Texas downs Rockies

ARLINGTON -- As the Rockies try all kinds of experiments to extract more innings out of their starting pitchers, right-hander Alex White is pitching fewer.

White struggled to find the strike zone and gave up four runs in a season-low 2 2/3 innings of a 4-2 loss to the Rangers on Sunday night in front of a sellout crowd of 45,407.

The loss left the Rockies, losers of 14 of their last 17 games, 2-13 in Interleague Play, their worst performance against the American League. The Rockies dropped two of three to the AL West-leading Rangers and have won just one road series this season -- none since taking two of three from the Brewers from April 20-22.

The Rockies last week went to a four-man rotation with a limit of around 75 pitches. The way the schedule worked, White (2-6) has yet to pitch on short rest. Still, he's not pitching long. He has had season lows in his last three starts -- four innings against the Athletics on June 14, 3 2/3 innings and five runs in a no-decision at Philadelphia on Tuesday, and six hits and four walks Sunday night as the Rockies (27-44) finished a three-city road trip 3-6.

With the offense also drawing blanks by grounding into three double plays, the only bright spot was exiled starter Jeremy Guthrie. He held the Rangers scoreless on three hits over 3 1/3 innings, and in two relief appearances since being taken out of the rotation has thrown 6 1/3 scoreless innings.

White retired the first two batters of the game but gave up singles to Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre and needed 30 pitches to escape the first inning, but at least he didn't give up a run. White threw 30 more in the second and gave up runs on RBI doubles by Leonys Martin and Elvis Andrus.

Martin chased White in the third with a two-out, two-run triple.

Rangers starter Matt Harrison (10-3) gave up five hits in five innings before leaving the game with tightness in his lower back, and extracted double-play grounders in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Harrison struck out three and walked two.

The Rockies' had a chance in the sixth against Robbie Ross. Carlos Gonzalez and Jason Giambi greeted Ross with singles, and Jordan Pacheco walked with two outs. However, Jonathan Herrera grounded out to first base.

In the ninth, the Rockies got a single, a walk and a hit batter to load the bases with no outs against closer Joe Nathan. Marco Scutaro singled home one run and Carlos Gonzalez lifted a long sacrifice fly to the wall in left-center to cut into the deficit. But Scutaro was tagged out in a rundown following a wild pitch and Jason Giambi struck out to end the game.

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