Texas Rangers’ Defensive Lapses Prove Costly in Series Finale
If it were possible to run a simulation in which the Texas Rangers start Jacob deGrom on the mound, hit three home runs and deploy each of their trust high-leverage arms in a single game, the results, more often than not, would return a win. However, as the Rangers learned on Thursday night, simulations don’t account for human error, and it was their mistakes that ultimately led to their downfall.
The Rangers were walked off, 4-3, by the Athletics in the series finale at Sutter Health Park despite a more-than-fine start from deGrom and a near-perfect evening from their bullpen. They were done in by their own defense, which misplayed two balls in the outfield, and their offense, which was reliant on solo home runs and stranded the bases loaded twice.
DeGrom’s Strong Start
DeGrom, the two-time Cy Young award winner, allowed six hits, struck out six, walked none, and has a 3.33 ERA in his first five starts. He made plenty of good pitches over the course of his 5 1/3 innings start, but it was the mistakes that stood out. “It’s close,” deGrom said. “It still feels like I’m flying open at times, so there’s still work to do, but I probably say that between every start. I’m constantly trying to perfect things.”
Defensive Lapses
The Rangers’ defense, which began the game with the fifth-fewest errors made in the American League, was uncharacteristically sloppy. Closer Luke Jackson walked A’s third baseman Max Schuemann with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning before letting up a single to No. 9 hitter Luis Urías. The ball bounced into right center field, where Leody Taveras, who charged in from center, let it skip up over his glove and behind him, allowing Schuemann to score the game-tying run from second.
Taveras’ miscue was less defensible than the outfield’s first blown play of the game. Athletics leadoff hitter Lawrence Butler popped a high fly ball to left field with a runner on first base, and Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford lost track of it, letting it drop some 15 feet to his left and allowing Butler to reach safely on a double.
Offense Struggles
The Rangers’ offense, which ranks bottom third in batting average, on-base percentage, and runs scored, struggled to capitalize on their scoring opportunities. They stranded the bases loaded in the first inning and in the fourth, finishing the series 3 for 18 with runners in scoring position. On Thursday, they got each of their runs via solo home runs in the fourth inning from Josh Jung, catcher Jonah Heim, and Taveras.
“It’s all about timely hitting,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “I’ll keep saying that. We had, as I said, our chances there. We just didn’t get the hitting help to help take some pressure off. You make a mistake then you have little margin of error. You’re playing a one-run ball game, anything can happen. You saw what happened.”
Rangers’ Pitching
The Rangers’ 3.39 ERA is tied for the fifth-best in baseball, and their starting rotation (3.22 ERA) is within the top three. He threw 83 pitches and was replaced by left-hander Hoby Milner for a favorable matchup vs. lefty J.J. Bleday that the former won via strikeout. Milner, right-hander Chris Martin, and left-hander Robert Garcia combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings before they turned the ball over to Jackson with two outs in the eighth inning.
Eovaldi said he was “erratic” on a night when he threw six scoreless innings, struck out seven and walked just one batter.
Spring training breakout star Alejandro Osuna has also kept making a good impression at Double-A Frisco.
The Rangers have started four different players at center field this week.
Conclusion
The Texas Rangers’ series finale against the Athletics was a tough pill to swallow, as they were walked off 4-3 despite a strong start from Jacob deGrom and a near-perfect evening from their bullpen. The team’s defensive lapses and inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities ultimately led to their downfall. As the Rangers look to bounce back, they’ll need to focus on timely hitting and tightening up their defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the final score of the game?
A: The Athletics won 4-3 in the series finale against the Rangers.
Q: What was the reason for the Rangers’ loss?
A: The Rangers’ defensive lapses and inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities led to their loss.
Q: How did Jacob deGrom perform in the game?
A: DeGrom allowed six hits, struck out six, walked none, and has a 3.33 ERA in his first five starts.
Q: Where can I find more Rangers coverage?
A: You can find more Rangers
