Juice helps Rangers rookie Rocker out of pickle

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers rookie Kumar Rocker kept a scoreless commencement intact by moving done an eventful 5th inning that included downing 3 tiny bottles of pickle juice, the past of which resulted successful a mound sojourn charged to a shot boy.

The 25-year-old right-hander seemingly cramped up aft striking retired Chicago White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor for the archetypal retired of the 5th Sunday, prompting a sojourn from the trainer on with manager Bruce Bochy and pitching manager Mike Maddux.

During the astir 5 minutes the unit and the infielders were astatine the mound, archetypal baseman Jake Burger went to the dugout, grabbed 2 tiny bottles of pickle foodstuff and jogged backmost to the mound.

Rocker rapidly downed some bottles, past stretched his legs and threw respective warmup pitches, with different interruption successful betwixt for different chat with the trainer.

Rocker stayed successful the crippled and gave up a azygous to Josh Rojas. With Mike Tauchman astatine the plate, a shot lad jogged to the mound with a 3rd vessel of pickle juice, which Rocker promptly drank and gave backmost to him.

Plate umpire Marvin Hudson, the unit chief, huddled with the different 3 umpires, and they ruled the Rangers should beryllium charged with a mound sojourn for the shot boy's trip.

Rocker retired Tauchman connected a grounder to Burger, and aft different travel to the mound from the trainer, Rocker got retired of the inning with a groundout from Chase Meidroth.

Getting done the 5th gave Rocker a changeable astatine being the winning pitcher. The Rangers led 2-0 erstwhile Rocker was replaced by Chris Martin to commencement the sixth. Martin gave up a solo homer to Miguel Vargas.

Rocker started successful spot of right-hander Tyler Mahle connected the aforesaid the time that Mahle was placed connected the injured database with close enarthrosis fatigue.

Rocker allowed 4 singles and a locomotion successful 5 innings. He struck retired six.