Rangers' eight-game MLB run ends in 5-1 loss to Brewers

Alexi Ogando gives up three home runs but Ron Washington, the Texas franchise manager, refuses to criticise pitcher.

Scooter Gennett was in great form as he hit a two-run homer off an Alexi Ogando pitch.

ARLINGTON, Texas // The Texas Rangers got home and their winning streak in MLB quickly ended.

Alexi Ogando gave up three home runs, two to Milwaukee's rookie No 9 batter, and the Rangers lost 5-1 on Tuesday night in the first game following the only 9-1 road trip in team history.

"It was just a game we didn't win. There was no lack of energy or lack of enthusiasm or lack of anything," catcher AJ Pierzynski said. "It just didn't work out. Those games happen sometimes."

Scooter Gennett pulled a pair of pitches into the right-field seats off Ogando (5-4). The first was leading off the third, and then two innings later Gennett snapped the 1-1 tie with a two-run shot.

Khris Davis, another Brewers rookie, homered high off the left-field pole with one out in the seventh to chase Ogando, who made it past five innings for the first time in five starts since coming off the disabled list.

"[Ogando] was real efficient tonight. Gennett was the real issue tonight, got him twice and then Davis got one," said Ron Washington, the Rangers manager. "But he got to the seventh inning with 70-something pitches, so it's improvement. Now we just got to keep that longball from happening."

Marco Estrada (5-4) allowed one run and four hits over six innings against AL West-leading Texas.

"I don't think we were out of sorts. I think you've got to give Estrada credit," Washington said. "He kept us off-balance. We had some chances against him to make a difference, but we didn't, and then his bullpen came in and did the rest."

Jim Henderson, the fourth Brewers reliever, came on to retire Ian Kinsler on an inning-ending soft liner with the bases loaded in the eighth. The right-hander also worked the ninth for his 17th save in 20 chances.

Texas had loaded the bases in the eighth on a pair of pinch-hit singles - a bunt by Craig Gentry and a single by Jeff Baker - before Leonys Martin's infield dribbler that got past reliever Michael Gonzalez for another infield hit.

Mitch Moreland homered leading off the third, his 17th, for the only Texas run.

Ogando had allowed only three homers in his previous eight starts going back to the beginning of May.

"I think overall my command on my pitches was working a lot better," Ogando said through an interpreter. "But I left some out there and they took advantage of them."

The Brewers added a run in the eighth when Jean Segura scored after getting caught in a rundown between third and home.

Segura singled, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch before his unusual score, which came after a pitch way outside when Jeff Bianchi first showed bunt before pulling his bat back.

Pierzynski threw to third baseman Adrian Beltre to get the runner in a jam. There were three more relay throws, with Pierzynski throwing wide on the inside of third base.

By the time the catcher got the relay from Beltre, Segura was going around him and avoided a sweeping tag to score for a 5-1 lead.

The Rangers official scorer conferred with Elias about the play before crediting a double steal, with Segura going home and Jonathan Lucroy going to second on the play.

"I just got rid of the ball too early," Pierzynski said. "When I threw it, my foot kind of slipped out from under me on the grass. That guy's really fast and when he got the ball back to me, he was already by me. It was just one of those plays."

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