August 4, 2022 - Game 105
W - Brock Burke (6-2)
L - Johnny Cueto (4-5)
S- Jonathan Hernández (2)
HR: None
Time of Game: 2:45
Rangers Cowboy Hat Winner: Cole Ragans (1st)
Game Recap
It was a busy day at Globe Life Field Thursday. Earlier in the day, the Rangers introduced Kumar Rocker, the Rangers' first-round pick. "I'm really excited. Getting to this process is the starting line," Kumar said. "Kind of pitching out there and being free and being yourself it's a step in the right direction." During pregame on Thursday, the Rangers made many moves to accommodate Cole Ragans and Bubba Thompson. Dennis Santana and Kole Calhoun hit the injured list retroactively to yesterday, while the club designated Steven Duggar and Steele Walker for assignment. Two Rangers made their MLB debuts on Thursday against the White Sox while the club squared off against Johnny Cueto. "[Bubba and Cole] 's stories are pretty special," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said before the game. "They both had to fight to get here. It's been a grind for both of those guys."
Cole Ragans dealt with some traffic early in his debut. In the first inning, he loaded the bases but got Yoan Moncada to ground out to end the frame. The Rangers struck first with a run on a Leody Taveras single, scoring a red-hot Nathaniel Lowe. However, the White Sox got a run back in the third. Adolis García dropped a catch on a fly ball that looked like he held it in his glove long enough. In instant replay, they called it an error that led to an Andrew Vaughn RBI fielder's choice scoring Luis Robert. Ragans got the beneficiary of two double plays in the fourth and fifth innings to avoid any damage. In the sixth, the Rangers got a one-out double by Corey Seager, but he couldn't score, keeping the game even at one through six.
The Rangers took the lead in the seventh inning. With runners on the corner, Meibrys Viloria singled home Leody to give Texas a 2-1 advantage. Then Bubba Thompson dropped a bunt single to load the bases with one out in the inning. Marcus Semien hit a fly ball to medium right-center field, but it was enough for Ezequiel Duran to score and pad the Texas lead to 3-1. The White got a run back in the eighth on a Yoán Moncada triple scoring José Abreu. Despite the one-run struggles, the Rangers were able to close it out unharmed in the ninth and win their sixth one-run game of the season. "It felt good," Bubba Thompson said on his MLB debut. [It was] relief. It's hard to get to first base at this level in this game at the highest level. It always feels good every hit. I worked hard and I'm glad it came."
It was a successful Major League debut for Cole Ragans. There were some understandable control issues with four walks on the night. However, Ragans was able to work around and force two double plays. Cole allowed three hits, one run, no earned runs, and three strikeouts on ninety-five pitches in five innings. "I don't have words to explain all the people that stuck with me, believed in me, and all that. To finally have this day where all the hard work that I put in over the years has finally paid off and I can officially say I'm a big leaguer, it's unbelievable," Cole Ragans said after the game. "I made pitches when I needed to make a pitch. I don't think I had my best stuff, but overall I think made pitches when I needed to make a pitch."
Brock Burke set down six of the seven batters he faced, including striking out the side in the seventh inning. Matt Moore walked two and allowed a triple where a run scored. Jonathan Hernández came in to close for his second save. Hernández retired the White Sox in order to complete their first win of August. "Clearly we needed [Jonathan's outing] right now. We need a stabilizer down there and I think we're going to give that a run. He's got closer stuff," Woodward said about Jonathan Hernández. "I love the mentality he has. He's aggressive and wants to attack guys [and] the more he's in that situation he's calm down and control his emotions."
Postgame Notes
Cole Ragans held the White Sox to three hits on Thursday. The White Sox entered, leading the majors on average against LHP (.279) and fourth in OPS (.773).
Nathaniel Lowe extended his hitting streak to eleven games with a second-inning double. It ties Adolis García for the longest hitting streak by a Rangers player in 2022.
Leody Taveras picked up his twelfth multi-hit game this season. He had thirteen multi-hit games between 2020 and 2021.
Thursday was Nathaniel Lowe's third career two-double game. The first game was on July 18th, 2019, with the Rays at the Yankees, and the other was on June 11th this season at the White Sox.
Brock Burke celebrated his twenty-sixth birthday by throwing his sixteenth two-plus inning outing without allowing a run.
Bubba Thompson picked up his first MLB hit in the seventh with a bunt single. He clocked at a 3.62, marking it the fifth fastest time from home to first in this season. Also, it's the fastest from a Rangers player this season.
The pinch-hit single by Meibrys Viloria was his first MLB pinch-hit and pinch-hit RBI in his career. Viloria was 0 for 4 with five plate appearances and one run scored as a pinch hitter entering Thursday.
Matt Moore allowed at least one earned run in back-to-back outings for the first time this season.
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