The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Seattle Mariners
scored seven runs.Faced with having to score runs off of George Kirby at T-Mobile Park, a near impossibility, manager Skip Schumaker brought in the infield on the first two opportunities that Seattle had with a runner 90 feet from home, and both times the Mariners shot one through the drawn in infield to score the game’s first three runs.
Both runners reached third base and eventually scored due in part to some shoddy infield defense with
Seattle scoring their first run in the bottom of the first after J.P. Crawford doubled off Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi to lead off the game on a shot down the line that first baseman Jake Burger couldn’t field despite appearing to be within stabbing distance.
In the fourth, with a runner on first, second baseman Ezequiel Duran fielded a ball and tried to double off the runner but instead threw the ball into left field which gave the M’s two runners in scoring position and both would score on a single up the middle on the drawn in infield.
The Rangers couldn’t really afford unmade plays or miscues since they were facing Kirby who had gone just about a quarter of a full season’s worth of innings having allowed just one earned run total against the Rangers at T-Mobile Park.
Texas did have a few more chances than usual against Kirby but they squander those on the regular against mortal arms, much less the one pitcher designed in a lab especially to beat them. Overall, they went 1-for-8 with RISP and left an astonishing 16 on base with the one success coming with two outs in the ninth.
The Rangers somehow turned 11 hits and eight walks into just three runs with two of those coming in the ninth in what was then a 7-1 game.
The loss means the Rangers will need to win tomorrow to claim the series and avoid finishing with a losing road trip.
Player of the Game: Josh Jung continued his hot hitting with a solo home run off of Kirby. Jung also singled and walked as his OPS on the year has spiked to .861.
The Jung dong was just the second run that Kirby had allowed to the Rangers in over 40 innings at T-Mobile Park and the first home run that Kirby had ever allowed to a Ranger in Seattle.
Up Next: The Rangers close out this lengthy road trip with a final contest against the Mariners. LHP MacKenzie Gore will make the start in the finale against RHP Bryan Woo for Seattle.
The Sunday afternoon first pitch from T-Mobile Park is scheduled for 3:10 pm CDT and the telecast will be back on the Rangers Sports Network.
