Upton, Scherzer lead Diamondbacks past Rangers 8-2

Diamondbacks defeat Rangers 8-2

PHOENIX — Justin Upton homered, doubled and drove in three runs, and Max Scherzer won his third straight start as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated Texas 8-2 on Tuesday night, sending the Rangers to their fifth straight loss.

Felipe Lopez had three hits and drove in three runs, and Stephen Drew added three singles for the Diamondbacks, who snapped a three-game skid.

Scherzer (5-4) worked out of jams for most of the night, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out seven.

The slumping Rangers hit a new low in the sixth, handing the Diamondbacks a gift run on a play straight out of Little League.

With two out and Lopez on third, Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia fired his return throw over 6-foot-2 pitcher Jason Jennings’ head. Jennings hustled after the ball, but Lopez dashed home without a play as the Chase Field crowd roared with delight.

Saltalamacchia was charged with an error on the play, which gave Arizona an 8-2 lead.

The Diamondbacks jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first against Matt Harrison (4-5). With one out, Drew singled and scored on Upton’s homer to right field, which barely cleared right fielder Nelson Cruz’ glove.

Arizona made it 4-0 in the second on Lopez’s two-run single.

The Rangers whittled the lead on Marlon Byrd’s RBI double in the third and Ian Kinsler’s run-scoring single in the fourth. But the Diamondbacks unloaded on Harrison in the fourth.

With two outs, Lopez singled home a run and scored on Drew’s single. Drew scored on Upton’s double into the gap in right-center to give the Diamondbacks a 7-2 lead.

Harrison lasted 3 2-3 innings, his briefest outing.

In four starts from April 27-May 14, Harrison went 4-0 and allowed six earned runs in 30 innings. In the four starts since — a span that includes a stint on the DL with an inflamed left shoulder — he’s 0-3 and has given up 22 runs in 18 2-3 innings.

NOTES: Rangers OF Josh Hamilton, who is returning from abdominal surgery, is doing some baseball activities but has yet to face live pitching. … Arizona CF Chris Young was a late scratch with a groin strain. Gerardo Parra took Young’s spot in the lineup. … Texas made its first regular-season trip to the desert since July 2000. The Rangers have trained in suburban Surprise since 2003.