ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Delino DeShields took two hard steps toward home plate. He then got to jog in from third base with the tying run for the Texas Rangers after a balk.
Two innings later, DeShields scored on a wild pitch in the seventh that gave Texas a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.
In a game that the Rangers were 1 of 13 with runners in scoring position, they also scored on a wild pitch.
“It wasn’t necessarily pretty offensively, but however you get an opportunity to capitalize on some situations, balls put in play,” manager Jeff Banister said.
DeShields drew a one-out walk from reliever Brad Hand (0-2) in the seventh before Shin-Soo Choo also walked. Elvis Andrus then hit a potential double-play grounder, but second baseman Yangervis Solarte’s wide throw to first went into the camera well.
“For me, it’s a physical error. Physical errors happen,” said Padres manager Andy Green, who lost a replay challenge that Choo obstructed on the play by not sliding while going into second base.
After Choo’s RBI single in the fifth, Texas got even at 3 when DeShields scored on the balk by Padres starter Luis Perdomo, who shuffled his feet off the rubber when DeShields bluffed toward the plate.
“When he was in his windup, (third base coach Tony) Beasley basically told me that when he yelled ’Go!’ I was to give him two hard steps,” DeShields said. “I guess he balked the same way in his last outing. … We got the run and it was huge.”
Jeremy Jeffress (1-2) allowed singles to the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters to start the top of the seventh after replacing Yu Darvish, but got out of the inning without allowing a run. Matt Bush worked the ninth for his second save.
Choo got Texas started with a leadoff single in the first, moved to third when Andrus executed a hit-and-run and scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-1.
All of San Diego’s runs came off Darvish in the first two innings, when Wil Myers and Erick Aybar hit long homers before Matt Szczur’s RBI double into the right-center gap for a 3-1 lead. Darvish struck out six with no walks in six innings.
“I feel like we kind of let him off the hook tonight, myself included, chasing some pitches,” Myers said. “Especially with a guy like that, if you don’t zone him up, he’s going to take advantage of your aggressiveness.”
RISP FOR YU
Szczur’s infield single in the fourth ended Darvish’s team record of opposing hitters going 0 for 36 against him with runners in scoring position. That span dated to last September, and broke Charlie Hough’s mark set in 1989 with his streak of opponents going 0 for 35 with runners in scoring position.
SHORTER OUTING FOR YU
After Darvish went 125 and 113 pitches in his previous two pitches, he was pulled after 96 pitches this time. The Rangers had a full bullpen available after A.J. Griffin’s four-hit shutout in San Diego on Tuesday. “We had this one tabbed as we’re going to back off a little bit and not push him over that 100 mark,” Banister said.
GETTING ON BASE
Choo has reached base seven consecutive plate appearances - and 10 of 11. “I know I’ve had a really slow start,” Choo said. “The last couple of games I’m kind of feeling back to normal. Seeing a lot of pitches, swinging at strikes.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: Reliever Jose Torres left the game after a comebacker MLB stats showed at 105 mph hit just above the wrist on his non-throwing arm in the eighth. Torres recovered to pick up the ball to throw out Rougned Odor out at first base. Green said Torres should be OK.
Rangers: RHP Tyson Ross (thoracic outlet syndrome) is scheduled for a three-inning simulated game Saturday at extended spring training in Arizona. The former Padre is still several weeks from his Rangers debut.
UP NEXT
Padres: Wanting a lefty against Texas and a righty against the Chicago White Sox on Friday, the Padres flipped their starter. Lefty Clayton Richard goes in the series finale against the Rangers, whose .192 batting average against lefties is 30 points lower than their average against right-handers. Righty Jhoulys Chacin had initially been set to start Thursday.
Rangers: Martin Perez (1-5) will try to avoid become the first six-game loser in the majors this season.
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