June 1, 2022 - Game 49
W- Colin Poche (1-0)
L- Dennis Santana (2-2)
S - Matt Wisler (1)
HR: TEX: Huff (1), Lowe (4); TB: Arozarena (5)
Time of Game: 4:01
Game Recap
On Wednesday, the Rangers celebrated Dallas Stars night. Jamie Benn arrived at Globe Life Field, took batting practice, and the result was like a back and forth shootout at the end. The Rangers tried to go above .500 for the first time since 2020 when they were 10-9 after winning a Lance Lynn dominating start in Denver. Texas sent Jon Gray to the mound after a six-inning, five-run outing on Friday in Oakland. It was Jon Gray's first start against Tampa Bay in his career. Meantime, the Rays countered with former Ranger Jeffrey Springs making his first start and fourth outing against the Rangers. Unfortunately, the Rangers lost the shootout in extras 2-1. "We had a lot of chances," Chris Woodward said. "We keep putting ourselves in these situations [then] we got to learn from them."
Jon Gray was on a mission Wednesday. He set down the first eight Rays hitters, extending the streak of consecutive hitters retired by Texas pitching to thirty. However, Vidal Bruján hit a two-out single, which snapped the streak. Then, the offense kicked it into gear on a Sam Huff laser shot to left field, putting Texas up 1-0 in the second inning. Nathaniel Lowe followed up in the fourth inning with a solo home run to right field. There were two pitches earlier in the at-bat where Springs threw fastballs up and in on Lowe. After the home run, Lowe looked like he yelled at Springs. "Anybody who goes high and tight in the big leagues, sets your ass on fire," Nathaniel said. "I don't care whose pitching, I don't care who we're playing, you get a couple of pitches up in there and homer, you have to let them know."
In the seventh inning, the Rays got on the board, but aggressive base running cost them a chance to tie the game up. Yandy Díaz singled to right field, but a strong throw by Kole Calhoun gunned Díaz at second. Randy Arozarena lifted a home run to left field in the next at-bat, cutting the Rangers' lead to 2-1.
The Rays, in the eighth, tied the game up with a double and a single. Then, pinch hitter Harold Ramirez's single off John King scored Francisco Mejía, evening the game at two. The Rangers had two on the eighth with an opportunity to take the lead, but Lowe grounded out, ending the Rangers' threat. Into extra innings, the Rays got their zombie runner home on a Bruján sacrifice fly to left field. The Rangers scored their run on Adolis García's RBI single scoring Charlie Culberson. Texas had the bases loaded in the tenth, but couldn't score the winning run. The Rays scored a single run in the eleventh with a Ji-Man Choi double after Rays manager Kevin Cash got ejected, but Tampa Bay couldn't add anymore. The Rangers couldn't get their runner from second home, ending their six game home winning streak Wednesday.
The Rangers needed a strong outing from Gray, precisely what they got on Wednesday. He had a few spurts (two walks in the fourth and two hits in the seventh) but pitched exactly how the Rangers envisioned when they signed him. Gray pitched seven innings, three hits, one run, twelve strikeouts, and two walks. "It was a good [performance]," Jon Gray said after the game. "I feel like we were on attack for the most part. We had a good mix going." It was the first start Gray had without the brace on his knee, and he noticed the difference. "It was much better [without the brace]," Gray said. "I didn't realize it until I got it off how much it was holding me back."
Then John King took the eighth inning and allowed the tying run to score on two hits. He struck out one batter. Wednesday was the second outing of the last three that King allowed the tying run to score. While Matt Bush walked the leadoff hitter, he struck out two Rays in a scoreless ninth inning. Dennis Santana came into the tenth inning retiring the side. Although he allowed an unearned run the zombie runner scoring. In the eleventh, the zombie runner scored again, though Santana allowed a hit and hit a batter, but no further damage.
Postgame Notes
Rangers pitchers' thirty straight hitters streak is the longest by an MLB team since the Blue Jays on July 27-28, 2019, against the Rays. It's also the longest in Rangers history since thirty-three straight between June 15-16, 2016, at Oakland.
Sam Huff hit his first MLB homer since September 25, 2020, against the Houston Astros. He went forty-six at-bats in between home runs.
All of Spring's previous three outings against Texas were one-inning relief appearances that each occurred in the seventh inning. Jeffrey didn't allow a run in any of those outings.
The twelve strikeouts by Jon Gray are a season-high. Gray's last ten strikeout game was June 22, 2018, against the Miami Marlins.
The seven innings for Gray is the longest as a Texas Ranger. The last time Gray threw seven innings was July 18, 2021, against the Dodgers.
The twelve strikeouts by Gray are the most by a Rangers starter since September 22, 2019, when Lance Lynn struck out twelve in Oakland. It's the most by a Rangers pitcher at Globe Life Field and ties the most at Globe Life Field by any pitcher (Dylan Bundy struck out twelve Rangers on September 10, 2020).
Nathaniel Lowe is 9 for his last 24 with four extra-base hits.
Rangers left fourteen men on base, four in the final two extra frames.
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