July 11, 2022 - Game 84
W - Spencer Howard (1-1)
L - Adrián Martínez (2-2)
S- Brett Martin (3)
HR: TEX: Seager (20), Smith (1) ; OAK: Neuse (3), Laureano (7)
Time of Game: 3:28
Rangers Cowboy Hat Winner: Leody Taveras (1st)
Game Recap
Monday, the Rangers welcomed the Oakland Athletics for the first of three separate visits to Arlington. Texas came off a series victory against the Minnesota Twins but had to make a few roster moves before the game. As expected, Mitch Garver went to the sixty-day injured list, and Sam Huff got the call-up. However, the Rangers also placed Dane Dunning on the fifteen-day injured list and brought back Kolby Allard. Monday was Spencer Howard's turn in the rotation, coming off a start against the Orioles where he had one bad inning and three good innings. Oakland brought out Adrián Martínez, who made his fourth career start (first against the Rangers). "It's hard to win a big league game and they made it interesting at the end," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. "I tip my cap to that."
Texas' two runs in the second inning scored on a Martínez balk and a Martínez wild pitch. The Rangers threatened the inning with a single, walk, and a stolen base to set up the two unconventional runs scoring. Oakland got a run back in the fourth when Seth Brown singled in a run. Ramon Laureano scored as he reached on another Rangers' defensive miscue. In the bottom of the fourth, Texas added three runs courtesy of RBI singles by Kole Calhoun and Leody Taveras plus a Josh Smith sacrifice fly. The Rangers and Athletics traded home runs in the fifth inning. For Oakland, Sheldon Neuse hit a launcher to left field, then Corey Seager added to his home run total with a shot to center field. "I'm in a good spot [and] try to see good pitches and put good swings on them," Corey Seager said on the success he'd had and he talked about the offense collectively while still being new together. "It's got it's ups and downs. I think we've played good at times [and] we've played good spurts at times. We've had times where we're not been in sync. As a whole, we've progressed in the beginning and it's been fun to be a part of."
Then in the sixth, more chaos happened. After Leody Taveras doubled, Josh Smith hit a liner that got under Laureano. The ball rolled all the way to the warning track in center and, with Smith's speed, scored on the inside-the-park two-run home run, putting Texas up 8-2. "I'll take that for sure, but I'd like to get one out, like a real one. That'd be nice," Josh Smith said and I asked about being the third Ranger in history to have his first homer be an inside the park home run. "I didn't think there'd be too many, I'm still kind of shocked still and getting a good win tonight too."
Then, in the seventh, Leody was back at it again. Taveras snapped a liner down the right-field line to extend the Rangers' lead to 10-2. In the eighth a comfortable lead turned to some minor panic. Oakland grabbed five runs on two home-runs. First a two-run shot by Ramon Laureano in the right field corner. Then, Chad Pinder launched a three-run shot to left field. It turned an eight run Rangers lead down to three. Oakland picked up another run capping off a six-run frame with a RBI groundout to third by Sheldon Neuse. Oakland got a runner on the ninth, but couldn't bring anyone home. Texas squeaked out a win, despite having an eight run lead after seven.
Monday was the best outing for Spencer Howard in his brief Rangers career. Yes, he had two scoreless three-inning starts last season, but on Monday, Howard set his personal Rangers best in innings and pitches. Spencer allowed six hits, two runs (one earned), no walks, and one strikeout in five frames. The leadoff man reached a few times and while the error scored, Spencer Howard didn't let things get out of hand like he did previously in starts. "It's a by product of pitching deeper in games and pitching more period," Howard told me. "[I'm] getting to go deep in the minor leagues and getting to build up to one-hundred pitches and six plus innings [and] rediscover my mentality, what it used to be on the mound that I got away from for a little bit. It's a good building block."
Next, José Leclerc threw two scoreless frames without allowing a baserunner. Leclerc had one outing this season (six total appearances) where he didn't allow a baserunner, but it was a single-inning relief appearance). Meantime Kolby Allard did not have a good outing on Monday. Allard gave up four hits, hit a batter, and two home runs resulting in five runs. Garrett Richards allowed a run on a hit and a hit batter while retiring one hitter in his appearance. Dennis Santana got Vimael Machín to groundout to prevent any further damage. Finally, Brett Martin entered to pick up his third save. After three straight balls, Martin settled down and retired the A's in order to preserve the victory.
Postgame Notes
Corey Seager homered for the fourth straight game. It's his longest streak in his MLB career and the longest streak by any hitter at Globe Life Field.
Seager is the first Ranger to homer in four straight games since Joey Gallo (June 26th to July 1st, 2021). It ties the longest streak in MLB this season with Rafael Devers (BOS) and Patrick Wisdom (CHC).
Corey Seager leads all MLB shortstops with twenty home runs. Seager is seventh in the American League with his twenty home runs.
Josh Smith's first career homer was an inside-the-park home run. Since 2017 only Zach Mckinstry of the Dodgers had his first MLB homer be an inside-the-park home run (4/3/21 at the Rockies).
Spencer Howard went five innings for the first time in MLB since August 31st, 2020. The eighty-four pitches are the second-most in a start since that same start on 8/31/2020 against Washington.
The Rangers have won six of their first eight against the Athletics.
Leody Taveras set a career-high with three hits and three RBI Monday.
In the second, the balk by Adrián Martínez is the fifth balk by an Oakland Athletics pitcher. It ties the most in MLB (Chicago White Sox).
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