Rangers Beat Guardians for First Spring Training Victory

The Texas Rangers defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 13-4, on Sunday in Goodyear, Ariz. Here’s a breakdown of how the victory came to pass.

How the Rangers won: The Rangers ripped the Guardians with an offensive barrage that gave them a commanding eight-run lead after just four innings.

Records: Cleveland, 0-2; Texas, 1-2.

Winning pitcher: Jon Gray (TEX, 1-0).

Losing pitcher: Zach Plesac (CLE, 0-1).

Rangers at the plate: Corey Seager went 2-for-2 with a three-run home run that gave the Rangers a 5-0 lead after two innings. He also scored two runs. The other Rangers hitter with two hits early was center fielder Leody Taveras, who went 2-for-2 with a run and two RBI. Josh Jung doubled, scored a run and drove in a run before he left the game. Robbie Grossman — who started Rangers spring training with the team’s first home run — started again and went 1-for-1 with two walks and a run scored. David Wendzel hit a two-run home run in the eighth, part of a five-run inning.

Wendzel was the only other Rangers hitter with two hits on Sunday.

Rangers on the mound: Jon Gray had a crisp spring debut, pitching two innings and giving up a hit. That followed the debut of Nathan Eovaldi on Saturday, who threw two perfect innings.

From there, another Rangers starter from last season — Cole Ragans — took over, throwing two innings and giving up a walk while striking out three.

Dominic Leone threw a scoreless fifth inning, giving up one hit. Jacob Barnes threw a perfect sixth inning.

Zack Littell gave up the Guardians’ first three runs, giving up five hits, including two home runs, and three runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Ricky Vanasco gave up the other run in the eight, pitching one inning, allowing two hits and striking out two.

Marc Church — pitching for the third straight day — threw a scoreless ninth with a strikeout.

From the Park

Some tweets from Sunday’s game.

Corey Seager hits his first home run of the spring:

Seags is so back. #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/BGYhQ4O0ts
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) February 26, 2023

Jon Gray and Clint Frazier have a draft note in common:

Weird note: Jon Gray was selected two picks ahead of Clint Frazier in the 2013 MLB Draft. That screwed with my perception of time for sure.
— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) February 26, 2023

With the shift ban, teams are trying to figure out how to defend Seager:

this is how the Guardians are playing Corey Seager — one of the most shifted players in baseball last year — with the new shift rules.

The shortstop is shaded over pretty much as far as possible without being on the other side of second base pic.twitter.com/ALP4P4E8SP
— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) February 26, 2023

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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