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Rangers Notes: Ezequiel Duran’s Superman Moment Helps Texas Beat Tigers

The Texas Rangers escaped Game 1 of their series with the Detroit Tigers with a 5-4 win with a little bit from everyone.
Matt Postins|
Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres dives for second base against Texas Rangers second baseman Ezequiel Duran.
Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres dives for second base against Texas Rangers second baseman Ezequiel Duran. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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DETROIT — Ezequiel Duran did not anticipate having to play right field on Friday against the Detroit Tigers.

The Texas Rangers second baseman moved to right field after Brandon Nimmo was removed for the game as a precaution for a recurrence of right hamstring tightness. Josh Smith came in to play second base.

In the seventh inning, Duran made what ended up being a game-saving catch. He sprinted to his left to run down a fly ball by Detroit’s Kerry Carpenter. A hit that would have meant extra bases instead turned into a highlight reel catch for Duran.

Both Duran and Alejandro Osuna, who was in center field at the time, called it a “Superman” kind of catch. Duran admitted he watched the catch several times after the game, a 5-4 Rangers win.

“I say I was like Superman,” he said with a laugh. Both he and Osuna also said that Duran has been watching a lot of center fielder Evan Carter for inspiration.

The next inning, Osuna doubled home the go-ahead run on a brilliant piece of hitting. Had Duran not made that catch, Osuna’s double would have scored a run, but it may have only tied the game or cut into a Tigers lead.

Instead, “Superman” set up Osuna to save the day.

“I was wondering how hard I could run when I saw the ball and I just reacted,” Duran said.

The Three-Run Third

The third inning — during which the Rangers scored three runs to take a 4-0 lead — was a great example of manufacturing runs.

Danny Jansen — who had not hit a home run since March 31 — led off the inning with a solo home run off a hung slider from Tigers starter Jack Flaherty. From there, the Rangers order remained patient against a veteran right-hander who was struggling with control.

Brandon Nimmo walked. Then Evan Carter walked. Then Corey Seager walked to load the bases. Seager’s at-bat featured an ABS challenge on the first pitch, a called strike that was overturned to a ball after it was determined the pitch was an inch below the strike zone.

Then Texas nickeled-and-dimed Detroit. Josh Jung singled home a run, his second hit and second RBI of the game. Joc Pederson followed that with a sacrifice fly to left that scored another run.

Only an infield fly rule on Jake Burger’s pop-up, followed by a strikeout by Alejandro Osuna, kept the Rangers from scoring more. But it’s the sort of traffic the Rangers want to create more of on this road trip and beyond.

“I really like the home run, I promise you,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “But for the most part those are hard to hit. If you can manufacture runs and get a home run like [Jansen] you can get a little breathing room.”

The Rangers lost the breathing room but regained the lead to win the game.

MacKenzie Gore’s Struggles

MacKenzie Gore is in a rut. He can’t seem to throw six innings in a game.

The latest example was on Friday. The left-hander was unable to get out of the fifth inning after his pitch count got out of hand early in the game. He finished with 94 pitches and left reliever Cole Winn a mess to clean up with the Rangers up 4-3. Winn escaped the jam and preserved the lead.

Gore allowed just one hit until the fourth inning. He ended up allowing four hits, three earned runs and three walks against three strikeouts as his ERA went up to 4.67. Friday’s game was just the second time he left a game with a lead.

“It was a frustrating outing,” Gore said. “I’ve just got to do a better job putting batters away when I get the opportunity.”

Gore has pitched six or more inning in one start, which was on April 3 against Cincinnati. He’s averaging more than 18 pitches per inning, and his 18 walks is the most of any pitcher on the team. It’s clear where the pitch count inflation is coming from.

Here’s the Latest Rangers News and Stories (click the headline for the full article):

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More Josh Jung appreciation.

If you like exit velocities and product placement, this post is for you.

Here’s Nathan Eovaldi battling the elements to talk with Rangers Sports Network’s Jared Sandler about his last start.

Also, it was Sandler’s birthday and that means it’s time for force-feeding him cupcakes. I guess.

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Matthew Postins
MATT POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers Major League Baseball for OnSI. He also covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.

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