August 26, 2022 - Game 125
W - Glenn Otto (6-8)
L - Tyler Alexander (3-8)
S- José Leclerc (2)
HR: DET: Greene (5); TEX: Lowe (21), Duran (4), Mathias (3)
Time of Game: 3:03
Rangers Cowboy Hat Winner: Mark Mathias (1st)
Game Recap
Texas returned home on Friday after a successful 4-2 road trip in Minneapolis and Denver. Before the game, Cole Ragans went on the injured list with a calf strain, with Dallas Keuchel getting the anticipated call-up (a move has not been made). Keuchel is scheduled to start Saturday for the Rangers. "Just to hit the reset button [and] relax has been really nice for me," Keuchel said Friday. "I told myself to be me again, and it was refreshing. Four or five moments that I had when I started the game [I] got back to foundationally attacking the zone and having command which it was hit or miss for the last twenty-five starts I had been in the big leagues." On Friday, the Rangers sent Glenn Otto the hill against Southlake-HS alum Tyler Alexander.
The Rangers came out roaring again with the bats. In the opening inning, Nathaniel Lowe blasted a 449-foot home run to center field to put Texas up 1-0. In the second, Ezequiel Duran followed suit with a three-run line drive homer over the left field wall extending the Rangers' lead to 4-0. Detroit crawled back with a couple in the third against Otto. Riley Greene singled to left, scoring Jeimer Candelario and Harold Castro ripped a single to center field scoring Greene and cutting the Rangers' lead to 4-2. However, the Rangers offense blasted three more runs. Leody Taveras, with a single scoring Adolis García and Mark Mathias, hit a two-run home run to put Texas up 7-2. Detroit added two on a triple by Greene, who ended up scoring on a Marcus Semien error on the relay to third.
After the Tigers got their two runs, the Rangers had baserunners in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. However, Texas couldn't get a runner past first base in any of the three innings against Garrett Hill or Jason Foley. Detroit made things interesting in the ninth with a two-run home run by Riley Greene. Victor Reyes singled to put the tying run on base for the Tigers, but the next two struck out to end the game. I asked Mark Mathias on the impact the coaching staff has had on him. "Beasley has been great from the second I got in. He pulled me into the office, gave me a good talk, and he made me feel like at home and comfortable," Mathias said. "He instilled a lot of confidence in me, in not pinch hitting in some situations when a righty comes up. He asked me, "Do you want me to pinch hit for you or are you going to hit this guy?" I looked at him and said I never had a manager ask me that but I'm going to do my best and things went well."
Glenn Otto had somewhat of an abbreviated start Friday. He threw eighty pitches which were the lowest since his seventy-three on July 30th against the Angels. Otto allowed five hits, four runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. Glenn Otto talked about his 100th strikeout, "That's cool, I know a year ago tomorrow was my debut. So it was cool to wear the red jerseys again, Otto told me. "But at the same time. Want to move keep forward, want to keep making progress and stop settling for the bear minimum. I want to help this team save the bullpen. First game of the series, get to go seven or eight innings these next five weeks. I know I can do it, it's just a matter of executing early, getting ahead, and not wasting pitches. Eighty pitches in five innings is not efficient. I will work on that, keep progressing, and keep working on it."
Taylor Hearn threw two quality innings on Friday. He walked one batter but struck out four in Hearn's seven hitters. A curious choice for Tony Beasley. Jonathan Hernández came into the eighth inning instead of the ninth. Hernández hit Castro with a pitch, but retired the side in his inning of work. José Leclerc came into the ninth for the save. Leclerc allowed a two-run home run and a single, but struck out the side in the ninth to finalize the save. "It was based on lineup," Tony Beasley said. "I felt like the eighth lineup was towards the middle of the order and felt like it was a better matchup for [Jonathan]. Then it was based on availability of what we had tonight as far as innings. [Hernández] was for one and Leclerc was available for two if need be."
Postgame Notes
The Rangers break a streak of three straight losses on Fridays. They entered the night losing nine of their last twelve on Fridays.
Adolis García extended his hitting streak to twenty-two games. It tied the longest hit streak in the American League this season with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
In his brief stint with the Rangers, Mark Mathias scored four extra-base hits, eight RBI, four runs, and four strikeouts.
Glenn Otto picked up career strikeout number 100 on his strikeout of Victor Reyes in the first inning.
Entering Friday, Nathaniel Lowe leads the American League in hits during August (34). He added one on a home run in the first inning.
The error in the fifth by Marcus Semien breaks a streak of sixty-five straight games for Semien without an error.
Otto allowed four earned runs on Friday in five innings. Entering his start, he allowed five earned runs in 22.2 innings.
Texas has won nine of their last thirteen games.
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