MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Interstat) — The Texas Rangers held off a late Miami Marlins rally Monday night, winning 4-3 at loanDepot Park behind a two-run homer from Ezequiel Duran in the fourth inning and a go-ahead double by Alejandro Osuna in the eighth.

Texas improved to 38-40 with its second consecutive victory, while Miami slipped to 40-39. The game lasted 2 hours, 50 minutes in front of an announced crowd of 20,008.

Kumar Rocker started for Texas and delivered five innings of five-hit ball, striking out nine and allowing two earned runs. He left with the game tied 2-2. Robby Ahlstrom, who came on in the sixth, earned the win, his first against no losses, after pitching a scoreless seventh. Jacob Latz worked the final 1⅓ innings for his 13th save, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Miami starter Calvin Faucher took the loss, falling to 4-4. He was tagged for four runs on seven hits over seven-plus innings, striking out six and walking three.

The game remained scoreless through the first three innings as Rocker and Faucher traded scoreless frames. Rocker faced the minimum through the first, striking out Otto Lopez and retiring the side on a flyout. Faucher worked around a two-out single by Joc Pederson in the top of the third.

Texas broke through in the fourth. Brandon Nimmo led off with a single to center. After Jake Burger lined out, Duran crushed a 1-1 pitch over the center-field fence for his sixth home run of the season, scoring Nimmo ahead of him and giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

Miami answered in the fifth. Owen Caissie singled to center with one out and advanced to second on a groundout. Javier Sanoja then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Caissie and cutting the lead in half.

The Marlins tied the game in the sixth. Otto Lopez doubled to left off a deflected ball by third baseman Josh Jung. One out later, Xavier Edwards tripled to left, driving in Lopez. Edwards attempted to score on the throw, but left fielder Alejandro Osuna threw to shortstop Ezequiel Duran, who relayed to catcher Elias Díaz for the tag at home, ending the inning with the score knotted at 2-2.

Texas stranded two runners in the seventh after Nicky Lopez and Pederson singled and Wyatt Langford walked, but Josh Jung struck out swinging to end the threat.

The Rangers regained the lead in the eighth. Nimmo led off with a sharp double to left. Burger walked. After Duran flied out, Osuna doubled to right, scoring Nimmo and sending Burger to third. Díaz then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Burger and giving Texas a 4-2 edge.

Miami responded in the bottom of the eighth. Joe Mack singled to right with one out. After Heriberto Hernández lined out, Otto Lopez walked, putting runners on first and second. Kyle Stowers doubled to right, scoring Mack and moving Lopez to third. Latz intentionally walked Edwards to load the bases, but Jakob Marsee grounded out to second to end the inning, leaving the tying and go-ahead runs stranded.

Latz worked a perfect ninth, striking out Leo Jiménez on a foul tip, fanning Connor Norby and getting Javier Sanoja to ground out to shortstop to seal the win.

Texas totaled nine hits, led by Joc Pederson with two singles. Nimmo had a single and a double, scored twice. Osuna drove in a run with his double and finished 1 for 3. Duran’s homer accounted for two RBIs.

Miami managed seven hits. Otto Lopez doubled and scored a run. Stowers doubled and drove in a run. Edwards tripled and had an RBI, but was thrown out at the plate. Caissie singled.

Rocker struck out nine over five innings, including a stretch of four consecutive strikeouts from the second inning into the third. He did not walk a batter.

The Rangers challenged a home-plate collision play in the fourth inning when Osuna was thrown out at home on a Díaz single. The call was upheld. Miami challenged a pitch result in the fourth when Kyle Stowers was called out on strikes, and the call was confirmed.

Texas has won two straight after dropping four consecutive games to the Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres. Miami had won three in a row before Monday.

The teams play the second game of the series Tuesday, then the series finale Wednesday. Texas travels to Toronto for a four-game set starting Thursday. Miami heads to St. Louis for a weekend series.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Miami Marlins 6, Texas Rangers 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Miami with a 53.20 percent probability to win. Texas had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 7 went over the over/under line of 8.