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In their recent seven game homestand, the Rangers scored 51 runs for a robust 7.3 runs per game clip. Tonight's starter for the New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka, had allowed four or more earned runs in seven of nine starts since the beginning of May. In those nine starts, Tanaka had allowed 40 runs total.
Tanaka ERA of 6.34 coming into tonight's game ranked third worst in all of baseball and second worst in the American League behind only Kevin Gausman. So, of course the Rangers were going to murder Masahiro Tanaka tonight, right?
Yeah, not so much.
Tonight the Rangers not only did not score any runs off of Tanaka, they managed a paltry three hits and five total baserunners over eight innings against the struggling Yankees right-hander.
On the flip side, Yu Darvish was shoving all night to match Tanaka's surprising zeros as Texas continued its storied history of failing to support Yu Darvish with runs. Curiously, however, cruising along at just 88 pitches and having struck out four straight, the Rangers pulled Darvish after seven innings in favor of Tanner Scheppers in a 0-0 game.
In a game that ultimately became reminiscent of last year's rain soaked weird baseball event in the Bronx where Texas waited three and a half hours to finish off a rally to beat the Yankees, tonight, after a 100 minute delay to start the game, and with a night filled with filled with random showers, the Rangers finally scored their a run off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth via some Elvis Andrus magic.
Elvis singled, moved to second base on a HBP, stole third base, and scored on a passed ball. Unfortunately for Texas, Matt Bush continued his recent struggles and quickly gave the run back with a one-out, solo home run by Brett Gardner to the short Yankee Stadium porch in right field.
The Rangers left 'em loaded in the top of the tenth before the Yankees hit the walkoff in the bottom of the inning off Bush.
The Rangers were two outs from being back above .500 but are instead back to a game under to start their current 10-game road trip.
Player of the Game: Man, Yu Darvish was really good tonight. We don't know why he left after 88 pitches but while he was in there, he was sensational. Darvish's final line ended up at 7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 10Ks. After getting ambushed by the Mariners in his last start, Darvish said he wasn't going to allow those kinds of outings to happen against and tonight he tossed a dandy.
Up Next: We've got a noon first pitch in the Bronx tomorrow (today) as Austin Bibens-Dirkx makes the start for Texas against Yankees righty Luis Cessa in about 12 hours from now.