Texas Rangers Week 22 Recap: A .500 Week

Season record: 64-68

Week 22 record: 4-4

Series record: 16-16, 10 splits

This was a much better week for the Texas Rangers than the previous two had been. While they lost a four-game series in Chicago to cap off the week, they won a four-game series against the Angels at home to kick it off.

The Rangers won the three night games against the Angels, all in walk-off fashion, bringing back memories of the back-to-back-to-back walk-off home run series sweep of the Angels in July of 2013.

Monday’s game went 11 innings and ended in a 8-7 win thanks to a Isiah Kiner-Falefa single to score Trevino.

Tuesday’s afternoon game was started by Joe Palumbo, but he had to leave early after getting a blister on his thumb of his pitching hand, resulting in him being put on the injured list in the minors after he was returned to the minors following the doubleheader.

In the night game, Brock Burke made his major league debut. Burke went six innings and gave up just four hits and two walks, struck out four and gave up no runs. The Rangers ended up winning, once again in the 11th, after Nick Solak — who made his major league debut in the first game — reached on a fielding error by Albert Pujols which allowed Delino DeShields to score the winning run.

To complete the series win, Jonathan Hernandez made his debut pitching 2.1 innings in relief and getting the win. He gave up just one hit, walked two, and struck out one. This time the Rangers didn’t need extras to complete the walk off, as Elvis Andrus singled to get on and then made it to second and third on consecutive wild pitches before finally, scoring on Hunter Pence’s single.

Conversely, in the series in Chicago, the Rangers only scored 8 runs in the four game series, all on home runs. Elvis’s solo home-run accounted for their one run in Thursday’s game, Willie Calhoun hit a three-run homer in the first inning of Friday’s game (their only runs of the game), and a two-run homer by Willie and another by Danny Santana led the Rangers to a 4-0 victory on Saturday’s game. The Rangers didn’t score on Sunday and were held to just one hit.

A highlight of the Rangers shutout of the White Sox on Saturday was Kolby Allard’s fourth start of the year for the Rangers. He went 6.1 innings and gave up just six hits, no walks, and struck out eight. He looked especially sharp, working around base runners and a throwing error of his own that moved a runner into scoring position.

The Rangers now have an off-day on Monday after a stretch of 18 games in 17 days.

Many moves were made this week:

• Scott Heineman and Phillips Valdez were called up before Tuesday’s double header, with the Rangers designating David Carpenter and Adrian Sampson being put on 10-day IL for back spasms
• Mazara was put on 10-day IL with a left oblique strain. Nick Solak called up from Nashville to replace him. Joe Palumbo ended up being the 26th man for the double header. (He ended up on IL for a blister on his thumb)
• After pitching multiple innings in the first game of the double header, Valdez and Ian Gabut were sent back to Nashville. The Rangers brought up Brock Burke and Jonathan Hernandez
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa was sent to Nashville
• Luke Farrell was activated off the 60-day injured list
• Jesse Chavez is expected to have elbow surgery to remove a bone spur which would mean he is out the remainder of the season