Cubs bullpen falters in loss to Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas - Two straight days facing their former aces, two straight early deficits. And now two straight wins for the rebuilding Texas Rangers against the World Series-or-bust Cubs.

Joey Gallo scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Rangers outscored the Cubs 11-10 on Sunday after falling behind Cole Hamels much the same way they did against Yu Darvish a day earlier.

With one out and the Cubs playing five infielders, Gallo raced home from third base when Pedro Strop's pitch to Nomar Mazara bounced past catcher Willson Contreras and high onto the net behind home plate to give the Rangers a series win after the Cubs' 12-4 victory on Opening Day.

"There's like a belief already in three games," first-year Texas manager Chris Woodward said. "Incredible for me to watch because I'm just hearing it, I'm feeling it and then it's showing up obviously in the results."

Jose Leclerc (1-0) stopped a Cubs rally in the eighth and got the last four outs for Texas. Strop (0-1) allowed Gallo's leadoff double in the ninth, a high drive just over leaping left fielder Ben Zobrist at the wall. Pinch hitter Shin-Soo Choo's groundout moved Gallo up.

Hamels couldn't hold a 4-0 lead, allowing Delino DeShields' first career grand slam for a 5-4 deficit.

The Cubs answered DeShields' slam with a barrage of run-scoring singles before reliever Mike Montgomery gave up a tying, 2-run triple to Mazara and Asdrubal Cabrera's second 2-run homer in two days, a high fly that grazed the foul pole in left for a 10-8 Texas lead.

The Cubs got even again in the eighth on Anthony Rizzo's first homer, an upper-deck solo shot to right, and Daniel Descalso's third hit - 1 of 7 RBI singles for the Cubs.

Ultimately, the Cubs bullpen faltered again. Montgomery didn't retire any of his three batters a day after Carl Edwards Jr. let all four of his reach, including Gallo's go-ahead homer.

Cubs relievers have given up 11 runs in two games.

"We do have to nip this in the bud," manager Joe Maddon said. "I do anticipate our guys will. There's a lot of good names down there. Just one guy that had a tough time. Monty's the guy that was the difference-maker tonight."

Jason Heyward, Zobrist, Rizzo and Javier Baez drove in a run apiece in the sixth inning before Jeff Mathis, celebrating his 36th birthday, homered to get Texas to 8-6.