Another new-look lineup lifts Rangers past White Sox

The managerial book of Jeff Banister says that each game is an entity all its own, and nothing that happened the game before or over a series of games is guaranteed to impact how he structures a Texas Rangers batting order.

The primary reason is the opposing pitcher changes every game, and an opponent’s bullpen usually isn’t the same throughout a series. As much as players like the continuity of batting in the same lineup spot, Banister wants to put them in the best position to win each game.

Take a look at the three games against the Chicago White Sox, which featured three different lineups. The lineup in the series finale had features in it that hadn’t been seen since spring training, when Banister tinkered with a few ideas he might want to use when games counted.

The one that rallied three times Wednesday in a 6-5 victory might be seen again. Or it might not. But no matter who was where in the Texas Rangers’ batting order during the three games, whoever wherever did something positive.

Ian Desmond, with his speed and athleticism in the No. 2 hole for the first time since April 6, had two singles and two RBIs, and Prince Fielder, batting fifth for the second time this season and second straight night, doubled twice and had two RBIs as the Rangers edged the White Sox to claim the series.

“That’s what we’re looking for,” Banister said. “It’s just taken us a little while to get to that point. We didn’t have all the players in play. We had some guys that were searching a little bit in the beginning.

“Now we’ve got some guys that feel like they’ve relaxed and they understand what we’re looking for and what they mean and how they complement each other.”

The Rangers won two of three 2 of 3 games against the first-place White Sox and have won five of their past six. The lone loss came Monday, in 12 innings.

They scored 46 runs in the six games, 23 in a sweep at Detroit and 23 more against Chicago.

Desmond helped lead the way, going 8 for 18 in the series with six RBIs. He went 2 for 4 and scored twice Wednesday, with Nomar Mazara batting third for the first time. Fielder entered in a 1-for-20 funk, part of a 10-for-64 drought, but walked in his first plate appearance and doubled in the fourth and fifth.

The double in the fifth tied the game at 4-all after the White Sox had erased a 2-1 deficit in the fourth with three runs against Cole Hamels. Fielder, who has walked three times in the past two games, is making pitchers come to him.

“That’s half the battle,” Fielder said. “I think that’s the only thing you really can control, getting a good pitch to swing at. That’s what I was trying to do.”

Hamels allowed five runs on nine hits in 5  2/3 innings, though two of the runs were unearned because of his third-inning throwing error and Adrian Beltre’s first error in 45 games in the sixth.

He exited down 5-4, but Desmond muscled a blooper to center in the sixth to tie the game and Beltre followed two batters later with an RBI single to center. Both hits came with two outs.

“It’s great to see these guys being able to never quit,” Hamels said. “When we’re not able to get the lead early in the game, we’re still going to fight to the very end. It’s exciting to see how we’re going to do it, because everyone has a part.”

Desmond and Fielder were two of the four Rangers with two hits apiece and at least one RBI. Mazara, who went 0 for 6 on Monday, finished the series by reaching base in his final five plate appearances and drove in a run Wednesday.

The bullpen worked 3  1/3 scoreless innings after Hamels left, with Tony Barnette getting the win after closing out the sixth. Sam Dyson got his first save of the season as closer Shawn Tolleson was rested.

The offense has been carrying the Rangers the past six games. A new lineup did the job Wednesday, giving the Rangers a series win against a first-place team that swept them last month.

“It was nice,” Beltre said. “We needed the challenge from those guys. They kicked our butts back at their place, and they came in the first game and kind of beat us up to. We came back yesterday with an unbelievable win and today was the same, a comeback win.

“You have to face teams like that, playoff-contending teams, and we always accept the challenge.”

This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 7:37 PM with the headline "Another new-look lineup lifts Rangers past White Sox."