The Texas Rangers scored six runs while the San Francisco Giants scored zero runs.
The Rangers won today’s game. It was their first time taking consecutive games since conquering the Seattle Mariners at the end of last month before the terrible, no good, very bad week that they seem to have finally escaped from (fingers crossed!).
To accomplish today’s victory, Texas turned Cody Bradford for the first time in 679 days. When last we saw Bradford on a big league mound it was late September 2024. The
Rangers beat the Athletics in the second to last ever game at Oakland Coliseum. Sandro Fabian was the team’s left fielder. Leody Taveras took two at-bats and struck out twice, which I’m sure the comments section of this website took in stride.
The lefty was finishing up his first season as a starter after relieving for the Rangers during their run to a world championship the year prior. Bradford’s 2024 season was encouraging as he appeared to have turned the corner and become a rare homegrown starter, but injuries cropped up both in that season and after and wiped out nearly the next two full seasons.
In his first game back, after having ramped up to nearly 60 pitches in a handful of rehab outings in the minors, Bradford tossed 4.1 shutout innings on five hits and a couple of walks. Bradford struck out five and kept the Giants off the board in 70 pitches.
Perhaps a fire sale-depleted San Francisco squad was the perfect opponent to ease Bradford back into life on a big league mound, but he aced his first test in his first outing back. While Bradford was successfully making his return, the Rangers put together a crook number in the bottom of the third as four runs crossed the plate.
The outburst was highlighted by a two-run triple by the not especially fleetfooted Justin Foscue. It was the first career triple for Foscue. Brandon Nimmo and Elias Diaz also had RBI hits in the inning. A couple of innings later, Nimmo would smack his 12th home run of the year, and a few innings after that Nicky Lopez would drive in the sixth and final run on an RBI single in the eighth.
After a forgettable week, and flubbing the opener of this series, the Rangers rebounded and took the series to climb back to within a game of .500 and it looks like they might actually have some reinforcements.
Oh yeah, and the Astros lost.
Player of the Game: Bradford certainly deserves a tip of the hat for pitching well after working his way back from a long absence. But also, Nimmo went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored, and drove in two of Texas’ five runs.
Up Next: The Rangers have a day off tomorrow for the first time in what feels like months. They will remain at home however and welcome another seller at the deadline to The Shed with the Baltimore Orioles arriving in Arlington for a series beginning on Friday night.
