Home Sweet Home: Rangers Snap Losing Skid in 5-2 Win Over Yankees
ARLINGTON, Texas — Prior to Monday night's contest with the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward addressed the media like he always does on game days. Woodward said that his group, on the heels of a winless six-game road trip, would not shy away from the challenge of facing Gerrit Cole, one of the hottest pitchers in baseball.
The Rangers proved Woodward's words to be true, emphatically snapping their longest losing streak of the season by taking down the Bronx Bombers by a score of 5-2.
"[This one is] a little sweeter," Woodward said. "I'm really proud of our group. They just continue to work. You wouldn't have known that we had lost six in a row just by their energy."
Though the Yankees drew first blood by scoring a run on three first-inning singles, the Rangers answered back with a few heavy punches in the second inning.
Adolis García drove an 0-2 pitch from Cole over the wall in right field for his 11th home run of the season to lead off the frame. David Dahl and Isiah Kiner-Falefa followed with back-to-back doubles, then Jose Trevino added an RBI single that gave the Rangers a lead they would never surrender.
Since hitting the first eight of his home runs of the season exclusively on the road, his last three have come at Globe Life Field.
"I like hitting them at home," García said. "The fans are what give me that motivation. It's better to hit them here at home."
Willie Calhoun added to the lead with a solo home run — also off an 0-2 pitch — to straight away center field to lead off the fifth inning. Then in the sixth, some aggressive baserunning added the Rangers' fifth fun of the night.
With García on third base, Charlie Culberson reached base with a walk. On the ensuing pitch, Culberson took off for second base. When Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka popped up to throw out Culberson, García immediately broke for home to try and pull off the double steal. Higashioka's throw wound up in the outfield, allowing Culberson to move to third base and García to score easily.
On the play, Adolis García became the fourth player in Rangers history to hit a home run and steal home in the same game.
As good as the offense was, the Rangers' Player of the Game Cowboy Hat went to starter Jordan Lyles.
In almost a carbon copy of his previous start in San Francisco, Lyles rebounded from a shaky first inning with five stellar innings. He totaled six innings with just one run allowed on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
"I told Jordan after the game, his effort and energy set the tone," Woodward said. "I think that sparked our offense a little bit."
"We did a really good job of getting more in the zone," Lyles said. "We just landed our breaking balls really well tonight. Other than that [Aaron] Judge walk in the sixth, I'm pretty happy with what Jose [Trevino] and I accomplished tonight."
The Rangers (19-24) will try and build off their win over the Yankees (22-19) on Tuesday night. Texas will send out Mike Foltynewicz (1-3, 4.60 ERA) to square off with New York right-hander Jameson Taillon (1-3, 5.40 ERA).
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