September 17, 2022 - Game 145
W - Ryan Yarborough (2-8)
L - Jon Gray (7-7)
S- None
HR: TEX: Heim (15); TB: Walls (7)
Time of Game: 3:00
Game Recap
The Rangers and Rays suited up for game two of the three-game series at the Trop. Jon Gray made his second start since coming back from the oblique injury. "I felt normal. I felt good, nothing physically [wrong], which is what I wanted to feel. It wasn't too strange getting back in there," Jon Gray said. In talking with Brandan Sagara on Wednesday, the target was about sixty pitches for Gray (60-65). For the Rays, they started an opener, Shawn Armstrong, making his third opener appearance in the past month. As an opener, Armstrong had gone three innings in each of the two appearances. The plan was to pave the way for Ryan Yarborough for Tampa Bay.
Marcus Semien started the night with a double but was stranded at second base against Armstrong. The Rays, however, took advantage of their opportunities. With runners on the corners and one out, David Peralta hit a sacrifice fly to left center field taken by Bubba Thompson. It put Tampa Bay up 1-0 after one inning. In the second, after Josh Jung grounded out, the Rays actually make a change and put Yarborough in to face Kole Calhoun, ending Armstrong's night. Texas had two on in the third, but Adolis popped out to end the frame. Tampa Bay added a run in their third on another sacrifice fly, by Wander Franco scoring José Siri to put the Rays up 2-0. Jonah Heim put Texas on the board in the fourth with a solo home run off Yarborough.
The Rays added a run after Jon Gray left. Taylor Walls ambushed Taylor Hearn with a first-pitch fastball to left field to extend the Tampa Bay lead to 3-1. Tampa Bay put two on with two outs in the seventh, and Isaac Paredes doubled home Ji-Man Choi and Siri putting the Rays up 5-1 after seven innings. It was the first hit with a runner in scoring position all night (teams combined for 0 for 9 up to the seventh inning). The Rangers couldn't get anything offensively for the final two innings and fell to Tampa Bay 5-1. "It's tough because [the Rays] have good arms as well with good stuff. So you have to battle and grind and try to scratch out some runs. We just weren't able to do that tonight," Tony Beasley said.
Jon Gray had another successful outing in his second start from injury. Gray got up to sixty-seven pitches in 4.1 innings. He allowed two hits, two runs, one walk, and struck out four in the sixteen batters Jon faced Saturday night. "I was happy with Jonny," Tony Beasley said. "He threw the ball well. He used his fastball effectively [though] they hit him hard a couple of times. It was good to get him through his five ups and get him in his seventy pitch range. It's kind of what we wanted to see out of him tonight." Unfortunately, the Rays greeted Taylor Hearn rather rudely on Saturday night. Hearn allowed a homer and a single to the first two Taylor faced, but Taylor retired seven of the next eight after that. Dennis Santana struggled with a little command in his outing. He got burned by a two-run double but gave some length on Saturday. Santana allowed three hits, one run, and three groundouts on the night.
Postgame Notes
Through six games in this season series, the Rangers are Rays are even at three games.
Jon Gray's pitching at Tropicana Field leaves one active ballpark he hasn't pitched in (Target Field in Minnesota).
In his two starts since the injured list, Jon Gray has thrown first-pitch strikes to twenty-three of the twenty-seven batters.
Nathaniel Lowe has reached safely in eight of the twelve games in his career against Tampa Bay. In addition, Lowe has a hit in five of the six games at Tropicana Field as a visitor.
The Taylor Walls homer off Taylor Hearn was only the second homer allowed by Hearn in fifteen relief outings this season.
Jalen Beeks entered Saturday with a 6.75 ERA (5 runs in 6.2 innings) against the Rangers in his career. Beeks retired all six faced on Saturday.
Nathaniel Lowe picked up his fifty-second multi-hit game this season, one behind the MLB lead (Freddie Freeman).
With the 82nd loss of the season, the Rangers clinched a losing season.
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