May 20, 2022 - Game 38
W - Martín Pérez (3-2)
L - Cristian Javier (2-2)
S - None
HR: None
Time of Game: 2:57
Cowboy Hat Winner: Martín Pérez (2nd)
Game Recap
The Rangers and Astros met for game two of a four-game series. The Rangers sent Martín Pérez to the mound for his fifth straight start of six innings or more, allowing one or fewer runs. The last time Pérez took the mound against the Astros, he threw seven innings while owning a perfect game bid that snapped in the sixth. Houston sent Cristian Javier, who the Rangers saw on April 27th. Texas tried to snap an eleven-game skid at Minute Maid Park and a four-game skid against the Astros.
Both starters settled in nicely in the first three innings. The Astros and Rangers combined for two total baserunners (double by Corey Seager and Michael Brantley's walk). In the fourth inning, Kole Calhoun continued his hot streak with a home run over the garages in left-center field to tally the first run of the night. It came on a first-pitch change-up on the low outside of the strike zone, which Calhoun stroked the opposite way. The Astros threatened with a baserunner in four straight frames and the leadoff man on in the seventh and eighth, but Martín Pérez barred down and didn't break either time. "Offense was grinding. We faced some really good pitching. [The Astros] have arguably the best pitchers in the league and Javier is one of them," Chris Woodward said.
In the eighth inning, the Rangers got the insurance runs they needed. Eli White dropped a bunt down that Astros reliever Rafael Montero threw wide off the glove of Alex Bregman. Mitch Garver slid at third, got back up, and scored on the errant throw. Marcus Semien ripped a single with the infield into left field, scoring Nathaniel Lowe, but Eli White ran through a stop sign and was thrown out at home. Pérez ran into a little issue in the ninth as well. The Astros put pressure with two hits in the inning, both with two outs. Then, in a heated battle, Pérez got Yuli Gurriel to fly out in an eight-pitch at-bat to secure the complete-game shutout. Prior to the Gurriel at-bat Chris Woodward came to the mound, talked, and left. "[Woody] said you got it and I told him yeah," Martín Pérez said when asked about Woodward going to the mound. "I know what I can do in that situation and he gave me the chance and I showed everyone on the team I got their back." Chris Woodward was asked about letting Martín stay in the ninth with two outs. "All of the things tell you not [to let him stay in], but that's his game. Something different about today with Beas. Speaking with the team and it little different. You knew something special was going to happen today and Martín did it."
After last night's game, rangers' manager Chris Woodward said that the bullpen was thin. So what better way to rest your bullpen than have a quality, or in his case, a normal, start from Martín Pérez. Pérez allowed seven hits, walked one, and struck out five on 108 pitches. "This game is because of Beasley and for his family and proud to be part of his process and happy to know he's good," Pérez said after the game. Today marked six years of cancer free after diagnosed with colorectal cancer. "What can I do for Beasley because I want him to have a special day?" Pérez said with his mindset tonight for Beasley and the handshake after the game. "The only thing I can do is do my best. In my mind during the game when I was on the mound, [I was like], you can do it for Beasley."
Postgame Notes
Cristian Javier suffered his first pitching loss to Texas in his career. He entered Friday 4-0 against Texas in nine appearances and five stars.
Marcus Semien's eighth-inning RBI is his first run batted in since May 3rd at Philadelphia. Semnan had gone thirteen straight games without a run driven in.
In eight of his last ten games, Kole Calhoun has an RBI and homered in four of his previous six.
Martín Pérez picked up his first complete game since 2014. In the 2014 season with the Rangers, Martín threw two complete-game shutouts.
Texas won their first game at Minute Maid Park since September 16th, 2020, when the Rangers beat Houston 1-0 on a Kyle Gibson complete-game shutout.
The two complete-game shutouts for Martín Pérez in 2014 came in back-to-back starts (April 18th vs. White Sox and April 23rd at Oakland). He threw 109 pitches in both outings.
Texas pitching allowed seven total runs in the last five Rangers wins against the Astros.
In the eighth, Eli White's outfield assist ties him with Randy Arozarena and Trevor Larnach for the MLB lead in outfield assists.
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