Bullpen backs Darvish as Rangers top Tigers

Mike Napoli and Pete Kozma connected for home runs Sunday night, and the Texas Rangers’ bullpen tossed four scorless innings after a short outing by Yu Darvish in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Napoli’s blast in the fifth traveled 446 feet. Kozma’s homer, his first since April 2, 2013, just cleared the wall in left field at 377 feet.　

How Rangers hitters fared: The Rangers banged out 15 hits, including homers by Mike Napoli and Pete Kozma. Napoli hit his 10th of the season in the fifth. Kozma hit the fourth of his career, and his first since April 2, 2013, in the sixth. Jonathan Lucroy (nine games) and Nomar Mazara (10 games) extending their hitting streaks in their first at-bats. Lucroy’s first-inning single drove in the game’s first run, and Mazara scored on a Robinson Chirinos single after his one-out double in the second. ... Lucroy drove in the Rangers’ final run with a double in the ninth that scored Rougned Odor from first base.

How Rangers pitchers fared: Yu Darvish lasted only five innings, in large part because he threw 56 pitches in the first two innings. Included were four walks, but he didn’t issue any over his final three innings and left the game after 105 pitches in line for the win. ... Alex Claudio was far more effective as the first man out of the bullpen, getting four outs on 10 pitches. ... Sam Dyson had one of his best outings of the season, pitching around a Miguel Cabrera double to toss 1 2/3 scoreless innings. ... Keone Kela got the ninth inning and record his second career save.

This story was originally published May 21, 2017 at 10:49 PM with the headline "Bullpen backs Darvish as Rangers top Tigers."