Texas Rangers Week in Review & Series Preview

OPENING SERIES REVIEW

Season record: 2-1

Week 1 record: 2-1

Series record: 1-0

If these first three games were any indication of how the season will go, we are in for a roller coaster of a season. I still find this team confusing but also I feel like we could be in for a lot of dumb? fun. While I have been and still am very skeptical of their pitching, I think Evan Grant summed this series up really well be saying “the offense shows signs of being relentless.”

And I find that really important because I feel like there had been times in previous seasons where if the pitching fell off, the offense fell off too. The Rangers had issues getting back on their feet and keeping it going, and I think what they showed, especially in game two and three, is incredibly important and exciting to see from the young guys that they really going to dig in and keep having good at-bats throughout the full nine innings. A very never ever quit mentality, if you will. (too soon?)

GAME ONE

The Rangers lost. 12-2 We don’t need to go into all the details.

GAME TWO

The Rangers were down early in this game after Volquez gave up three runs in the first to the Cubs, giving Yu some early run support... something he’s not used to seeing as a pitcher in Globe Life Park.

Bu Yu’s night came to a quick end in the third inning, he was pulled after going 2.2 innings, giving up three runs on two hits and walking seven. He gave up a two run homer to Asdrubal Cabrera (his first as a Ranger.)

After Volquez went 4.0 innings, giving up four runs on six hits and four walks, striking out three, the bullpen did a good job of keeping the Rangers in the game. giving up just two runs in the top of the fifth and then completely shutting down the Cubs for the rest of the game.

The Rangers went into the bottom of the eight with a 6-5 deficit, but thanks to a Joey Gallo three-run homer, Texas took the game.

In a very unexpected turn of events, every Ranger had at least one walk... except Choo who usually seems like the player most likely to have the patience to walk and instead he ended up with no walks and four strikeouts. Pretty much doing the opposite of what you’d expect from him.

Mazara had four walks, becoming the 23rd player in Rangers history to have a 4+ walk game.

GAME THREE

Sunday’s game was a true roller coaster that started to feel like three different games mashed into one.

The first game being Lance Lynn’s shakey start. After four innings, he was at 80 pitches and the Rangers were down 4-0. However, in the bottom of the fifth, Pence scored the Rangers first run on a sac-fly by Cabrera. And then later in that inning, Delino DeShields came up to bat with the bases load and two outs. And does the least likely thing he could’ve ever done.

Hit. A. Grand. Slam.

I am still in disbelief and it’s been a good seven hours since it happened.

With a 5-4 lead, Lance Lynn had a NINE PITCH fifth inning.

The second game within this game happens within the sixth and seventh inning. The sixth inning in witch Lynn is charged with three more runs, Chavez comes out and faces three batters and give up three singles.

Jeff Mathis hits a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, making it 8-6, Cubs. and then the Rangers score four more runs in the bottom of the seventh, once again giving them a lead, 10-8.

In the last game within this game, the Cubs tie the game in the top of the 8th and Woodward brings Leclerc out in the a tie game in the bottom of the eight. A move I was more than happy to see.

And of course because this game was already super weird, the Rangers walk it off on a wild pitch.

Winning the opening series against the Chicago Cubs.

Series Preview

The AL West second place Texas Rangers will face the tied-for-last-place Houston Astros to start the second week of baseball, the first set of games in the Lone Star series.

The pitching matchups will be Brad Peacock and Drew Smyly for Monday’s game, Justin Verlander and Shelby Miller for Tuesday’s game, and the series will close out with Gerrit Cole and Mike Minor making their second starts of the season.