Rangers swept in road series vs. Mariners

Rangers swept in road series vs. Mariners Image

• Rangers swept in road series vs. Mariners

Dj Spencer Sports Editor Wed, 06/19/2024 - 05:55 Subhead

Texas falls to 33-38 on the season

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SEATTLE — The Texas Rangers hit the road this past weekend for a three-game divisional series against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Though they hoped to win the series and move up in the AL West standings, the Rangers would lose all three games, leaving empty-handed and dropping 8.5 games back in the division.

In the first game, played June 14, the Mariners handed the Rangers a 3-2 loss. Despite initially jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the Rangers gave up three unanswered runs, losing in a heartbreaker.

The top of the first inning started with Marcus Semien putting the Rangers on the board with a run following an RBI double by Nathaniel Lowe, giving Texas a 1-0 lead. Later on, Lowe scored a run on an RBI single by Wyatt Langford, extending the Rangers’ lead to 2-0.

The Mariners would tie the score in the bottom of the first inning with a tworun home run, evening the score at 2-2.

Following a scoreless second inning, the Mariners pulled ahead in the third inning with another run, taking a 3-2 lead. That score would hold up until the end of the game, as the Mariners polished off a 3-2 win and took the lead in the series.

As a team, the Rangers batted just 5 for 32 (.156) from the plate. Langford led with two hits, while Adolis Garcia, Lowe, and Semien recorded one hit each. Lowe and Semien both scored one run each.

Andrew Heaney suffered the loss on the mound. Over 4 2/3 innings, despite tallying four strikeouts, he gave up six hits, three earned runs, and three walks.

Jose Urena pitched the final 3 1/3 innings, striking out two batters while allowing only two hits and one walk.

For the second game, played June 15, the Rangers suffered a 7-5 loss. The Mariners would lead for the majority of the game, and a late Texas rally would come up short, allowing the Mariners to clinch a series win.

The Mariners immediately took the lead in the game with a run in the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless second inning, the Mariners added three runs in the third inning, increasing their lead to 4-0.

Following a scoreless fourth inning, the Rangers finally got on the board when Ezequiel Duran scored a run on an RBI double by Semien, trimming the score to 5-1. This would be followed by a scoreless sixth inning.

In the seventh inning, the Mariners extended their lead to 5-1 following a solo home run. Another two runs were added in the eighth inning, giving Seattle a 7-1 lead.

In the top of the ninth inning, the Rangers mounted a furious rally. They began their rally with a run by Garcia, cutting the score to 7-2. Soon after, Langford scored a run, trimming the score to 7-3.

Later on, Robbie Grossman and Travis Jankowski both scored on a 2-RBI single by Semien, cutting the deficit to 7-5. Unfortunately, the Rangers weren’t able to pull ahead, as the Mariners held on for a 7-5 victory, clinching a series win and taking a 2-0 lead.

As a team, the Rangers batted 9 for 35 (.257) from the plate. Semien led with three hits, while Duran, Garcia, Grossman, Jankowski, Langford, and Lowe all recorded one hit each. Duran, Garcia, Grossman, Jankowski, and Langford all scored one run each.

Nathan Eovaldi suffered the loss on the mound. In three innings, despite striking out six batters, he gave up four hits, four earned runs, and four walks.

Brock Burke pitched 2 2/3 innings in relief, recording four strikeouts and only one walk. Jonathan Hernandez then pitched 1 1/3 innings, striking out three batters, surrendering just one hit, one earned run, and one walk.

Jesus Tinoco pitched the eighth inning, allowing two hits, two earned runs, and two walks, striking out one batter.

In the last game of the series, June 16, the Mariners completed the sweep with a 5-0 win. After three scoreless innings, the Mariners broke the game open in the fourth inning, shutting out the Rangers.

The first three innings were scoreless, as both starting pitchers performed well. In the fourth inning, the Mariners scored the first run of the game, taking a 1-0 lead.

In the fifth inning, the Mariners scored again on a wild pitch, extending their lead to 2-0. After a scoreless sixth inning, a solo home run in the seventh inning raised the Mariners’ lead to 3-0.

The Mariners would score two more runs in the eighth inning, increasing their lead to 5-0. After the Rangers were held scoreless in the top of the ninth inning, the game ended, as the Mariners completed a 5-0 shutout and a series sweep.

As a team, the Rangers batted just 2 for 29 (.069) from the plate. Andrew Knizer and Lowe recorded the Rangers’ only hits.

Dane Dunning suffered the loss on the mound. Across 4 2/3 innings, despite tallying eight strikeouts, he allowed four hits, three walks, and two earned runs. Jacob Latz then pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief, striking out two batters.

Jose Leclerc pitched the seventh inning, striking out one batter while allowing one hit and one earned run. Cole Winn pitched the eighth inning, allowing two earned runs, one hit, and one walk, tallying one strikeout.

With these losses, the Rangers dropped to 33-38 on the season. They resumed action Monday, welcoming the New York Mets to Globe Life Field for a three-game series.