Desmond homers twice as Rockies rally for 9-5 win at Rangers
Ian Desmond of the Rockies celebrates with Tom Murphy after hitting a solo home run against the Rangers in the top of the fifth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 15, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Ian Desmond homered twice and Trevor Story had a pair of RBI hits in his first game near home as the Colorado Rockies overcame a quick five-run deficit to beat the Texas Rangers 9-5 in the opener of an interleague series Friday night.
It was Desmond's first game in Texas since the converted shortstop was an All-Star center fielder in his only season with the Rangers in 2016.
Story grew up about 15 minutes away from the Rangers' ballpark before he was the 45th overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Rockies out of Irving High School. The shortstop, who still lives in the area in the offseason, had an RBI single in a six-run sixth and added a run-scoring double in the seventh to push his NL-best total to 52 RBIs.
Texas has a seven-game losing streak, its longest of the season. The Rockies had lost five of their previous six games.
Jurickson Profar and Joey Gallo each hit two-run homers in the first when the Rangers jumped out to 5-0 lead against Chad Bettis (5-1), another Texas native.
Bettis, who is from Lubbock and played at Texas Tech, pitched into the sixth without giving up another run. The right-hander struck out six and walked three.
Desmond homered to lead off a six-run second against Yohander Mendez (0-1), the lefty making his first big league start. D.J. LeMahieu and Charlie Blackmon had consecutive RBI singles before Nolan Arenado snapped a career-worst 0-for-19 slump with a two-run double.
Arenado led off the ninth with his 13th homer.
Desmond's second homer, in the fifth, was his 14th of the season for Colorado's primary first baseman. It is his fifth career multihomer game, and the first by a Rockies player at an American League park since Blackmon at Yankee Stadium in 2016
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Carlos Estevez, who has been out all season with a left oblique and elbow strain, threw a bullpen session. Manager Bud Black said he threw all of his pitched at a high-level intensity and is "really gaining momentum."
Rangers: Carlos Perez, starting in place of Chirinos, rolled his right ankle extending to catch a ball in the top of the second inning. Jose Trevino, recalled from Double-A Frisco, made his big league when he batted for Perez in the bottom of the inning and then stayed in the game as the catcher. ... RF Nomar Mazara was a late scratch from the lineup because of left wrist soreness. ... Right-handed relievers Matt Bush (right elbow strain) and Chris Martin (right calf strain) were put on the 10-day DL.
UP NEXT
Lefty Kyle Feeland (6-6), the Denver native who was 4-0 in interleague starts as a rookie last season, takes the mound for the Rockies in the first of consecutive day games to close out the interleague series. Rangers left-hander Mike Minor (4-4) is working on extended six days of rest after Texas had two off days during the week.
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