ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adolis García hit two drastically different solo homers, Corey Seager also went deep and newly acquired left-hander Jordan Montgomery worked into the seventh inning to help the Texas Rangers beat the Miami Marlins 6-2 on Friday night.
Garcia put the Rangers ahead to stay when he went the opposite way with a high-arching 334-foot homer just inside the right-field pole for a 3-2 lead in the third. In the sixth, the slugger known as “El Bombi” hit a 433-foot drive that landed in the second deck of seats above the visitors bullpen in left-center. His 27th and 28th homers of the season increased his AL-leading RBI total to 88.
A day after three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer won in his first game with the Rangers, their other new starter acquired before the trade deadline struck out six, walked one and allowed two runs before leaving two batters into the seventh. Texas got Montgomery (7-9) and reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals last Sunday.
Josh Sborz then faced only three batters to get out of the seventh before Stratton pitched two scoreless innings.
Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo (8-6) struck out eight over 5 1/3 innings. The lefty gave up four runs and six hits.
Texas (64-46) maintained its 1 1/2-game AL West lead over reigning World Series champion Houston (63-48). The Astros won 7-3 in New York against the Yankees.
Jon Berti homered for the Marlins (58-53), who missed a chance to move into National League’s third wild-card spot. They remained a half-game behind Cincinnati (59-53), which lost 6-3 in 10 innings to Washington.
The teams traded runs in the first and second innings.
Luis Arraez led off the game with his MLB-leading 154th hit and scored on a double by Josh Bell, before Seager's 17th homer tied the game. Berti homered in the second and Texas got even again on an RBI double by No. 9 hitter Leody Taveras.
SHORT HOPS
García also had a double in his second game this season with at least three extra-base hits. The other was when he had three homers and two doubles April 22 against Oakland. ... Marlins CF Avisaíl García had a two-pitch strikeout leading off the fourth inning. After fouling off the first pitch, he got a pitch clock infraction for an automatic strike and then swung on missed on the next pitch.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: All-Star RHP Nathan Eovaldi (right forearm strain) was playing catch Friday, and manager Bruce Bochy said he would do that a few more times to build up and that it would likely be two to three weeks before the pitcher is back. Eovaldi (11-3) threw six scoreless innings against Tampa Bay on July 18 in his only start since the All-Star break.
UP NEXT
RHP Jon Gray (6-5, 3.66 ERA), 0-4 over his last eight starts since early June, pitches for the Rangers on Saturday. He had the lead July 19 when he got struck in the left shin by a comebacker in the fifth inning against Tampa Bay. He made his next start five days later, but the Rangers gave him some extra time after that one.
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