Arlington, TX – Ian Kinsler scorched a go-ahead, two-run single as part of a three-run seventh inning, as the Texas Rangers rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in the finale of a two-game series.
Elvis Andrus added a run-scoring single in the rally and finished with two RBI, as the Rangers bounced back from Tuesday's setback that snapped their eight-game winning streak.
Jason Frasor (4-2) held the Brewers off the board in the seventh to earn the victory, while Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth to nail down his 36th save of the season.
Juan Francisco clubbed a pair of home runs and knocked in all four runs for the Brewers, who wrapped up a nine-game road trip at 5-4.
John Axford (5-6) was tagged with the loss after giving up the lead in the seventh.
Francisco's three-run blast in the fourth gave Milwaukee a 4-2 lead, thanks in large part to starter Tyler Thornburg limiting Texas to two runs -- one earned -- over six strong frames.
"I liked the way he threw the ball," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Thornburg. "That's a good offense, and to be able to get through them and keep the runs down, I thought that was important."
The Brewers' bullpen was unable to hang on to the lead however, as Michael Gonzalez took over on the mound to start the seventh and walked the only two hitters he faced.
Axford entered and walked pinch-hitter Jeff Baker to load the bases before fanning Leonys Martin.
Andrus then ripped Axford's next offering into left for a single to tie the game before Burke Badenhop came on to face Kinsler, who laced a base hit to left to score Jurickson Profar and Baker for a 5-4 lead.
"I think the only thing we were trying to do was make sure we got something up in the zone," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of his team's approach in the seventh. "Elvis put a good swing on a pitch up in the zone and so did (Kinsler). I think before maybe we were trying to do more than the situation dictated."
Tanner Scheppers retired the Brewers in order in the eighth before Nathan closed the door in the ninth.
The Rangers struck in their first turn at-bat, as Kinsler scorched a two-out double off the top of the wall in left before scoring on Adrian Beltre's base hit to center.
Francisco's opposite-field blast in the second tied the score, but the Rangers responded in the third, as David Murphy reached on second baseman Scooter Gennett's throwing error before moving to second on Thornburg's balk.
Murphy found third when Martin flied out to right and Andrus followed with a line-drive single to center to plate Murphy for a 2-1 lead.
Milwaukee jumped in front in the fourth, as Aramis Ramirez worked a leadoff walk and Carlos Gomez doubled before Francisco crushed a first-pitch fastball into the first row in right-center to give the Brewers a 4-2 edge.
Game Notes
Milwaukee shortstop Jean Segura singled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 10 games ... Texas starter Matt Garza allowed four runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 frames ... Texas finished 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left six on base.
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