 struck out seven with two walks, throwing 108 pitches in his third career complete game. He now has 12 consecutive starts allowing three runs or fewer while pitching at least five innings.Matthew Boyd (5-6) struck out 11 for Detroit in seven innings, and he too allowed only five hits - but three of them were solo homers in the fifth. The Rangers are now a season-high eight games over .500.Texas has won five of six, and after taking the first two games at Detroit, the Rangers have won or split each of their last nine series.Brandon Dixon homered for Detroit's only run. The Tigers have lost six straight and 10 of 11.Detroit has also lost 19 of its last 21 home games, and that doesn't include a suspended game last month that the Tigers were trailing.Boyd struck out the side in the first and seventh, but the Rangers opened the scoring against him in the third with some aggressive baserunning. Calhoun led off with a double, then scored all the way from second on Ronald Guzman's flyout to deep center field. JaCoby Jones made the catch in center before running into the wall, and that extra time he needed to throw the ball back gave Calhoun a better chance to score. The relay home was a bit off target, and Texas led 1-0.Dixon's homer in the fourth tied it, but Calhoun led off the fifth with a home run, and Mathis and Santana added two more.TRAINER'S ROOMRangers: Manager Chris Woodward said OF Hunter Pence (right groin strain) still can't run at full speed. He's expected to go on a rehab assignment before returning to the team.UP NEXTRangers: Texas tries for a series sweep Thursday with Ariel Jurado (4-3) taking the mound.Tigers: Spencer Turnbull (3-7) starts for Detroit.---More MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Tigers' Boyd hopes to keep Rangers in parkFLMDetroit Tigers ace Matthew Boyd doesn't feel he needs to tinker too much, despite some recent struggles.Boyd (5-5, 3.61 ERA) has given up at least three earned runs in each of his past four outings after back-to-back six-inning starts in which he allowed no runs.He hopes to get back on track Wednesday when he faces the visiting Texas Rangers.The long ball has been an issue for Boyd lately, as he's allowed seven homers in his four most recent starts. He was taken deep three times in six innings at Cleveland on Friday while surrendering a season-high five earned runs, but he wound up with a no-decision."I made a few mistakes," Boyd said to the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday. "Obviously, you want to minimize the mistakes. Mistakes are magnified because they cost me runs, right? That's the way it happens sometimes and you build off that and understand why that happened." Boyd continues to rack up strikeouts. He's recorded at least six in each of his past seven starts, but the Tigers have lost seven of his past eight starts.The 28-year-old lefty isn't pushing the panic button."Nothing out of the ordinary. There wasn't anything I needed to retool or build back up, so to speak," Boyd said of his preparation for Wednesday's start. "How I measure success isn't dictated in the box score. The goal is to win, obviously, I'm not naive to that. But there are so many things that are out of your control. ..."There's always things to get better at, but in the grand scheme of things, there's nothing different I'm going through." Texas ranks 15th among the 30 major league teams in homers but has six players with at least 10.The Rangers have given Boyd problems in the past. He is 1-5 with a 6.54 ERA in six career starts against them while surrendering 11 home runs."They've got some home run hitters," Boyd said. "They're a good hitting ballclub. It's a welcome challenge." The Rangers won the first game of the series 5-3 on Tuesday, the Tigers' fifth consecutive defeat. Detroit also has lost 18 of the past 20 at home.Texas' scheduled Wednesday starter, Mike Minor (7-4, 2.52 ERA), has been effective on the road this season, going 3-2 with a 3.04 ERA. He's made eight career appearances against the Tigers, including two starts, and he is 0-2 with a 6.63 ERA in those games.Minor has won back-to-back starts, and he owns a 1.93 ERA in his past four outings.The Rangers' top slugger, outfielder Joey Gallo, returned to the lineup on Tuesday. He was activated from the 10-day injured list after recovering from an oblique strain sustained on June 1. He went 1-for-4 with a walk.Gallo told the Dallas Morning News he hasn't been asked to participate in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game, despite back-to-back 40-home run seasons. He has 17 homers this year."It makes it easier for me if there is no decision to make," Gallo said, according to the Morning News. "It would have been a tough decision for me, but if they don't ask, I don't have to think about. If I'm elected to play in the game or chosen to play, though, that's obviously something I'd want to do. If I happen to make it, I will be able to go play." --Field Level Media
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