2023 Rangers Recap: Week 7

2023 Season Record: 25-15

2023 series record: 9-3-1

Texas had a wonderful week wrapping up their ten game road series with their largest lead in the division since 2016.

GAME 34: 2-1 Win @ Seattle Mariners

The Rangers starting rotation has seemed to really find their groove this week. Even thought he gave up a leadoff homer to start the game, Jon Gray didn’t let that rattle him. He gave up just the one run on four hits and struck out eight in seven innings of work.

GAME 35: 0-5 Loss @ Seattle Mariners

I did just say the rotation was hitting their stride and then immediately no. Although I can’t place all the blame on Andrew Heaney considering his offense couldn’t get through George Kirby. Heaney went 6.2 giving up four runs, three earned, on four hits and two walks. Meanwhile, Kirby worked seven innings, giving up 0 runs on six hits and nine strikeouts.

GAME 36: 4-3 Win @ Seattle Mariners

While he could’t get to Kirby the night before, they got to Luis Castillo early with a three run third inning. Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia, Josh Smith, and Leody Taveras each a two hit day.

Dane Dunning has kept is stellar pitching from the bullpen and into the rotation. Going six innings, he gave up just two runs on six hits and a walk and struck out five. This earned the Rangers their first series in at Seattle since May of 2019.

GAME 37: 4-0 Win @ Oakland Athletics

Nathan Eovaldi picked up where he left off in his last start and got one out away from a complete game shutout. Going 8.2 innings, Eovaldi gave up just three hits and one walk and struck out 12.

Eovaldi has now pitched 28.2 consecutive scoreless innings.

GAME 38: 7-9 Loss @ Oakland Athletics

The Rangers got their fourth loss of the month with special thanks to the bullpen. While it wasn’t Martin Perez’s best performance, pitching five innings and giving up four runs on five hits and two walks, Texas went into the seventh innings with a 5-4 lead.

Jonathan Hernandez got the blown save in the 8th after allowing an inherited run to score.

However, things looked up when they got to the top of the 10th inning when they scored two runs. Unfortunately Brock Burke gave up four runs, three earned, on three hits and a walk to allow Oakland to walk it off and get their ninth win of the season.

GAME 39: 5-0 Win @ Oakland Athletics

Gray saw the game before and decided he wanted no part of it and instead wanted what Eovaldi got. So he pitched eight scoreless innings giving up just three hits and two walks, striking out five.

All that was needed was John King to come in and finish out the ninth inning.

GAME 40: 11-3 Win @ Oakland Athletics

It wasn’t until the 8th inning of this game that the Rangers finally realized they were playing a 9-32 (now 9-33) team. Texas got their big inning of the week with thanks to small ball, some errors by Oakland and of course a Garcia grand slam.