'We've Gotta Make Our Own Luck': Rangers Overcome Bizarre Start, Fall In Extra Innings
When it rains, it pours. And those who reside in North Texas can relate all too well with the cliché right now.
For the second time this season, and for the second time during their current road losing streak, the Texas Rangers lost on a wild pitch by Brett Martin in the 11th inning.
It was another close game, but yet another where the Rangers ended up on the wrong end, falling to the Colorado Rockies by a score of 3-2 in 11 innings. The loss was the seventh in a row for the Rangers, drops them to 22-35 on the season, and sets the club record for the longest losing streak on the road at 13 games.
The game got off to a surreal start, where the Rangers saw their worst case of bad luck all season.
With two outs in the first inning, Colorado's C.J. Cron reached base after his grounder hit the second base umpire and stayed in the infield. By rule, the hitter advances to first base and any other baserunners move up 90 feet, which put runners on the corners for the Rockies. Charlie Blackmon followed with a base hit to the opposite field that drove in the first run of the game.
The Rangers have seen their fair share of bad luck during this rough stretch. However, Rangers manager Chris Woodward refuses to allow that to be an excuse.
"That's not the reason we lost today," Woodward said. "We had plenty of opportunities to win the game. I don't want to make that the narrative, that we're getting unlucky. But that's life. You're going to have to deal with that. We've gotta make our own breaks. We've gotta make our own luck."
Dane Dunning turned in a solid performance of 4 1/3 innings with two earned runs, and the bullpen followed with a phenomenal performance of 5 2/3 scoreless innings until the very end.
However, the Rangers failed to make their own luck at the plate once again. Prior to the eighth inning, Texas mustered only two hits: Dunning's first career base hit in the third inning, and a single by Adolis García in the fourth.
Trailing 2-1, Chris Woodward called on Khris Davis to pinch hit for Jose Trevino. He answered the call with a two-strike solo home run to the opposite field that tied the game at 2-2.
Until Davis' home run, Chris Woodward still saw his players pressing, maybe trying a little too hard to make something happen.
"There were some counts that I thought we could have taken advantage of," Woodward said. "We either fouled them off or just weren't on time. We didn't put pressure on them forward. ... If we get the pitch we're looking for, we need to be on time for it and get our best swing off."
Neither team was able to break the tie in nine innings, which played into the Rangers hands.
Of all the things the Rangers have struggled with this season, their performance in extra innings hasn't been one of them. Heading into Tuesday night, Texas was 6-1 in extra innings, with the one loss coming on May 13, where the Rangers fell to the Houston Astros in the 11th inning on a wild pitch by Brett Martin.
While the Rangers were able to survive the 10th inning, they squandered an opportunity in their half of the 11th. Jonah Heim was the Rangers' extra-innings baserunner on second to start the inning. After Charlie Culberson was called out on strikes, Jonah Heim tried to steal third base while Isiah Kiner-Falefa was at the plate, but was easily picked off and squandered the Rangers' chance to take the lead in the inning.
It was a puzzling play with Kiner-Falefa at the plate, who is the Rangers' best contact hitter and a base hit could put the team ahead. Behind him was Nate Lowe, who has been one of the best Ranger hitter with runners in scoring position, and Adolis García, who was arguably the American League's best player in May.
Chris Woodward confirmed that neither a "must-go" or a "stop" sign were given to Heim, which put the decision ultimately in the player's hands.
"We talk about it with certain pitchers, regardless of who you are," Woodward explained. "Maybe that's a situation where Jonah got a little [too] aggressive, but I'm not gonna fault a guy for doing something aggressive. We've talk about that, and we identified [Colorado's Mychal Givens] as a guy we could potentially steal third off of. It didn't work out obviously on that pitch."
The Rangers (22-35) will try again on Wednesday night in the second game of the series against the Rockies (21-34). Jordan Lyles (2-4, 5.79 ERA) will take the mound for Texas and square off with Colorado right-hander Antonio Senzatela (1-5, 4.97 ERA).
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