After not getting stealing Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, left, at second base, Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons (19) looks to throw out a runner at third during their game Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014, in Arlington, Texas. He held up his throw. The Rangers went on to win 3-2.ARLINGTON, Texas - Lisalverto Bonilla made it through six innings in his first major league pitching start when Texas manager Tim Bogar would have been more than happy with five.
The 24-year-old right-hander's reward came from fellow rookie Rougned Odor, whose two-run double in the sixth put the last-place Rangers ahead and gave Bonilla the win in a 3-2 interleague victory Saturday over the Atlanta Braves.
"Amazed. How's that?" Bogar offered with a smile when he asked if there was something beyond "ecstatic," the word he used for how he would feel if Bonilla went five innings on a pitch count of roughly 75. "I was really happy with how he did."
Atlanta's Julio Teheran (13-12) took a no-hitter and a 2-0 lead into the sixth before a one-out single by Luis Sardinas.
An error by left fielder Justin Upton kept the inning alive, and Elvis Andrus had an RBI single before Odor doubled to the warning track in left-center field, scoring Leonys Martin and Andrus.
The Braves, who started the day three games behind Pittsburgh for the second National League wild-card spot, dropped to 2-6 on their nine-game road trip.
Bonilla (1-0), filling in after Scott Baker was scratched with triceps tendinitis, got through his six innings in 78 pitches despite four walks and three straight batters reaching in Atlanta's two-run third.
He erased leadoff walks in the first and third by getting double-play grounders from Phil Gosselin and Christian Bethancourt. He followed each of the double plays with a walk but escaped further damage.
"Sometimes I was trying to be too fine on my pitches, and that's why I have problems with my control," Bonilla, whose first two big-league appearances were out of the bullpen, said through a translator.
With closer Neftali Feliz unavailable, Neal Cotts pitched the ninth for his first save this season.
Teheran faded after a strong start for the second straight outing as the Braves dropped the first two of a three-game set in Texas. He struck out six in his fourth complete game of the season, and the only three hits he gave up were in the sixth.
"I wasn't disappointed about the no-hitter," the 23-year-old right-hander said. "I was just trying to keep the lead and win the game. The whole game I felt good."
Teheran retired 13 of the first 14 last Sunday at Miami but allowed seven of the next nine to reach in a 4-0 loss. The sixth got him this time, but only after Upton's two-out error when he tried to make a running catch and dropped a line drive from Martin.
"Nobody feels worse about it than Justin," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He makes that play 100 out of 100 times. He was coming in hard and it just bounced off his glove. It compounds it when we're not scoring too many runs."
Texas goes for its first sweep since April this afternoon. The Rangers won consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 24-25 and just the third time since July 1. They also have a chance to finish .500 (10-10) in interleague play.
Gonzalez said Atlanta catcher Evan Gattis (strep throat) is likely to miss his sixth straight game in the series finale, costing the Dallas native a chance to play in front of the hometown crowd.
Braves left-hander Mike Minor (6-10, 4.58 ERA) will make his first appearance against the Rangers. He has made six straight quality starts but has just a 2-3 record to show for it. The Braves have scored one run combined in his past two starts. Rangers righty Colby Lewis (9-13, 5.29) is set for his team-leading 27th start a year after partial hip replacement surgery. He has gone at least seven innings in three straight starts.