Nathaniel Lowe gave the Rangers the lead with an infield single during a three-run eighth inning and also homered in the seventh. This helped Texas come back from a three-run deficit to win 5-4 against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night, marking Kumar Rocker’s debut in the majors.
Lowe’s homer in the seventh made it a 4-2 game. In the eighth, Marcus Semien hit a solo homer off Collin Snider (3-3) to close the gap. Josh Smith reached base on an error, Wyatt Langford hit a double, and Adolis García’s groundout to shortstop scored Smith, leveling the score at 4-4.
Lowe then singled to second base, bringing Langford home for the winning run.
In his major league debut, Rocker struck out seven and gave up one run on three hits over four innings. The only run he allowed was a solo homer by Justin Turner in the fourth.
Rocker gave up back-to-back singles to start the game but then retired the next six batters. He walked two in the third but kept Seattle from scoring until Turner’s homer.
“I was trying to find my rhythm throughout the game,” Rocker said. “It’s part of the experience, and you just have to learn from it.”
Rocker threw 74 pitches and got 17 swings and misses from Mariners batters, thanks to his effective slider.
“Great job, great job,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He showed poise and presence out there. Despite a rough start, he kept his composure, worked through a tough situation, and delivered four solid innings.”
Josh Jung gave Texas an early lead with a solo homer in the second inning, but the Rangers struggled to score again off Bryce Miller, who allowed one run on five hits in six innings, striking out seven.
