Brandon Nimmo homered, singled twice and drove in three runs while Ezequiel Duran also had three hits and knocked in four as the Texas Rangers beat the Colorado Rockies 10-0 in Denver on Tuesday.
Joc Pederson tied his career high with four hits and Jake Burger produced two hits for Texas, which had lost three of its previous four games. The Rangers collected 16 hits.
Texas’ Kumar Rocker (2-4) struck out seven in a career-high 7 2/3 innings. The right-hander entered the game in the second inning in place of opener Tyler Alexander and gave up just three hits and three walks.
Jalen Beeks recorded the last out to complete the combined shutout.
Rocker retired 15 of 16 Colorado batters before Troy Johnston reached on a one-out single in the seventh inning. Johnston was doubled up when Tyler Freeman lined out to first base, ending the inning.
Johnston finished with two of the Rockies’ three hits.
Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle left the game after the first inning with an undisclosed injury sustained when he made a diving attempt on Duran’s double. He was replaced by Freeman.
The Rangers jumped on Colorado’s Sammy Peralta (0-1), who was making his season debut as the opener and starting for the first time in his career. Andrew McCutchen led off with a walk, Nimmo was hit by a pitch with one out, and Josh Jung loaded the bases with a single.
Duran drove in a pair with a double that just got by the diving Doyle.
Peralta left after walking Burger and striking out Alejandro Osuna, and Tanner Gordon got the final out of the inning.
Texas added to the lead in the second. Pederson, batting for McCutchen, reached on a one-out double. Justin Foscue struck out before Nimmo made it 3-0 with a single. Jung walked and Duran and Burger had RBI singles to put the Rangers ahead 5-0.
Foscue led off the fourth with a double and Nimmo followed with his fifth homer of the season.
Texas scored again in the fifth when Evan Carter and Pederson hit consecutive one-out singles, and Foscue drove in Carter with a sacrifice fly.
Danny Jansen doubled in the seventh and scored on Pederson’s single, and Duran had an RBI double in the eighth.
