April 27, 2022 - Game 18
W - Cristian Javier (1-0)
L - Brett Martin (0-2)
S - Ryne Stanek (1)
HR: TEX: Garver (2) HOU: McCormick (1)
Time of Game: 3:17
Game Recap
There was a stir-up in the batting order entering Wednesday night’s game. Rangers’ manager Chris Woodward put Kole Calhoun at the top of the lineup while Brad Miller hit ninth in the order. Kole entered the night 4 for 5 lifetime against Astros’ starter Cristian Javier with two solo home runs. Though before the game, things started ceremoniously with the Rangers honoring the 2021 award winners, Taylor Hearn, Dane Dunning, and Adolis García. The first pitch thrown by Glenn Otto to Chas McCormick also ended with a bang as McCormick went deep to start Wednesday. Otto had traffic on the bases for the first two innings but worked out of each of the jams. "Pretty rough first inning, but glad I was able to find a groove and get into the fifth," Glenn Otto said after the game. "Ideally, I would have like to give the club five or six full innings, save the pen a little bit."
The Rangers took the lead in the second inning on a Mitch Garver home run to left field and a Brad Miller single. The Miller single came after Adolis García tried to steal second, was ruled out, then the call was overturned through the replay system. Astros had one baserunner in the next two innings, but McCormick singled in the fifth, ending the night for Glenn Otto. Otto allowed two runs, four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Brett Martin came in but allowed a single, a walk, and a three-run double to Kyle Tucker, putting Houston on top 4-2 in the fifth inning. Matt Moore came into the game in the sixth and threw a scoreless frame, plus didn’t yield a run though walking one batter and allowing a base hit in the seventh. Garrett Richards punched out two and threw a scoreless eighth inning.
The offense continues its struggles Wednesday. Although Texas picked up two runs in the second, they couldn’t get anything going outside of the second. The Rangers were 2 for 17 outside the second inning, with two baserunners in the sixth. Javier went five innings on Wednesday. He allowed four hits, two runs, two walks, and four strikeouts in those five. Bryan Abreu gave up a hit and hit Willie Calhoun with a pitch but struck out the side to keep the Astros on top. In the seventh, the Rangers got a leadoff double by Jonah Heim. However, three straight line drives into Houston gloves ended another threat for Texas. "I thought our at-bats were decent," Rangers' manager Chris Woodward said. "[The Astros] made some plays [tonight]."
The Rangers had second and third and none out in the ninth against the Astros' closer, Ryne Stanek. Jonah Heim grounded to first and Brad Miller grounded to short. Unfortunately only one of those runs scored and the Rangers' rally fell short Wednesday. "I should have ran," Willie Calhoun who was at third and pulled back on Heim's grounder to first base with none out. "I got caught in between and I don't want to make that out, but it ends up costing us the game."
Postgame Notes
The Rangers have gone seventeen straight games without scoring in the first inning. They scored four runs on Opening Day and haven’t scored in the first since then.
The opposing first batter of the game is 3 for 8 against Glenn Otto in his career with that Chas McCormick leadoff home run.
Astros were 0 for 4 against Otto, with runners in scoring position. Previously, oppositions were 15 for 30 against Glenn Otto in his career with runners in scoring position.
Kole Calhoun was 2 for 3 against Cristian Javier Wednesday. Calhoun is now 6 for 8 in his career against Javier.
The Rangers have the lowest slugging percentage and OPS against right-handed pitching in MLB (.291 slugging and .568 OPS).
Texas’ bullpen has walked an MLB leading 44 batters but is in the top four in MLB strikeouts (85).
Mitch Garver’s home run was his first since Opening Day.
Rangers were 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position after going 2 for 2 in the second inning.
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