the lineup a second straight day with a sore left wrist.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Holland (6-12, 5.68 ERA) is 35-23 with a 4.61 ERA in 92 career appearances at the home of the Rangers.
Rangers: LHP Martin Perez (7-10, 5.08) has won two straight starts, allowing three runs in 14 innings. Perez is 2-1 with a 3.74 ERA in three career starts against the White Sox.
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