October 1, 2022 - Game 157
W - José Suarez (8-8)
L - Jonathan Hernández (2-3)
S- Ryan Tepera (6)
HR: TEX: Lowe (27)
Time of Game: 2:27
Game Recap
Cole Ragans took the mound for his last start of the 2022 season. In his previous three starts, Ragans scuffled, allowing twelve runs in 13.2 innings between the Athletics, Angels, and Guardians. Ragans talked about one key in his last start: limiting damage in pitcher counts. The Guardians picked up hits in two-strike counts where Cole couldn’t finish out Cleveland hitters. José Suarez made his second start against the Rangers and his third appearance this season. His lone start came on April 17th, where he allowed three runs, three walks, and five hits in 4.1 innings at Globe Life Field. Suarez also threw 0.2 of an inning on May 18th against the Rangers. Though, he didn’t allow a run.
The Angels scored first on a fly ball that fell between Leody Taveras and Marcus Semien and scored Jo Adell. Livan Soto doubled to cause a two-out threat in the second, but Michael Stefanic grounded out to Josh Jung, which limited the damage to one run after two innings. In the fifth inning, the Angels threatened with an infield single and a walk, but Shohei Ohtani struck out against Cole Ragans to keep a one-run game after five. Meantime, José Suarez retired the first eighteen batters he faced on Saturday. "Suarez seemed like he kept us at bay all night long," Tony Beasley said. "He had a decent fastball and made pitches when he needed to. We didn't have much hard contact, a lot of soft contact tonight. [He] pitched a pretty good game [and] we didn't get going tonight at all."
The seventh began with a Marcus Semien single to break the perfect game. After Corey Seager hit into a fielders’ choice, Nathaniel Lowe blasted a 410-foot shot to right field to grab a 2-1 lead for the Rangers. However, the Angels started the seventh with a single and a hit-by-pitch. Livan Soto ripped a double into the gap, tying the game at two, and then Kurt Suzuki was out on a relay to home plate. Jonah Heim put the tag on the left side of Suzuki’s head, and the Angels challenged the home plate collision rule. Umpires confirmed the call, and then the Angels took the lead on a Matt Thaiss fielders’ choice with the play at the plate. Soto’s hand got in as the Rangers challenged, but the call confirmed, too, and the Angels took a 3-2 lead after seven. Texas went down in order in the eighth and ninth to end the night as Texas' two baserunners Saturday came in the seventh. "We just didn't hold on," Beasley said. "I was hoping we could get through the [seventh] inning, Tinoco went back out for the seventh after a solid sixth, but we got in trouble and didn't get out of it."
Cole Ragans had one of his best starts since his Major League Debut. Ragans allowed four hits, one run, one walk, and struck out two against the Angels on Saturday. A key was keeping the pitch count low at seventy-one through five frames. "I was happy with Ragans tonight. He gave us five solid inning and did a good job with everything," Beasley said. "[Ragans] attacked, changeup was good tonight [and] he did a great job of moving the ball around. He got a few three-ball counts that he was able to win those counts."
Jesús Tinoco threw an excellent sixth inning, but in the seventh allowed a hit and hit Suzuki with a pitch. A run charged to Tinoco’s line on Saturday. Jonathan Hernández entered in with runners on base for the first time this season. He allowed the first two to reach (a double which results in one out at the plate and a fielders' choice where a run scored with no out). Then Jonathan induced a ground ball double play to end the inning. Matt Moore allowed a lead off single to Ohtani, but struck out Taylor Ward and picked up two aerial outs to end the Rangers pitching night.
Postgame Notes
In four road starts this season, Cole Ragans had a 3.87 ERA (7 earned in 16.3 innings). Ragans walked nine and struck out eight. In his five home starts, Ragans had a 5.70 ERA (15 earned in 23.2 innings). In the home starts, he walked seven and struck out nineteen.
In six career games vs. the Rangers, José Suarez allowed nine runs in 29.2 innings (2.73 ERA).
Angels pitchers went through a stretch between Friday and Saturday where they retired the Rangers twenty-seven straight times.
Nathaniel Lowe is hitting .333 vs. left-handed pitching this season, tied for second best in baseball (Vinnie Pasquantino is hitting .340 vs. lefties).
The Rangers lead all of baseball with seventy-one home runs against left-handed pitching.
Texas batters have struck out 61 times in their last 6 games (10.2 strikeouts a game).
The Rangers drop to 14-34 in one-run games (.292 win pct). The 14 wins ties the Athletics for the lowest and the 34 losses is second most in MLB (Marlins have 39 one-run losses).
Shohei Ohtani extended his hitting streak to sixteen games with a base hit in the eighth. It's currently the longest streak in MLB.
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