September 14, 2022 - Game 143
W - Tyler Cyr (1-0)
L - José Leclerc (0-3)
S- Domingo Acevedo (1)
HR: TEX: Mathias (6), Semien (23), Heim (14); OAK: García (4), Brown (22), Kemp (6)
Time of Game: 3:40
Game Recap
The Rangers and A's finished their brief two-game series on Wednesday and their nineteen-game season series. It came a day after a showing by Mark Mathias on Tuesday, where he hit the game-tying and walk-off home runs. "He's going to give you quality at-bats," Tony Beasley said. "He's stepped right in, and he's definitely done everything I would do, and then some. [Mathias] has a simple approach." "[Mathias] can hit. That's why we got him. The front office did a good job of identifying him as a bat that we wanted, and he works hard," Marcus Semien said after last night's win. Dane Dunning took the mound against JP Sears. Sears shut the Rangers down in five innings his last time out (on August 16th), while Dunning's two starts vs. Oakland had minor scuffles in command with okay results.
Like Tuesday, Wednesday's game started with a solo home run in the second inning by Dermis García to put Oakland up early. However, the Rangers answered in the bottom of the second with Mark Mathias going deep again. Later in the inning, Marcus Semien launched a three-run shot to left field to put the Rangers up 4-1 after two innings. Mathias continued his tear in the third inning on an RBI single up the middle, scoring Nathaniel Lowe and extending the Rangers' lead to four. The A's, however, bounced with three runs in the fifth. Seth Brown hit a two-run home run to center field, and there were back-to-back doubles by Ramon Laureano and Vimael Machín to cut the Rangers' lead to 5-4.
Jonah Heim said nuts to that in the fifth as he blasted a two-run homer just over the Rangers bullpen in right-center field. It was the third Rangers homer of the night and extended Texas' lead to 7-4. "It was good to see Jonah have a good night offensively," Tony Beasley said on Jonah's two hit night. "He's been scuffling a little bit offensively as of late. He got the base hit to right center and the homerun with two outs. It's big for him and big for us. It's good to see him have a good night at the plate for his confidence." However, Oakland powered their way with another home run, a two-run variety by Tony Kemp to offset Heim's blast the previous half-inning. Offenses quieted down until the ninth inning. The inning started with a Sean Murphy single, then Machín with two outs doubled home the game-tying run, evening things up at seven. An infield single by Stephen Vogt scored Machín to give Oakland their first lead since the second inning. Bubba Thompson was at first when he was about to be picked off. He over slid second base, but looked like he got the foot there. Unfortunately, replay didn't see it that way and overturned the safe call. Adolis García was able to make it to second base, but Mathias struck out to end the ballgame.
Dane Dunning pitched okay until two outs in the fifth inning. He entered that point allowing three hits, two walks, and one run. However, with two outs in the fifth, Dunning allowed three hits, three runs, and a walk exiting him shy of five innings. "I should still be able to go out and compete," Dane Dunning said as he reached thirty innings over last year's total. "I felt great today, just missed a couple of pitches in the zone. For the most part I feel good going out each start."
Wednesday. Dennis Santana finished the fifth inning, walked a batter, but struck out Cody Thomas to end the inning. Santana allowed a two-run home run in the sixth and struck out two in the inning to complete his 1.1 innings Wednesday. Jonathan Hernández threw a nice bounce back outing retiring the side in order with two strikeouts. It was Hernández's first clean inning in September (August 26th). Matt Moore walked the lead off hitter in the eighth, but the runner stranded at first base. Moore struck out Shea Langeliers and got Nick Allen and Chad Pinder on four pitches total. José Leclerc came in for the save, and it didn't go as planned. He allowed three hits and two runs despite striking out two.
Postgame Notes
Despite the loss, the Rangers still took the season series 11-8 over the Oakland Athletics. Texas went 5-4 vs. the A's at home with two losses coming in the ninth inning or later.
Mark Mathias homered three times on seven pitches between the seventh inning on Tuesday and the second inning on Wednesday.
Mathias became the first Rangers player since Rougned Odor to hit three straight home runs in three consecutive at-bats. Odor's three home runs came between May 16th (at Kansas City) and May 17th (vs. St. Louis). The last right-hander to homer in three straight at-bats was Adrián Beltré on August 22nd, 2012, against the Orioles.
Marcus Semien has hit six extra-base hits in his last thirteen at-bats.
The Rangers set a franchise record with their thirty-second one-run loss Wednesday.
Jonah Heim was 3 for his last 43 entering Wednesday's game. He went 2 for 3 with a home run on the evening. The homer in the fifth was his first since August 3rd.
Since the All-Star break, Nathaniel Lowe has hit safely in 43 of 53 games he's played.
Tyler Cyr becomes the seventh pitcher to earn his first MLB win at the expense of the Rangers. Bryan Hoeing (MIA), Hunter Brown (HOU), Kaleb Ort (BOS), Brayan Bello (BOS), Kirby Snead (OAK), and Penn Murfee (SEA) are the others.
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