Delino wreaking havoc on basepaths again

DENVER — Outfielder Delino DeShields is beginning to flex his speed and running skills again, which is one reason why Rangers manager Jeff Banister had him batting ninth behind pitcher Cole Hamels against the Rockies on Monday night.

With the designated hitter not being used in the National League city, Banister liked the idea of keeping DeShields and his speed in front of Shin-Soo Choo and Ian Desmond at the top of the lineup. DeShields was a force on the basepaths for the Rangers last season and is starting to show that again since being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock.

“Early in the season, he lost some of that swagger on the basepaths,” Banister said. “That’s one of the things we challenged him [with] when he was sent down — play fast, play aggressive and recapture some of that excitement.”

DeShields’ baserunning was a big factor in the Rangers’ 5-3 victory over the Astros on Friday after he led off the eighth inning with a walk and went to second when Choo was hit by a pitch.

The Rangers had a 1-0 lead at the time and, with Desmond at the plate, DeShields stole third, even though there were no outs.

“I had a good feeling,” DeShields said. “Me being a basestealer, it’s all instincts, and I felt good about it.”

The move forced the Astros to move the infield in. Desmond hit a grounder to second baseman Jose Altuve. …

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