Hearn Helps 'Set The Tone' For Another Strong Pitching Performance As Rangers Top Royals
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers rebounded from Wednesday's "sloppy" loss, defeating the Kansas City Royals on Thursday by a score of 3-1. The Rangers took two of three games in the series, improving to 13-17 on the season. The Rangers have also won three of their past four series.
Rangers starter Taylor Hearn "set the tone" for the pitching staff, and an overall clean game. After not pitching since May 1, Hearn maximized his limited pitch count by logging five shutout innings, allowing only one hit with three walks and five strikeouts.
Hearn was only at 64 pitches after five innings, but manager Chris Woodward said the southpaw began to "run out of gas" after not pitching for 11 days and decided to hand the game over to the bullpen. Even so, Woodward was more than pleased with Hearn's outing.
"Couldn't ask for more than that," Woodward said. "He just let it all hang out every pitch from the first inning on. Going in, we weren't sure how he was going to respond after being down for so long, but I thought he did great."
The Rangers needed the pitching staff to be great once again as the lineup struggled to come through in big spots. The Rangers went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. The prime opportunity to put up a crooked number came in the fourth inning when the Rangers loaded the bases with one out. However, Brad Miller and Jonah Heim failed to cash in, leaving the team clinging to a 1-0 lead.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The first run of the game came on a two-out blooper by Kole Calhoun in the first inning. With the pitching staff keeping the Royals off the board, Miller made his next at-bat count as he hit a towering fly ball that clanked off the right-field foul pole to give Texas a 2-0 lead.
Miller's ability to bounce back in that spot serves as a great example for younger Rangers hitters, given the wasted opportunity with the bases loaded.
"With Brad, every moment is a new moment," Woodward said. "There's a lot to learn for our younger players from guys like him, guys like Kole Calhoun. They just keep going. They're relentless."
The Royals answered in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Salvador Pérez. However, Adolis García manufactured a run on his own by leading off the bottom half of the inning with a triple—running through the stop sign set by third base coach Tony Beasley—then subsequently scored on a wild pitch.
"When he's playing with his hair on fire like that, he's fun to watch," Woodward said. "That's what we love about him."
Joe Barlow closed out the game in the ninth inning, recording his sixth save of the season.
What's Next?
The Rangers continue their homestand on Friday by welcoming the Boston Red Sox to Globe Life Field for a three-game series. Dane Dunning (1-1, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rangers on Friday, facing off against Boston right-hander Nick Pivetta (0-4, 6.08 ERA).
