September 12, 2022 - Game 141
W - Bryan Hoeing (1-1)
L - AJ Alexy (1-1)
S- None
HR: TEX: Jung (2), Semien (22), Seager (30)
Time of Game: 3:09
Game Recap
Three hours after the Rangers took game one 3-1, it was time for game two. First, it was Texas' look at Jon Gray, who came off the injured list and made his first start since August 1st against the Orioles. "The [live BP] was great, [Gray] felt good, and his stuff was good," Doug Mathis told me on Sunday. "He's in a good spot, his sides were great, stuff is right where it should be [and] the velocity is good. He's in a good spot." According to Tony Beasley, the target was around fifty, but as always, it's tentative when it comes to a pitcher coming off an injury. Meanwhile, the Rangers' offense went up against another young pitcher they hadn't seen, Braxton Garrett, who pitched exceptionally well at home in his 2022 campaign.
To start the first, the Marlins manufactured their run. Jon Berti reached on a Josh Jung error which guided Nathaniel Lowe's glove to contact Berti and had the ball pop off. Berti stole second base and scored on a Joey Wendle single. The Rangers had two runners reach in the fourth against Garrett on a walk and hit-by-pitch, but Adolis GarcÃa lined out and Jonah Heim to end the threat. In the bottom of the fourth, Wendle doubled to put himself in scoring position, the only guy to pick up a base hit against Jon Gray. Garrett Cooper grounded out, and against AJ Alexy, Nick Fortes struck out. Finally, Josh Jung tied things up on a no-doubt solo home run over the Clevelander in left field for his second MLB home run.
The Marlins' offense unloaded in the fifth inning. JJ Bleday walked and scored on a Charles Leblanc double. After two more walks, Jon Berti singled home two to give Miami the 4-3 lead. Next, Brian Anderson singled home Luke Williams for another run. Garrett Cooper doubled home two more to extend Miami's lead to 7-3, Fortes singled home Cooper, and Leblanc delivered another RBI double to cap off an eight-run fifth. Miami added another run as a ball went under the glove of Jung, scoring Berti and extending the Marlins' lead to 10-3. The Rangers showed power in the seventh with a triple by Semien and a two-run home run by Corey Seager to cut the Miami lead to 10-6. Texas had two in scoring position, but Jonah Heim struck out to end the frame. The Rangers couldn't muster up anything in the final two innings as they end up dropping the nightcap.
The Rangers limited Jon Gray's pitch count to forty-five on the night, but it was an efficient forty-five through 3.2 innings. Gray threw six balls and thirty-nine strikes in his outing, allowing two hits, one run, no walks, and five strikeouts. AJ Alexy struck out Fortes quickly to end the fourth. However, in the fifth, Alexy had issues finding the zone with three walks, a hit, and four runs. Brett Martin came in and didn't walk a batter but got knocked around for five hits and four runs in the fifth inning. In the sixth, Martin walked a batter and allowed a single who ended up scoring (as an unearned run due to the error). Jesús Tinoco faced five batters, the first scored on an error and Tinoco retired the next four including the side in the seventh inning. Dennis Santana pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Santana did hit Brian Anderson with a pitch, but he didn't leave first base.
Postgame Notes
Josh Jung's four extra-base hits are tied for the most by a Rangers player in his first five MLB games. Ruben Mateo in 1999 and Ruben Sierra in 1986 also had four in their first five MLB games.
Between the minor and major leagues, Bubba Thompson is 64 of 68 in stolen bases.
Marcus Semien hit his fourteenth home run on the road, most on the Rangers.
Jon Gray entered Monday with a 66% strike throwing percentage. He threw 87% strikes in his outing Monday.
Entering the fifth inning, the Miami offense scored three runs in twenty-two innings. They scored eight runs in the fifth.
Brett Martin had allowed three earned runs in his last fourteen innings entering Monday. He allowed four runs in his outing in the nightcap. It's the most runs allowed by Brett since July 19th, 2021, against the Tigers.
The eight runs in the fifth allowed by the Rangers tie the most given up in an inning (July 12th vs. Oakland in the 12th inning). It's also the most given up in a regulation inning.
Corey Seager's thirty home runs tie an MLB record for a left-handed shortstop (Brad Miller in 2016).
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