DENVER (AP) — Elvis Andrus hit a two-run single, Mitch Moreland delivered a tie-breaking double and the Texas Rangers scored three times in the ninth inning to beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Monday night.
The AL West leaders moved two runners into scoring position with a double steal before Andrus’ single tied it 3-all. Moreland sent Andrus home with a double before he was thrown out stretching at third.
Texas, which has won three straight and eight of 11, improved to 4-3 on its eight-game road trip. The teams conclude a two-game series in Colorado on Tuesday before heading to Texas to begin another two-game set Wednesday.
Tyler Anderson allowed two hits in seven innings for Colorado, but Carlos Estevez (2-7) was handed his fifth blown save in the ninth.
Nolan Arenado homered for the third time in two days and drove in two runs for the Rockies. David Dahl had a pinch-hit single in the ninth to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.
Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez exited in the second with left ankle inflammation. Gonzalez sat out two games last week after spraining his ankle on a groundout in Wednesday’s 12-2 win over the Dodgers.
Colorado has lost four of five.
Cole Hamels yielded two runs in six innings for Texas. He avoided losing back-to-back starts for the first time since 2014 thanks to the Rangers’ late rally. He struck out six and walked one.
Anderson gave up one hit through six scoreless innings before Adrian Beltre homered to center field on his first pitch of the seventh, cutting Colorado’s lead to 2-1. Anderson retired the next three batters, and Adam Ottavino stranded runners at the corners with a strikeout of Jonathan Lucroy in the eighth to extend his scoreless streak to 26 1/3 innings.
Charlie Blackmon had an RBI single in the third. Arenado homered in the fourth and hit an RBI single in the eighth off winner Keone Kela (3-1).
Arenado leads the National League in home runs (30) and RBIs (89).
NEXT UP FOR 3,000?
After Ichiro Suzuki became the 30th member of the 3,000-hit club on Sunday at Coors Field, the 37-year-old Beltre is next on the active list with 2,880 and counting.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: DH/OF Carlos Beltran was out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive day with a bruised left quadriceps. The 39-year-old slugger walked as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
Rockies: OF Gerardo Parra pinch-hit for Gonzalez in the second and stayed in the game. Parra (ankle) came off the 15-day disabled list Sunday.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP A.J. Griffin (5-1, 4.05 ERA) is 2-0 with a 3.31 ERA in his last three starts. The Rangers are 10-4 in his 14 starts.
Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood has gone 2-1 over his last three starts, allowing five runs in 18 innings. He’s also walked 15 batters, though.