July 13, 2022 - Game 86
W - Jon Gray (6-4)
L - Paul Blackburn (6-5)
S- Garrett Richards (1)
HR: OAK: Bolt (1), Laureano (8)
Time of Game: 2:34
Rangers Cowboy Hat Winner: Jon Gray (3rd)
Game Recap
After losing a crusher in twelve innings on Tuesday, the Rangers started the night by making a few roster moves to freshen their bullpen. Texas optioned Kolby Allard to Triple-A Round Rock and placed Joe Barlow on the injured list. To correspond, they called up AJ Alexy and Josh Sborz from Triple-A. For Wednesday's contest, the Rangers sent Jon Gray to the mound coming off a start where there were pluses and minuses on Friday against the Minnesota Twins. The Texas offense faced the Oakland Athletics starter, Paul Blackburn, who came off a start where he allowed six runs in four innings against Houston. "Absolutely dominant," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said about Jon Gray. "The cool thing was he finished dominant. [In] middle innings, they were putting the ball in play, he had five punch-outs in the first two innings [and then] finished the night striking out guys."
The Rangers' offense clicked into high gear in the opening inning against Blackburn. Corey Seager started with an RBI single to right field, scoring Marcus Semien. Semien reached on a fielder's choice and stole second base. With the bases loaded, Leody Taveras lined a single up the middle, scoring two and extending the Rangers' lead to 3-0. Following the Leody single, Brad Miller cleared the bases with a two-run single of his own, capping off a 5-0 first-inning lead. "We knew it was going to be a handful," Woodward said about facing Blackburn. "We were stubborn [and] didn't' budge. [Blackburn] is good, he pitches around the edges and gets you off the middle of the plate." However, Oakland didn't get their first base hit of the night until the fourth inning when Vimael Machín singled up the middle, where the ball kicked slightly off of Marcus Semien's glove.
After the first inning, the Rangers didn't get much offense at all. Paul Blackburn didn't allow a baserunner until two outs were in the fifth inning, and didn't allow a hit after the first inning for the rest of the evening. The Rangers went 0 for 20 with two walks after the first inning Wednesday until Nathaniel Lowe snapped the stretch with a single up the middle. Jonah Heim had an opportunity with two on and two out, but lined out to right center field. The Athletics managed to pick up two runs on the night when Skye Bolt homered to the Rangers bullpen on the first pitch of the ninth inning and Ramon Laureano homered to dead center field. Oakland made this intriguing with runners on the corners and two outs,
Jon Gray had one of his best starts in his major league career. He allowed only one baserunner all night, struck out nine, and threw ninety-five pitches. "After the first inning, I felt good," Jon Gray said after the game. "I felt like we didn't waste as many pitches. They were more competitive and a lot less way out of the zone misses. After the first inning, I felt like it was more efficient." Matt Bush threw a scoreless eighth inning on eight pitches. Even with the small pitch count Bush managed to strike out two. José Leclerc allowed two home runs, three hits, and a walk. Unfortunately he couldn't finish the ninth and Garett Richards finished the night by recording out number twenty-seven.
Postgame Notes
Marcus Semien set a career-high by stealing by fifteenth and sixteen stolen base. Previously, his career high was fifteen in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Corey Seager picked up a RBI, but his streak of consecutive homer games snaps at five.
Paul Blackburn retired eleven straight Rangers from the start of the second inning until two outs in the fifth when he walked Semien.
Texas went 3 for 5 with three walks and no extra-base hits in the first inning. After that, they went 0 for 15.
The Rangers have won six of Jon Gray's last seven starts. Gray has factored into the decision six straight times (5-1)
Leody Taveras is on a 16 for 40 stretch since June 26th with twelve RBIs.
Since the four-run and eight-hit start against the Angels, Jon Gray has allowed six earned runs in eighteen innings at home (four starts).
Wednesday was the second time in Jon Gray's career when he threw seven innings with only one hit allowed. The other came on May 7th, 2016, at San Francisco (Gray walked two and struck out five in that start).
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