Third base umpire Bill Miller (26) watches as Texas Rangers' Leonys Martin, right, is waved around third base by coach Gary Pettis on his way to score on a double hit by Elvis Andrus against the Atlanta Braves during their game, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, in Arlington, Texas.ARLINGTON, Texas - Colby Lewis pitched seven innings for his 10th victory, Luis Sardinas doubled his career total with four RBIs and the Texas Rangers completed their first series sweep in nearly five months with a 10-3 win Sunday over the playoff-chasing Atlanta Braves.
After being swept in three games to complete a 2-7 trip, the Braves were four games behind Pittsburgh for the National League's second wild card with 13 games left in the regular season. The good news is they headed back to Atlanta for a 10-game homestand.
Michael Choice put the Rangers ahead to stay with an RBI triple in the second, and then added a two-run double in the fifth on a play when he got hurt running the bases and left the game.
The only other series sweep for Texas this season was April 21-23 in a three-game set at Oakland. The last-place Rangers still have to win at least six of their last 13 games to avoid 100 losses.
Lewis (10-13) allowed five hits and walked one. The only run on the right-hander's line was a homer by Ryan Doumit in the seventh when the Rangers already led 10-0.
Braves left-hander Mike Minor (6-11) lost his third consecutive September start, allowing five runs and eight hits while throwing 107 pitches in 4 2-3 innings.
Sardinas, the rookie infielder who had four RBIs his first 35 games, drove in runs in three consecutive innings. His RBI double in the fourth made it 2-0, and then he had a run-scoring single in the Rangers' six-run fifth and a two-run double in the sixth that made it 10-0.
Choice had rounded first base and taken a couple of steps on his double in the fifth when he suddenly slowed and basically hopped into second base. He immediately clutched his left knee after getting to the bag.
Interim manager Tim Bogar and a trainer immediately went out. After conferring briefly with Choice, they carried him off the field to keep any pressure off his left leg.
The team said Choice had a strained left hamstring. An MRI was planned for Monday.
The Rangers had their most runs since a 13-6 win at Houston on Aug. 29 and matched their season high with 18 hits. There were seven players with multiple hits, led by Sardinas, Leonys Martin and Robinson Chirinos with three apiece.