ARLINGTON, Texas — Adolis García was in the on-deck circle with three home runs and one more good chance to try for a fourth while Josh Sborz was making a rare plate appearance for a Texas pitcher.
“Yeah, he had orders not to swing the bat,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said of the right-handed reliever.
Sborz followed those orders, taking three strikes on four 55-plus mph sliders from Oakland infielder Jace Peterson with the Rangers on their way to an 18-3 victory Saturday night.
Looking to match the major league record for home runs in a game, García's second chance at his fourth of the night ended the same way as the first: a double.