May 30, 2022 - Game 47
W- Glenn Otto (3-2)
L- Drew Rasmussen (5-2)
S - None
HR: TEX: White (2), Heim (6)
Time of Game: 3:21
Rangers Cowboy Hat Winner: Josh Smith (1st)
Game Recap
After a 5-5 road trip, the Rangers headed back home with some changes to their roster. Before the game, the club placed Brad Miller on the injured list, designated Albert Abreu for assignment, and called up Zach Reks and Josh Smith. It was Smith’s MLB debut after he tore up Spring Training and Triple-A Round Rock. With Smith playing and Glenn Otto on the mound, the Joey Gallo trade last July jumped into the spotlight Monday. Josh Smith talked about having more fun today than he had in his life, I asked if that's a difficult thing to do. "Sometimes it's a hard game so you feel the pressure and you lose sight of the fun of the game, you just have to sit back and enjoy your time here. Not many people get to do it, and that's what my perspective was today on it," Josh said.
It didn’t take long for the crowd to be in disbelief. Eli White made one of the best catches in MLB this year and in park history. With two on, Ji-Man Choi hit a laser fly ball to the visitor’s bullpen, where Eli jumped, extended his arm, and caught the ball. It raised a smile on Choi’s face after he noticed. "That was the best play I've ever made," Eli White said. "I knew he hit it well, I know it was going to play at the wall, I didn't know if I had a chance right away, but as I was tracking it I felt good where I was. I didn't know if I could get it at first, I jumped as high as I could and Ii was able to get to it. It was the play I dreamed about when I transitioned to the outfield."
The Rays did not score in the first inning. In the bottom half of the inning, the Rangers scored two on a Kole Calhoun single. Texas-made Rays starter, Drew Rasmussen, pay for the three walks in the inning. After the Rays added one on a sacrifice fly, Eli White turned around and delivered offensively with a two-run home run. Texas added another run on a solo home run by Jonah Heim. "I've been struggling a little bit at the plate lately, everyday all I'm trying to do is help our team win," Eli said. "Whatever I can do if it's defensively, baserunning, or at the plate, and today I could help in all facets."
The Rays added another run on a Wander Franco single as Kevin Kiermaier scored from second base. Previous to the play, Texas challenged the slide rule at second base that the slide from Vidal Brujan was illegal (call remained no violation). The Rangers picked up another run in the sixth inning thanks to pressure put on by the speed of Texas. Josh Smith singled, followed by a bunt single by Eli White. Marcus Semien followed with a high chopper that kicked off the glove of Rays pitcher’ Ryan Thompson, scoring Smith and giving the Rangers a 6-2 lead. Mitch Garver added two more with a two-run double off the left-field corner wall. He scored on another Calhoun RBI hit, a double over the head of Randy Arozarena, putting Texas up 9-2.
In the seventh, Tampa Bay made things interesting with four hits, a walk, and three runs off Matt Moore to crawl within 9-5, but a strikeout and two groundouts against Dennis Santana ended any future threats in the inning. The Rangers bullpen held down the Rays in the final two innings as Texas took game one of the four-game series.
Glenn Otto’s night provided slight déjà vu of Dane Dunning’s outing on Sunday. Otto fell into trouble a few times, and he walked three batters. However, he struck out four Rays, allowed four hits, two runs, and one earned run on ninety-nine pitches. Matt Moore had his first bad outing of 2022, allowing four hits and three runs without recording an out. Dennis Santana continued doing what he does and stranded the two runners he inherited. Matt Bush pitched a clean two strikeout eighth inning, his fourth straight scoreless outing (three of the four outings were one full inning). Joe Barlow allowed two hits in his inning of work, but held Tampa Bay scoreless in the ninth to secure the victory.
Postgame Notes
Monday was the first Memorial Day game at Globe Life Field. The Rangers did not play on Memorial Day in 2021 or 2020. It was their fourth meeting with Tampa Bay on Memorial Day.
Before the second-inning home run, Eli White was 1 for his last 28. Eli picked up his third career three-hit game on Monday.
In May, Mitch Garver is 14 for 46 (.304) with his three-hit night including nine extra-base hits in May.
Garver picked up his second career stolen base Monday. His other came on September 30th, 2021, against the Tigers. The Rangers lead the AL with 37 stolen bases.
Josh Smith went 3 for 4 in his MLB debut Monday. Combine his Monday outing with his minor league performance, and Smith is 11 for the last 22 (.500).
The Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak on Memorial Day and are 20-32 in franchise history.
All six of Jonah Heim's home runs have been when Jonah is the catcher in the lineup.
Ji-Man Choi's ball that Eli White robbed had an expected batting average of .850.
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