The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Anaheim Angels scored three runs.
It’s a controversial take, I know, but I think your favorite baseball team scoring runs is better than them not scoring runs.
The Rangers had been drip feeding us practically all season but the spigot was nearly fully wrenched shut during this homestand with Texas averaging 1.5 runs per game coming into today’s contest, including two shutout losses, one of which came in yesterday’s latest embarrassment against the Angels.
After a one-hit, 3-0 loss yesterday, the Rangers took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with homestand MVP Ezequiel Duran opening the scoring with a solo home run. In that same frame, newest Ranger and former Angel Logan O’Hoppe singled and scored his first run for Texas via a triple off the bat of Cody Freeman.
Elias Diaz brought in Freeman with a sacrifice fly and just like that, the Rangers had scored more runs in that one inning than they had in five of their last six games. Texas wasn’t done there, luckily, as Diaz hit his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth off Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi.
In that same frame, Corey Seager singled and Wyatt Langford doubled which allowed Seager to score Texas’ fifth and final run via a Brandon Nimmo sac fly. It would turn out that the Rangers would need those extra runs as the Angels mounted a comeback bid in the late innings.
Eventually Jacob Latz snuffed out Anaheim’s hopes in the ninth and the Rangers had a series win and winning homestand.
Player of the Game: Cal Quantrill’s first outing of the second half was his worst of the season, a six-run stinker in Atlanta in what appeared to be his final start before Jack Leiter and Nathan Eovaldi hit the shelf to twice keep him in the rotation.
Since that mid-July loss, Quantrill has appeared in seven games, making five starts, and hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of them. In August, spanning four starts and five appearances, Quantrill has allowed two runs total in 25 innings.
After seven shutout innings in his previous start during this homestand, today Quantrill followed up his win over Washington by blanking the Angels over six innings. It was a devilish appearance for Quantrill as he spread around six hits in his six innings with six strikeouts. Quantrill allowed a hit in each of his first five innings, including two in the top of the second, but he didn’t walk anyone and stranded all six baserunners.
A Quantrill appearance used to mean the Rangers were playing in a lost cause with the veteran righty performing long relief or mop up duties. Now, however, a Quantrill appearance means the Rangers have one of their best chances to win.
Up Next: The Rangers embark for a trip north to begin a series against the AL Central-leading White Sox with RHP Kumar Rocker next up to take the bump for Texas opposite a pitcher to be named for Chicago.
The Monday evening first pitch from Rate Field is scheduled for 6:40 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
