June 16, 2022 - Game 63
W- Dennis Santana (3-2)
L- Gregory Soto (2-4)
S - Joe Barlow (12)
HR: None
Time of Game: 2:50
Rangers Cowboy Hat Winner: Ezequiel Duran (2nd)
Game Recap
The Rangers made a stop in Detroit for four games this weekend against the Tigers. Before the game, the club made a few moves and shifted their pitching staff around. After Tyson Miller returned to Triple-A (a move made last night), the Rangers got Brett Martin back from the COVID-IL and José Leclerc from the sixty-day injured list. Texas sent Kolby Allard to Triple-A Round Rock to complement that move, and Steele Walker was activated off the COVID-IL and sent to Round Rock too. Martín Pérez took the mound for Texas, coming off a tough outing against the White Sox. The Tigers sent rookie Beau Brieske to the hill as he came off his first MLB win against the Blue Jays. It looked bleak until the end, and euphoria hit the Rangers. "It's huge," Joe Barlow said about Thursday's win. "We've battled in a lot of these games, losing close ones. I think it's good for the whole team to be on the receiving end of that instead of giving it up."
There was little to no action through Thursday's first two and a half innings. Then, in the bottom of the third, Miguel Cabrera singled to right field with Eric Haase at second base. Haase tried scoring from second base, but Adolis García, with a rocket throw from right field, gunned Haase down at the plate, keeping the game scoreless through three innings. The Rangers had an excellent opportunity in the fifth inning with two straight singles to start the inning. However, Ezequiel Duran lined into a double play, and Brad Miller struck out, ending any threat possibility. "He was using his pitches nicely," Chris Woodward said about Brieske's outing against the Rangers' offense Thursday. "[He] was executing some ground balls. I have to tip my cap to him, he pitched really well today."
The Tigers broke the scoreboard in the sixth inning. Javier Báez doubled to send Willi Castro to third base and one out. Robbie Grossman drove in the run on a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Castro. It was the second inning in which the Tigers picked up two hits, but the other came in the third with the García outfield assist. The Rangers got something cooking in the ninth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Ezequiel Duran laced a double down the right field line, clearing the bases. All three runners scored putting the Rangers up 3-1. Joe Barlow closed the game and the Rangers stole one from the Detroit Tigers. "Really good at-bats against a really good pitcher," Chris Woodward said about the ninth inning approach against Gregory Soto. "The kid [Duran] has ice in his veins. he fears no moment and we've seen that in a short sample."
Martín Pérez's outing was another bend and didn't break outing for the Rangers Thursday. Martín pitched seven innings and allowed eight hits. He didn't walk a batter and struck out five on ninety-one pitches. "He pitched well as he usually does," Woodward said about Martín Pérez's outing. "[He] kept those guys off balance and used both sides of the plate. Martin doing it again." Dennis Santana came into the eighth inning and threw a scoreless inning. Santana struck out two, and the only baserunner that reached was an error by Corey Seager. Joe Barlow walked one in his ninth inning but retired the side and Barlow picked up a crucial save Thursday. "
Postgame Notes
Beau Brieske pitched the longest outing of his MLB career Thursday.
Jonah Heim picked up his first career bunt hit in the fifth inning.
Since Leody Taveras' hit in his first AB of 2022, Leody is 0 for his last 10.
Martín Pérez entered Thursday with a career 6.75 ERA (33 runs in 44 innings). Pérez threw seven innings of one-run baseball on Thursday.
The Rangers continue their struggles against right-handed pitching. Texas is third-worst in the AL in both batting average and OPS against righties this season.
In Ezequiel Duran's six game-hitting streak, he's hit four extra base hits.
The last four Texas Rangers victories have come where the game-winning hit was in the eighth inning or later.
Adolis García picked up his twelfth outfield assist with his throw out of Eric Haase in the third.
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