July 28, 2022 - Game 98
W - Spencer Howard (2-2)
L - Shohei Ohtani (9-6)
S- Matt Moore (2)
HR: TEX: Lowe (15)
Time of Game: 2:47
Rangers Cowboy Hat Winner: Spencer Howard (1st)
Game Recap
After a rough series in Seattle, the Rangers traveled to Anaheim to take on another struggling club, the Angels. On Thursday, Texas sent out Spencer Howard, celebrating his twenty-sixth birthday. Howard was the first Ranger since Martín Pérez on April 4th, 2017, to start on his birthday. Next, the Texas offense squared off against the Angels' superstar and ace Shohei Ohtani, coming off a rough start after the All-Star break against the Atlanta Braves. In Ohtani's 6.1 innings Friday, Shohei allowed six runs and six hits but struck out eleven Braves. Thursday was Ohtani's third start against the Rangers in 2022, but first in Anaheim. The Rangers have beaten the Angels in all three of Ohtani's starts in 2022. "I think we do a decent job of staying in teh zone," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said on the success in the Ohtani games. "He's nasty [and] guys were missing sliders. I think we pitched well in the games that he's pitched against us which I guess allows us to beat him but today we didn't get much off of [Ohtani]."
The Rangers loaded the bases with nobody out on three straight hits to start the game. However, Shohei Ohtani struck out Nathaniel Lowe, Adolis García, and Leody Taveras, all swinging on sliders. The Angels in the first had a runner at third and two outs, but Spencer Howard got Jared Walsh to lineout to Kole Calhoun. "That's honestly the best we've seen [Spencer]," Chris Woodward said. "You could tell something was a little different. [Howard had] kind of conviction in his pitches and the execution was good." Texas struck first on a Nathaniel Lowe home run in his next at-bat on a slider that Lowe belted to center field. In the fifth inning, Corey Seager added to his hit total with an RBI single, scoring Josh Smith to extend the Rangers' lead to 2-0. The Angels had another runner at third in the third inning and a leadoff double in the fifth but could not score against Howard.
Texas began the sixth with a Lowe triple in the left field corner, but Ohtani worked his magic again to prevent further damage. He struck out García and Taveras with runners in scoring position, and Calhoun flew out. García came up with runners on the corners and two outs, but flew out on a nice catch by Jo Adell. The Rangers offense didn't muster up much, but the pitching staff held their own for the shutout of the Angels. "We did what we could to get the runs across and come away with the "W"," Nathaniel Lowe said. "It shouldn't matter who we play. Any night we come out and compete and if we get into a groove then that's the way it's going to be."
Spencer Howard pitched the best game of his MLB career against the Angels. Howard threw five scoreless innings allowing three hits, no walks, and five strikeouts. Spencer was efficient on Thursday, too, throwing seventy-six pitches and fifty-three strikes. After the game, Howard talked about his good fastball command on the night. "That was one of t hose things [I] was trying to go in [and] just attack attack," Spencer said. "Try to eat innings for the bullpen, stay slow, [and] don't do too much."
Brock Burke faced one batter over the minimum in his two innings of work. Burke allowed a base hit and struck out two Angels. Matt Bush retired the Angels in order in the eighth inning to keep the lead for the Rangers. He struck out one. Matt Moore came in for the save after back-to-back outings by Brett Martin. Moore allowed a Luis Rengifo single, but didn't allow a run across to cap off the shut out.
Postgame Notes
Thursday was the seventh Rangers' shutout of the season, but the first in a game not started by Pérez or Jon Gray.
Rangers are 19-28 against the AL West. They're 14-9 against the Angels and Athletics and 5-19 against the Mariners and Astros.
Spencer Howard is the first Ranger to win on his birthday since Nick Martinez on August 5th, 2015 against the Houston Astros.
Corey Seager picked up his third three-hit game on Thursday. Seager left the game for precautionary reasons as he fouled a ball off his leg in the fifth.
Thursday was the seventh's outing in Spencer Howard's MLB career where he didn't allow a run. However, Thursday was the first scoreless outing in more than three innings.
Nathaniel Lowe's triple in the sixth was the first triple Shohei Ohtani allowed in his career.
Texas was 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. The one hit was the Jonah Heim base hit in the first to load the bases.
It was Leody Taveras' second three-strikeout game of the season. His first since June 15th, which was his third game since Leody's call-up.
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