Chicago, IL – The Texas Rangers used a home run barrage to cool off the Chicago White Sox and match the longest single-season road winning streak in team history.
Jeff Baker, Adam Rosales and Mitch Moreland each belted two-run homers to help lift the AL West-leading Rangers to an 11-5 win in the opener of a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.
Adrian Beltre hit a solo blast and Ian Kinsler was credited with an inside- the-park homer for the Rangers, who have won nine straight away from Arlington. The club also strung together nine consecutive road victories from July 22-Aug. 3, 1977.
Texas' Martin Perez (7-3) won his fourth start in a row after allowing four runs on eight hits over seven innings.
Dayan Viciedo and Gordon Beckham each had two RBI for Chicago, which had its season-high winning streak snapped at six games. White Sox starter Chris Sale (9-12) was bludgeoned by Texas, surrendering eight runs on eight hits in seven frames.
The power display began in the second, with Baker and Rosales both going deep with two outs for a 4-0 lead.
A.J. Pierzynski, back at U.S. Cellular Field for the first time since joining the Rangers, had grounded into a double play. The catcher played for Chicago from 2005-12. Another ex-White Sox player, Alex Rios, singled to keep the second alive. The outfielder was traded to Texas on Aug. 9.
Baker then launched a home run to center field and Rosales followed a hit batsman with a drive to left for a 4-0 Texas lead.
The White Sox got three runs back in the bottom of the second, as Viciedo hit a two-run single and scored on a base hit by Beckham.
Chicago manager Robin Ventura would be ejected the following inning after arguing a call that resulted in an inside-the-park homer for Kinsler.
Kinsler hit a liner down the left-field line that rolled into foul territory and became firmly fixed under the padding along the wall. Viciedo, the left- fielder, hustled to retrieve the ball and held up his hands to signal it was unplayable, but he then bent down and tried to pry the ball free.
Third base umpire Greg Gibson didn't rule the play dead, and Kinsler raced around the basepaths. Ventura, clearly displeased, was thrown out by Gibson arguing for a ground-rule double.
"(Gibson) said he saw (the ball). I figured a guy on his hands and knees, trying to go get it, you would think it would be lodged under there pretty good," Ventura said.
The Rangers continued to add to their lead from that point on. Beltre made it 7-4 in the fifth with his 27th homer of the season, and a pinch-hitting Moreland took reliever Dylan Axelrod deep in the eighth for a 10-4 game.
"Everybody has stepped up and done something to do their part, to help this team win," Moreland said.
Game Notes
The Rangers are one win shy of the longest road winning streak in club history. They won 10 in a row over two seasons from Sept. 26, 2011-April 21, 2012 ... The White Sox had won five straight home games against Texas ... Sale was 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA over his last three starts.
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