August 7, 2022 - Game 108
W - Lucas Giolito (8-6)
L - Spencer Howard (2-4)
S- None
HR: TEX: Lowe (16) CHW: Vaughn (11)
Time of Game: 3:27
Game Recap
The Rangers and White concluded their seven-game season series on Sunday. Texas turned to Spencer Howard to keep the train of quality starting pitching going against the White Sox Lucas Giolito. "It's contagious," Rangers co-pitching Coach Doug Mathis told me when I asked if there's a trickle effect on a good start from one guy to another." Even when our starters pitch well, and they do deeper into games, our bullpen doesn't have to be used as much, they're more rested, and we can match up better. It affects everybody. It takes one or two guys to get it rolling, but it can also take one or two things to go sideways, like a chain reaction or car crash." Unfortunately, the quality start train didn't catch up Sunday as the game got out of hand.
The White Sox struck first in the second inning. AJ Pollock hit a line drive single to left field, scoring Josh Harrison. In the third inning, Andrew Vaughn blasted one to the White Sox bullpen off Spencer Howard, extending the Sox lead to 3-0. Texas got a run back in the bottom of the third as Nathaniel Lowe laced a bloop single to the right field line as Semien crossed the plate. "I think his at-bat quality [and] a lot of little things that I know he's working on, especially pitch selection," Chris Woodward said on what he's seeing in Nathaniel Lowe. "Laying off the high fastball, keeping his bat in the zone longer, and being agressive to certain pitches. Chicago added three more runs on a Luis Robert two-run double and an Eloy Jiménez single to extend the White Sox lead to 6-1.
The White Sox loaded the bases against Garrett Richards in the sixth inning. Richards ended up walking Yoán Moncada, scoring Jiménez, which grew the Rangers' deficit to 7-1 through six. Chicago added another run with an offline throw by Ezequiel Duran, allowing Leury García to score, which put the Sox up 8-1. After a controversial stands call-in replay, Corey Seager was a tick safe on the replay; Nathaniel Lowe blasted a solo home run to right field against former Ranger Jake Diekman. It was the first home run Diekman allowed all season to a left-handed batter and the longest home run (452 feet) by a Rangers player this season. "That ball he hit off of Diekman, I don't know if I've seen a ball hit that far here, it was pretty impressive," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said after the game. "It's amazing how well he hits lefties, its pretty incredible, you don't see too many lefties that hammer lefties like that and do damage like that." The fireworks ended there as the Rangers fell and ended up splitting the series with Chicago.
"[Nate] is our most reliable guy right now, he's out best hitter. Day in and day out he has quality at-bat after quality at-bat. He's peen a ton of work on the defensive side something we challenged him on this offseason coming into this season. He's had his tough moments but at the same time he puts his work in and wants to be a good defender. Overall real positive for Nate," Woodward concluded.
Spencer Howard's Sunday didn't go well as Chicago teed off against Howard. In 3.1 innings, Howard allowed eight hits, six runs, five earned runs, and one walk, and struck out three. "Pretty poor across the board," Howard said when I asked about the outing today. "Pretty much the whole day [I] was trying to find a feel for the fastball around the zone but those guys were hunting the heater so if it wasn't located on the edges than their bats could get to it. The same with the sliders, a lot of end-zone sliders where they should have been more chase sliders."
Brett Martin came in to finish the fourth inning. He allowed the Jiménez single and a García double in the fifth. However, Martin didn't break and got out of both innings without further damage. Brett had two strikeouts and no runs on his ledger Sunday. Garrett Richards pitched two innings allowing a bases-loaded walk, the only run allowed. Richards also gave up four hits and struck out one, and the run-scoring walk was the only batter Garrett walked. Brock Burke got a little work in with an inning Sunday. He allowed a base hit and struck a batter out. Same went for Matt Moore.
Postgame Notes
Spencer Howard has allowed a homer in eight of his ten MLB outings this season.
Nathaniel Lowe extends his on-base streak to fourteen games with a single Sunday.
The eight hits are the most allowed by Howard as a Texas Ranger.
Adolis García finishes the season series 12 for 28 with two home runs and ten RBIs against the White Sox. The .326 career average against the White Sox is the highest vs. any American League opponent and third highest vs. any MLB team (Pirates and Nationals).
Rangers are 2-5 wearing their powder blue uniforms and have lost five straight on Sunday home games.
Ezequiel Duran posts back-to-back games with an extra-base hit for the first time since June 16th against Houston and 17th at Detroit. Four of eleven extra-base hits for Duran have come against the White Sox.
Despite the loss, the Rangers take the season series from Chicago for the first time since 2014.
Rangers are 0-3-2 in four-game series at home.
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