May 26, 2022 - Game 43
W- Matt Bush (2-1)
L- Lou Trivino (1-3)
S - Joe Barlow (8)
HR: TEX: Lowe (3)
Time of Game: 2:44
Cowboy Hat Winner: Adolis García (3rd)
Game Recap
Thursday, the Rangers and Athletics began a four-game series, with some sorrow down the road (Mavericks fell to the Warriors as Golden State moved on to the Finals). It was a Martín Pérez start night for the Rangers, and Texas fans are becoming spoiled by the success of Pérez, who threw a complete-game shutout last Friday in Houston. Oakland sent their ace, Frankie Montas. Montas came off an abbreviated outing. He left last Saturday’s start with a comebacker hitting him in hand in Anaheim against the Angels. With the success of both Pérez and Montas, Thursday’s game is what you’d expect, a pitchers’ duel. "You saw two really good pitchers in Martín and Montas," Chris Woodward said.
The first inning saw fifteen pitches, total, by both pitchers. In the second inning, the Rangers got help from shaky Oakland defense. Kole Calhoun continued being redder at the plate than his hair with a single to start the inning. Next, Heim reached on an offline throw, but good effort by Elvis Andrus. Finally, Andy Ibáñez walked with the bases loaded to put Texas up 1-0. Meantime, Martín didn’t allow a hit until the third inning with two outs. The Athletics tied the game up in the fourth with bases loaded wild pitch by Pérez, scoring Chad Pinder. Then, he got Kevin Smith on a groundout to end any additional damage.
Both Montas and Pérez didn’t give either offense much to work with. The Rangers had a chance in the top of the seventh with a leadoff double by Adolis but couldn’t move over to third base. Meanwhile, the Rangers benefited from Christian Bethancourt called out of the baseline in the bottom of the seventh, followed by an Elvis Andrus double. Oakland didn’t score either. Then, in the ninth inning, Adolis García delivered his second double of the night, a line-scraper down the third-base line, scoring Eli White and giving the Rangers the lead. Nathaniel Lowe came up next and launched a home run to right field for a two-run home run. "That was fantastic," Lowe said after getting the chance to face left-handed pitcher Sam Moll and homering. "That's why you work, to get the chance to play everyday, get the chance to put something on the table for the team every day and thankful I got the chance."
Pérez’s night is about the norm for Texas. Seven innings allowed four hits, one run, two walks, and six strikeouts. The one knock is that Martín threw two wild pitches, one scoring a run. "He did what he does," Chris Woodward said after the game. "Get weak contact, get guys off the end of the bat, got a lot of freezing inside corner and outside corner and back door cutter/front door sinkers." Matt Bush allowed a hit but retired the side on fourteen pitches on Thursday. Joe Barlow finished the night with his eighth save. He allowed a walk, but initiated a double play. Texas took the first game of the weekend four-game series.
Postgame Notes
Thursday was Martín Pérez’s 200th career start.
Andy Ibáñez’s bases-loaded walk was his first RBI since April 22nd in Oakland on a home run. He had gone twenty-one straight games without an RBI.
The Martín Pérez wild pitch to score Chad Pinder was the first run Pérez allowed on the road this season. All thirteen runs allowed by Martín (nine earned) were at home.
Thursday was the seventh straight start in which Pérez allowed one run or fewer.
Kole Calhoun’s two hits Thursday puts him at 999 career hits.
The Rangers scored first on Thursday. In 2022, Texas has won twelve of fifteen when scoring first.
Nathaniel Lowe has hit safely in six of his last seven games.
Adolis García picked up a multi-extra base hit game for the first time since May 15th when he hit two home runs against the Red Sox.
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