Blue Jays Win, Spoil Josh Jung's Rangers Debut
ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Jung’s debut dominated the attention of everyone on Friday as the Texas Rangers hosted the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Field.
But, one player can’t stop an entire team’s backslide, as the Rangers fell to the Blue Jays 4-3.
Jung set Globe Life Field off with a third-inning solo home run, which made him the second Rangers player ever to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat.
But the Rangers (59-78) were already behind 3-0 when he cleared the fence, and even though they came back to tie the game — thanks to an RBI single and RBI double by Corey Seager — the Rangers fell for the 11th time in their last 12 games. The Rangers are also 11-31 in one-run games.
The game was decided in the top of the ninth with Rangers reliever José Leclerc on the mound. He walked the Blue Jays’ Raimel Tapia, who stole second and then advanced to third on Santiago Espinal’s sacrifice fly to left field. Danny Jansen singled to shallow left-center field, scoring Tapia for Toronto (76-61).
The Rangers started the bottom of the ninth with a Kole Calhoun strikeout. Leody Taveras followed with a single, setting up Jung for some late heroics.
But Jung struck out swinging, and pinch-hitter Adolis García came in to hit for Josh Smith and flied out to right field to end the game.
Rangers starter Dane Dunning was down when he left the game, but he pitched into the sixth inning. Considering the body of his work at home this season, he had a solid night. Dunning’s home ERA is 3.24, and while he struck out five, he gave up seven hits and walked two. He also gave up three runs, two of which came on a Bo Bichette home run in the top of the third.
Dunning was pulled with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth, and Dennis Santana got him out of the jam by retiring Espinal on a pop-out to Jung in foul territory.
Seager stepped in after that. He drove in Marcus Semien with a single to right field in the bottom of the sixth. Semien doubled for just the Rangers’ second hit of the game.
The Rangers shortstop struck again in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI double over Raimel Tapia’s head in left field. The liner, off Blue Jays reliever Tim Mayza, scored Bubba Thompson from third to tie the game.
That eliminated the opportunity for a win for Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling, who was splendid. The three hits he gave up that scored the Rangers’ first two runs were the only hits he gave up. He pitched six innings, struck out four and walked no one in just 68 pitches.
Jung, making his MLB debut, had two hits, including a single, along with a stolen base and a run scored.
The Rangers continue the series with Toronto on Saturday by starting Kohei Arihara against Kevin Gausman. On Sunday, the series concludes with Martín Pérez starting for Texas. The Blue Jays have not announced their probable starter for Sunday.
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