June 7, 2022 - Game 55
W- Taylor Hearn (4-4)
L- Kirk McCarty (0-1)
S - Joe Barlow (11)
HR: TEX: Semien 2 (6), Heim (7), Lowe (6)
Time of Game: 3:10
Rangers Cowboy Hat Winner: Marcus Semien (2nd)
Game Recap
After a quick 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, the Rangers turned to Taylor Hearn to keep the Cleveland at bay. Taylor came off a start in which he didn't feel well back on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Guardians turned to a young pitcher making his second career outing in game two, Kirk McCarty. McCarty's other outing came on April 24th against the Yankees, where he allowed four runs, four hits, two walks, and struck out three. He yielded two homers in that outing. Like in May against the Yankees, the Rangers tried to even up the doubleheader by winning the nightcap. "[Taylor] came out and he was aggressive and trusted his stuff," Jonah Heim said. "He was phenomenal today. He had life on his fastball and we got these guys off balance."
The second game started with a bang, thanks to Eli White defensively. On a José Ramírez line shot to center field, White made a fantastic play; not sure if it was comparable to his play last week against the Rays, but it fired up his teammates. "It's unbelievable. Those balls that are hit, I'm waiting for the baserunner to go to second or third and [Eli] is catching it with ease," Marcus Semien said. Then the Rangers again jumped out and scored first in the second inning. Charlie Culberson's groundout scored Ezequiel Duran, and a wild throw prevented a double play to end the inning. The following inning started a barrage of homers in the nightcap of the doubleheader. Marcus Semien continued on his tear offensively with a solo home run to put Texas up 2-0. Jonah Heim went deep in left field in the fourth, followed by Nathaniel Lowe to center field, capping a 5-0 lead through three and a half innings. "I was trying to get the inning started and get some runs for Taylor. [McCarty] made some good pitches and luckily he fouled them off. He made a mistake and hung a changeup and I got a good barrel on it."
Then Eli White robbed José Ramírez again in the fourth, though not with as much style as the first robbery. Cleveland hit the scoreboard in the sixth inning with run-scoring singles by Ahmed Rosario and Oscar Gonzalez, cutting the Rangers' lead to 5-3. Dennis Santana got Andres Gimenez to pop out to third base as Cleveland's tying runs were on base in the sixth. Marcus Semien was at it again in the eighth inning with another home run. "I was think that when you put good at-bats in the first game, you try to carry it over to the next [and] definitely did that today," Semien said on his overall productive day. The Guardians looked to get something cooking in the ninth, but Eli White shut the door down with his defense again. Cleveland got a walk but couldn't put the tying run on. The Rangers won game two.
Taylor Hearn had great stuff on Tuesday. He couldn't finish the sixth as he walked Josh Naylor, but he threw 5.2 innings, three runs, four hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. Dennis Santana came in the sixth to relieve Hearn. He allowed a run-scoring single but got out of the jam with limited damage. Then, in Santana's seventh inning, he walked and struck out a batter. John King pitched a scoreless eighth inning while striking out one. Joe Barlow struggled with command towards the end of his inning of work with a walk. However, he shut the door down and picked up the save.
Postgame Notes
Jonah Heim hit his seventh homer, all as a catcher. That's tied among all MLB catchers.
Marcus Semien has homered in three straight games and with his two homers in game two puts him at five total in June. He picked up his first four-hit game of the season and his first since May 6th, 2021 when he was with Toronto against the Oakland Athletics.
Marcus Semien is the first Ranger since Herbert Perry on May 26th, 2002, to homer in both games of a doubleheader.
With four home runs and eight RBIs, Nathaniel Lowe is 16 for 34 in his career against the Cleveland franchise.
Taylor Hearn tied a season-high with six strikeouts on Tuesday.
After going hitless in his Major League debut, Ezequiel Duran has a three-game hitting streak.
Eli White's two stolen bases moves him to fifth in MLB with twelve stolen bases.
Dennis Santana pitched 1.1, which is the most since Opening Day in regulation (not in extra innings).
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