GAME PREVIEW: Josh Jung Set to Make Rangers Debut vs. Toronto

The Texas Rangers will start a three-game home series with the Toronto Blue Jays at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night at Globe Life Field. The Rangers announced before the game that the field’s roof will be open.

More importantly, the game marks the debut of No. 1 prospect Josh Jung at third base. In fact, the Rangers will have three rookies in the starting lineup, as Josh Smith returns from Triple-A Round Rock and will start in left field, while Bubba Thompson slides over to right field. Jung’s debut is the most hotly-anticipated by a Rangers prospect since the debuts of Joey Gallo and Nomar Mazara.

The Rangers (59-77) officially activate both Jung and Smith before the game. To make room, the Rangers moved Brad Miller to the injured list and officially sent infielder Ezequiel Duran to Triple-A Round Rock, a move the Rangers tweeted out on Thursday.

Texas is coming off a 1-6 road trip and is 8-14 under interim manager Tony Beasley.

Scroll down to get ready for today’s game.

Toronto Blue Jays (76-60) at Texas Rangers (59-77)

Sept. 9, 2022, Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas, 7:05 p.m. (CDT)

Starting Pitchers

TEX: RHP Dane Dunning (3-8, 4.37)

Vs.

TOR: RHP Ross Stripling (7-4, 3.03)

Rangers Pre-Game Transactions:

Friday:

INF Josh Jung (No. 6) contract selected from Round Rock (AAA)

INF/OF Brad Miller placed on 10-day Injured List with right hip strain

Thursday:

INF/OF Josh Smith recalled from Round Rock (AAA)

INF Ezequiel Duran optioned to Round Rock (AAA)

Rangers Injury List:

OF Brad Miller (10-day, right hip strain), placed on Sept. 9. He is eligible to return on Sept. 19.

P Jon Gray (15-day, left oblique strain), placed on Aug. 2. He is eligible to return and pitched a batting practice session on Wednesday in Houston.

P Spencer Howard (15-day, right shoulder impingement), placed on Aug. 10 (retroactive to Aug. 8), eligible to return. He will begin a rehab stint at Triple-A Round Rock this weekend.

P Joe Barlow (15-day, right index finger blister), placed on Aug. 19 (retroactive to Aug. 18). Eligible to return. Barlow will throw off a mound on Wednesday.

OF Eli White (60-day, right wrist fracture), placed on June 13. He is on a rehab stint at Triple-A Round Rock.

C Mitch Garver (60-day, right forearm flexor tendon repair surgery), placed on July 11. He is not expected to return this season.

P Josh Sborz (15-day, right elbow sprain), placed on Aug. 30. Moved to 60-Day IL on Sept. 1. He is out for the season.

Follow the Game

Rangers – Bally Sports Southwest, MLB Network (out-of-market only)

Blue Jays – TV: SNET, MLBN (out-of-market only)

Radio/Internet

Rangers –105.3 The Fan, KRLD 1080-AM, KFLC 1270

Blue Jays – Radio: SN590

Texas Rangers Starting Lineup

2B Marcus Semien

SS Corey Seager

1B Nathaniel Lowe

C Jonah Heim

DH Kole Calhoun

CF Leody Taveras

3B Josh Jung

LF Josh Smith

RF Bubba Thompson

Toronto Blue Jays Starting Lineup

CF George Springer

1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

SS Bo Bichette

DH Alejandro Kirk

3B Matt Chapman

LF Raimel Tapia

2B Santiago Espinal

C Danny Jansen

RF Jackie Bradley Jr.

Top of First

TEXAS PITCHER: RHP Dane Dunning (3-8, 4.37)

CF George Springer – Grounded to Dunning, throw to first got past Nathaniel Lowe. Scored a single and error on Dunning. Springer advanced to second.

1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Grounded to Josh Jung at third base. Jung fielded it and threw to first, but Guerrero beat the throw. Springer to third.

SS Bo Bichette – Grounded to Jung in the hole between second and third. Jung threw out Guerrero at second, but Marcus Semien couldn’t finish the double play. Bichette reached first safely. Springer scored. Blue Jays 1, Rangers 0.

DH Alejandro Kirk – Lined out to Leody Taveras in center field. Bichette remains at first.

3B Matt Chapman – Bichette was thrown out trying to steal second by Jonah Heim after Chapman took a pitch.

Blue Jays 1, Rangers 0

Bottom of First

TORONTO PITCHER: RHP Ross Stripling (7-4, 3.03)

2B Marcus Semien – Struck out looking.

SS Corey Seager – Flew out to center fielder George Springer, who fielded the ball in left field due to the shift.

1B Nathaniel Lowe – Grounded out to Stripling.

Blue Jays 1, Rangers 0

Top of Second

3B Matt Chapman – Struck out looking.

LF Raimel Tapia – Single to left field.

2B Santiago Espinal – Grounded to Lowe at first base. Lowe threw out Tapia at second. Seager couldn’t turn the double play. Espinal safe at first.

C Danny Jansen – Lined out to Josh Smith in left field.

Blue Jays 1, Rangers 0

Bottom of Second

C Jonah Heim – Grounded out to Espinal.

DH Kole Calhoun – Struck out swinging.

CF Leody Taveras – Lined out to Chapman.

Top of Third

RF Jackie Bradley Jr. – Struck out swinging.

CF George Springer – Lined out to Josh Jung.

1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Doubled to center field.

SS Bo Bichette – Home run to right field, Guerrero scores, Bichette scores. Blue Jays 3, Rangers 0

DH Alejandro Kirk – Grounded out to Seager.

3B Matt Chapman

LF Raimel Tapia

2B Santiago Espinal

C Danny Jansen

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 0

Bottom of Third

3B Josh Jung – Homered to left field. First career home run, first career at-bat. Blue Jays 3, Rangers 1

LF Josh Smith – Struck out swinging

RF Bubba Thompson – Struck out swinging

2B Marcus Semien – Flied out to center fielder George Springer.

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 1

Top of Fourth

3B Matt Chapman – Singled to left field; caught stealing second base during next at-bat.

LF Raimel Tapia – Grounded out to Marcus Semien at second base.

2B Santiago Espinal – Struck out swinging.

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 1

Bottom of Fourth

SS Corey Seager – Grounded out to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who tossed it to Stripling for the force out.

1B Nathaniel Lowe – Lined out to Guerrero.

C Jonah Heim – Flied out to Springer.

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 1

Top of Fifth

C Danny Jansen – Flied out to Taveras

RF Jackie Bradley Jr. – Grounded out to Lowe

CF George Springer – Struck out looking

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 1

Bottom of Fifth

DH Kole Calhoun – Grounded out to Stripling.

CF Leody Taveras – Lined out to Bradley Jr.

3B Josh Jung – Popped out to Guerrero.

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 1

Top of Sixth

1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Struck out swinging

SS Bo Bichette – Grounded out to Semien at second base.

DH Alejandro Kirk – Walked.

3B Matt Chapman – Doubled to left field. Kirk to third base.

LF Raimel Tapia – Walked. Bases loaded.

Rangers pitching change: Dennis Santana for Dane Dunning.

2B Santiago Espinal – Popped out to Jung in foul territory.

Dunning pitching line: 5 2/3 innings, seven hits, three runs (earned), two walks, five strikeouts, 97 pitches, 56 strikes.

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 1

Bottom of Sixth

LF Josh Smith – Flied out to Springer.

RF Bubba Thompson – Popped out to Guerrero on bunt attempt.

2B Marcus Semien – Doubled to right field.

SS Corey Seager – Singled to right field. Semien scored from second. Seager advanced to second on the throw home. Blue Jays 3, Rangers 2

1B Nathaniel Lowe – Lined out to Espinal.

Top of Seventh

Rangers Pitching Change: Brock Burke for Dennis Santana

Santana Pitching Line: 1/3 inning, no runs, no hits, no walks, no strikeouts, four pitches, three strikes.

C Danny Jansen – Singled to left.

RF Jackie Bradley Jr. – Struck out swinging

CF George Springer – Grounded into double play, started by Burke to Semien and then Lowe at first.

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 2

Bottom of Seventh

Blue Jays Pitching Change: Adam Cimber for Ross Stripling

Stripling Pitching Line: Six innings, three hits, two runs (earned), no walks, four strikeouts, 68 pitches, 48 strikes.

C Jonah Heim – Popped out to Jansen in foul territory.

DH Kole Calhoun – Flied out to Bradley in right field.

CF Leody Taveras – Hit by pitch, walked to first base after visiting with Rangers trainers.

3B Josh Jung – Bloop single to right field, Taveras advances to third.

Blue Jays pitching change: Yimi Garcia for Adam Cimber

LF Josh Smith – Struck out swining.

Cimber Pitching Line: 2/3 innings, one hit, no runs, no walks, no strikeouts, 11 pitches, seven strikes.

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 2

Top of Eighth

1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Flied out to Taveras.

SS Bo Bichette – Tripled to Thompson in right field.

DH Alejandro Kirk – Struck out swinging.

3B Matt Chapman – Struck out swinging.

Blue Jays 3, Rangers 2

Bottom of Eighth

RF Bubba Thompson – Doubled to left field.

2B Marcus Semien – Flied out to Tapia in left field. Thompson advances to third.

Blue Jays pitching change: Tim Mayza for Yimi Garcia

SS Corey Seager – Double to left field over Tapia; Thompson scores. Rangers 3, Blue Jays 3

1B Nathaniel Lowe – Grounded out to Bichette.

C Jonah Heim – Flied out to Bradley.

Garcia pitching line: 2/3 innings, one hit, one run (earned), no walks, one strikeout, eight pitches, five strikes.

Rangers 3, Blue Jays 3

Top of Ninth

Rangers Pitching Change: Jose Leclerc for Brock Burke

Burke pitching line: Two innings, two hits, no runs, no walks, three strikeouts, 32 pitches, 23 strikes.

LF Raimel Tapia – Walked.

2B Santiago Espinal – Tapia stole second during the at-bat. Flied out to Smith in left field. Tapia advanced to third.

C Danny Jansen – Single to left-center field, Tapia scored. Blue Jays 4, Rangers 3

PH Cavan Biggio (for Jackie Bradley Jr.) – Flied out to Thompson.

CF George Springer – flied out to Smith.

1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

SS Bo Bichette

DH Alejandro Kirk

3B Matt Chapman

Blue Jays 4, Rangers 3

Bottom of Ninth

Blue Jays Pitching Change: Jordan Romano for Tim Mayza

Mayza pitching line: 2/3 innings, no runs, one hit, no walks, no strikeouts, five pitches, four strikes.

DH Kole Calhoun – Struck out swinging.

CF Leody Taveras – Singled to left field.

3B Josh Jung – Taveras stole second on the first pitch. Jung struck out swinging.

PH Adolis Garcia (for LF Josh Smith) – Flied out to right field.

Final: Blue Jays 4, Rangers 3

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

Catch up with Inside the Rangers on Facebook and Twitter.