Dereck Rodriguez

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Isiah Kiner-Falefa was only five games into his first Triple-A season when he got called up by the Texas Rangers in early April. A few days later Kendall Fuller Jersey , Ronald Guzman got promoted and also made his big-league debut.

When Texas reached the midpoint of the regular season this week, the 23-year-old rookies were among eight position players on the roster who are 25 or younger.

While the Rangers were on a 70-win pace after a loss in the 81st of their 162 games, they’ve had a recent uptick. They have won nine of their last 11 games while claiming four consecutive series in a stretch when veteran stalwarts Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus were finally back in the lineup together.

In the 82nd game Wednesday night, when the Rangers (36-46) started the second half of their schedule before an off day Thursday, lefty Mike Minor took a perfect game into the seventh of a 5-2 victory over San Diego. Keone Kela, the hard-throwing 25-year-old closer, got his 20th save – the most in the majors without a blown chance and a club record to start a season.

”When you take all the individual parts of the first half and you look and evaluate players of where they’re trending, they’re trending in the right direction athletically as well as mentally of how they play the baseball game,” fourth-year manager Jeff Banister said. ”We’ve gained some knowledge, and some guys have proven to themselves that they can play at this level and where they’re at and what they need to work on.”

General manager Jon Daniels has said publicly several times that the team’s priority this season is the development of its young players.

Young sluggers Nomar Mazara and Joey Gallo were already regulars in the lineup before this season, along with second baseman Rougned Odor. Speedy center fielder Delino DeShields has been a constant since returning from a broken bone in his left hand, an injury that occurred the first weekend of the season.

”Our coaches Jonathan Cooper Jersey , they’ve put that development hat on,” Banister said. ”You watch them every day on the field, different players working on different things that we feel like they’re going to help these players out for the longer term, for the bigger picture.”

Kiner-Falefa was called up when Odor, the 23-year-old already in his fourth season with Texas, went on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain. Andrus, the shortstop in his 10th season at age 29, suffered a broken elbow when hit by a pitch just a couple of days later. Beltre had more hamstring issues.

”Everything happened so quick,” said Kiner-Falefa, who has two starts at catcher after previous starts at second base, third base and shortstop. ”I’m trying to soak it all in. … It’s been a cool experience. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from everyone here, and all the veterans.”

Guzman has 51 starts at first base Josh Hill Jersey , though he is on the seven-day concussion disabled list. The Rangers were batting when Guzman slammed his head into a knee on an attempted pickoff Monday.

Profar was 19 when he homered in his first big league at-bat in 2012, but he missed all of the 2014 and 2015 seasons because of right shoulder issues. He split each of the last two seasons between the Rangers and Triple-A Round Rock, but has started at all four infield positions this year in his most consistent action in the majors.

”I’ve got a really good chance to experience the big leagues, a lot of things that you want to work to be consistent on,” Profar said. ”We have very good young players here, we’re all learning. It’s going to be good for us going down the road.”

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Brian Anderson stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied, one out and the bases loaded.

The Marlins’ rookie took the situation in stride like a veteran.

Anderson hit a game-ending sacrifice fly to lift the Miami Marlins over the San Francisco Giants 5-4 on Wednesday night.

”In a situation like that, the pressure’s not on you, it’s on the pitcher,” Anderson said. ”I tried to stay within myself and get something in the strike zone, something I could elevate.”

J.T. Realmuto had two hits and scored twice for the Marlins, who have won three straight for the first time since winning four in a row April 28-May 1.

Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run and Buster Posey had three hits for the Giants Demar Dotson Jersey , who entered the series winning eight of 10 but have dropped the first three games against last-place Miami and eight of the last nine in the series.

”Yyou can’t take any team lightly,” McCutchen said. ”This is the big leagues and regardless of their record or how many fans are in the stands, you’ve got to be ready to go.”

Reyes Moronta (2-1) allowed the first two hitters to reach in the bottom of the ninth, prompting manager Bruce Bochy to call on Hunter Strickland. Pinch-hitter J.B. Shuck hit a hard grounder down the first-base line, but Posey was able to dive to keep the ball in front of him, preventing the Marlins from scoring.

However, Strickland got himself into a 3-1 count against Anderson with one out. Anderson connected on a flyball to center field caught by Gorkys Hernandez, whose throw home was too late to catch Miguel Rojas.

”He didn’t crush it, but he got it deep enough,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

It was the Marlins’ third walk-off win of the season.

San Francisco’s Evan Longoria broke a 3-all tie with a hit in the seventh off Tayron Guerrero. It was Longoria’s team-leading 11th go-ahead RBI of the season.

The Marlins responded with a two-out RBI double in the eighth by Justin Bour off Sam Dyson, tying the game at 4.

It was the third time in the game the Marlins trailed but bounced back to draw even.

”We’re doing what we’re hoping, we’re getting the lead Danny Shelton Jersey ,” Bochy said. ”We’re just having a hard time holding it.”

Drew Steckenrider (3-1) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth.

Andrew Suarez allowed five hits and two runs in five innings for the Giants, pitching in his hometown in front of a number of friends and family members. He struck out three and walked two.

”I just didn’t really have a feel for a lot of pitches later in the game,” Suarez said. ”I just think with all of the humidity and sweating so much, the ball was a little slick. But you have to compete and keep throwing strikes.”

Miami’s Caleb Smith pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs.

He also had two hits at the plate.

”That was pretty fun,” Smith said. ”I’ve been working on it.”

McCutchen’s two-run blast in the first was his seventh of the season.

The Marlins tied the game at 2 on base hits by Cameron Maybin and Lewis Brinson in the fourth.

The teams traded runs in the sixth. Austin Jackson gave the Giants a 3-2 lead before Bour tied it with a base hit.

ROOF OPEN

The retractable roof was open for the 15th time this season, the most in a year since Marlins Park opened in 2012.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (appendix) is likely to have a couple rehab starts with the goal of joining the team on the next homestand beginning June 18 instead of playing this weekend in Los Angeles. … RHP Johnny Cueto (left ankle) will have another bullpen session Friday. … RHP Jeff Samardzija (right shoulder) will have a rehab start with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday with a pitch limit of 60-65 pitches.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Dereck Rodriguez (1-1, 5.25 ERA) will start Thursday’s series finale. Rodriguez, the son of former Marlins catcher and Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez, spent a lot of time around the Marlins when his father helped lead them to a World Series title in 2003.

Marlins: RHP Dan Straily (2-2, 4.0 is 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA in five career starts against the Giants.

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