What is the story about?
Rays
3, Rangers 0
- Well, that was a weird one.
- MacKenzie Gore gave up a double and a pair of homers in the first inning. The Rangers were down 3-0 with one out in the first, and it seemed like we’d be seeing Marco Gonzales, and maybe Ezequiel Duran, pitching in this game.
- Then Gore didn’t allow another hit, ultimately going seven full innings. The only batter he allowed to reach after the second homer, reached on an HBP.
- Ben Peoples also didn’t allow a hit in an inning of work. So the Rangers have seven straight no hit innings going by their pitchers.
- The Rangers, meanwhile, had four hits. All four hits were doubles.
- Per B-R, its the 21st time that a team has had four hits in a game, with all four hits being doubles.
- However, the last time it happened was just five days previous. On July 24, the Royals had four hits, all doubles, in a 2-1 loss to Detroit.
- Remember how, after the last game, I marveled that the Rangers won with a .129 xBA?
- The Rays won this game with a .128 xBA. They did the Rangers 1 better. Or .001 worse, I guess.
- Per Statcast, Gore allowed just three hard hit balls in the game. Those were the three hits that the Rays had in the first inning.
- It does illustrate that Gore was really, really good after that bad beginning.
- Baseball is strange, sometimes.
- MacKenzie Gore touched 96.3 mph with his fastball. Ben Peoples reached 97.7 mph with his fastball.
- Jake Burger had a 110.2 mph double and a 100.7 mph fly out. Brandon Nimmo had a 100.3 mph double.
- Two down, four to go.
