The Rangers ventured into life without Josh Hamilton Wednesday looking to win their fourth straight series to start the season. They were facing Max Scherzer, Detroit’s second best starter, and they had a fill-in on the mound. Dave Bush filled in for Colby Lewis, who would have been pitching on short rest because of Friday’s cancellation in Baltimore but was away for the birth of his child anyway.
Bush lasted just three innings, throwing 72 pitches, but he did manage to keep the Tigers scoreless. Rookie Mason Tobin pitched his two best innings of the season to hold Detroit at zero through five. Both teams scored twice in the sixth, as singles by Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz and David Murphy led two Texas’ only runs for the day, and doubles by Victor Martinez and Brennan Boesch off of Mark Lowe keyed the Tigers’ sixth.
Arthur Rhodes and Darren Oliver pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings, but Ron Washington sent Oliver back out for the ninth, and Brandon Inge took him deep to end the series.
The Rangers are off Thursday and will begin a weekend set in New York Friday. They will throw Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando. That trio is 6-0 and is currently riding a 20 inning shutout streak.