Angels 5. Rangers 2
ARLINGTON, Texas, Sep 20 — The Texas Rangers dropped their series opener to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday evening by a final score of 5–2. RBI doubles by Corey Seager and Marcus Semien provided a spark, but it wasn’t bright enough to light up a win for the Rangers. The only thing they can do now is prepare for the middle game of this series. That game will be on Wednesday evening at Globe Life Field at 7:05 PM Central. Left-hander Tucker Davidson (2–6, 6.96 ERA) will start that one for the Angels. The Rangers will counter with righty Dane Dunning (3–8, 4.49 ERA)
Rangers Score Early
To break a recent pattern, the Rangers got on the board first on Tuesday evening. In the bottom of the first inning, Marcus Semien crossed the plate on a double to left field by Corey Seager. They would not hold the lead for long, however. In the top of the second inning, Angels third baseman Matt Duffy hit a two-run homer to left field to give the Halos a 2–1 lead. It was Duffy’s second home run of the year. The game would stay knotted at two runs apiece until the bottom of the fifth inning.
This time, it was Semien who drove in the go-ahead run. He did it with a double to centerfield that drove in left-fielder Bubba Thompson. Once again, the Angels answered right back. Shohei Ohtani scored on a double to left field by Taylor Ward, giving them a 3–2 lead in the top of the sixth inning. Moments later, Ward was driven in on a single to right field by Mike Ford. The Angels would also score their fifth, and final run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Matt Duffy sprinted home on an RBI single by left-fielder Jo Adell.
Pitching Notes
Lefty Cole Ragans got the start for the Rangers on Tuesday in front of a crowd of 19,472. Ragans exited with two outs, and the bases empty in the fifth inning. With the Rangers trailing 2–1, Ragans allowed Matt Duffy’s two-run home run in the second inning. He did not issue a walk for the first time in his seven career starts, and had five strikeouts for a second straight start (also Septeber 13 against the Oakland A’s) to match his career high. He has completed five innings in just two of his first seven career starts. Ragans took the no-decision on Tuesday.
Angels starter Patrick Sandoval held Texas to two runs (both earned), and three hits over five innings. He struck out seven while issuing a season high-tying four walks (5x, last 8/12 against the Minnesota Twins). Sandoval exited after completing the fifth inning with a 5–2 lead after the Angels rallied for three runs in the top of the sixth inning. He earned his sixth win of the season. Over his last nine starts (beg. 7/29) Sandoval is 3–3, with a 2.03 ERA (12 ER/53 1/3 IP), 50 SO/18 BB. He has logged five-plus innings, and allowed two-or-fewer earned runs in each outing over that span. It is the second-longest streak of its’ kind in franchise history behind only a ten-start streak by Nolan Ryan from 9/12/72-4/22/73.
Triple Play
The Rangers turned the eighth triple play in club history in the sixth inning on Tuesday a 5-4-3 ground ball hit by Max Stassi. It was turned by Josh Jung, Marcus Semien, and Nathaniel Lowe. This marked the second triple play turned by the Rangers in 2022 (also 4/20 against the Seattle Mariners). It marks the first time in Texas history for the team to turn multiple triple plays in the same season.
There have been six triple plays turned in major league baseball this season, and the Rangers have been involved in three of them, 2 by them (Tuesday, and April 20 against Seattle) and one against them (August 22 against the Twins). It was the 1st triple play turned against the Angels since the Rangers turned one on August 16, 2018 at Globe Life Park. It was also the last triple play turned in Arlington (by Rangers or opponent) prior to Tuesday.
Main Photo:
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Players Mentioned:
Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Tucker Davidson, Dane Dunning, Matt Duffy, Bubba Thompson, Shohei Ohtani, Taylor Ward, Mike Ford, Jo Adell, Cole Ragans, Patrick Sandoval, Nolan Ryan, Max Stassi, Josh Jung, Nathaniel Lowe
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