The Texas Rangers' nine-game, nine-day road trip rolls on. On Thursday, Texas plays final game in Sacramento against the Athletics.
The Texas Rangers nine-games-in-nine-days road trip rolls on. And, on Thursday afternoon, Texas will play its final game of a four-game set in West Sacramento, Calif., against the Athletics.
On Monday night, it was all Rangers at Sutter Health Park as Texas claimed a big 8-1 victory to kick off the series.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, the last two days haven’t gone the same way as they have fallen in a pair of one-run contests.
On Wednesday night, the Rangers couldn’t control their walks as a pitching staff, and Kumar Rocker went just 4 2/3 innings.
Jake Burger had a big pinch-hit three-run home run in the eighth to pull the score within one, but that would be the closest that Texas got.
Looking to take home a win on “getaway day,” the Rangers will turn to young flamethrower Jack Leiter.
Leiter enters play at 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA. In his last start, Leiter went just 3 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and five earned runs.
There is no doubt that the Rangers will want to get some length from Leiter today after back-to-back short outings from MacKenzie Gore and Kumar Rocker.
Additionally, the Texas bullpen remains taxed after having to call up both Gavin Collyer and Cal Quantrill from Triple-A Round Rock prior to Wednesday night’s game.
Collyer pitched in the game, facing just one hitter and recording a strikeout in his Major League debut.
The first time we see the veteran Quantrill enter the game, it will mark his debut as a Texas Ranger after battling to potentially make the team as the fifth starter coming out of Spring Training.
As for the Rangers' offense, despite all of their runs coming on a pair of home runs, it was a solid night on Wednesday.
Rangers hitters were able to get ahead in the count on what felt like almost every at-bat and were able to create multiple scoring chances.
The Rangers will hope that both in this game and moving forward, the offense will begin to click and they can surge to being one of the best units in the American League.
For now, Texas will have its sights focused on the final game of the series with the Athletics. If they can earn a split on the road, then there is no doubt they will be satisfied with where things stand as they head into the final leg of their trip.
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