Friday newsletter time: Rangers’ Game 5 tasks include slowing Astros’ lineup
(AP photo/Godofredo A. Våsquez)
ARLINGTON — The Rangers remain two wins a way from the World Series, and no one should be surprised if they turn the American League Championship Series back around as early as this afternoon in Game 5.
They’ve been the streakiest team in baseball the past three months, as is evident by their seven straight wins to open the postseason and then two eggs they laid the past two nights. While fully capable of long winning streaks in the final two months, they could also lose three or four games, or more.
They don’t have any room for that now.
The ALCS is now a best-of-3 series after the Astros thumped the Rangers 10-3 on Thursday night. Tied with Houston at two games apiece, the Rangers will have to win at least one game at Minute Maid Park to win the series. Game 6, which is now necessary, is scheduled for Sunday night.
First up, though, the Rangers have to worry about Game 5. They will have left-hander Jordan Montgomery on the mound, and that’s a good thing. Rangers hitters will be facing Justin Verlander, which doesn’t sound great. Historically speaking, he hasn’t been as good in the postseason, so maybe he’s due for another stinker.
The main concern is the Astros’ offense. It’s been unstoppable at Globe Life Field, to the tune of 74 runs during Houston’s seven-game winning streak in the $1.2 billion ballpark.
Maybe the Rangers should have requested going back to Houston today.
Rangers hitters will need to score more than the two run they produced against Verlander in the Game 1 victory. They need to get at least five innings from Montgomery, so that the Rangers can go to Jon Gray, Josh Sborz, Aroldis Chapman and Jose Leclerc.
Don’t rule out Max Scherzer for an inning on what would be his bullpen day.
The Rangers really need to win this one.
Seager’s day
For those in the silver-linings crowd, Corey Seager might have conquered whatever was limiting him over the first three games.
He homered in his second at-bat, an opposite-field shot that tied the game at 3 in the third. He hit three balls with exit velocities of at least 103 mph. His hardest was a 108.6-mph lineout that was turned into a crucial double play when Jose Abreu tagged the finger of a batting glove sticking out of Marcus Semien’s back pocket.
When something outlandish like that happens, it’s probably not going to be your day.
Hot or cold at the plate, Seager has been solid defensively at shortstop. With a lefty starting for the Rangers today, Seager and third baseman Josh Jung could be busy.
Accountability
Hats off to Max Scherzer, Dane Dunning and Andrew Heaney the past two nights. The three pitchers, who each struggled, were at their lockers waiting for the media as soon as the clubhouse opened.
They answered the same questions to different waves of reporters, which can be a beatdown, and they took accountability for their performances. Dunning knew he should have never ever ever walked the light-hitting Martin Maldonado to open the fourth inning Thursday after the Rangers had just tied the game on Seager’s homer.
Heaney said his pitch location was lousy in the first inning, which he didn’t finish.
Scherzer tried to stay positive after Game 3, but he said that he didn’t execute well enough and that he agreed with the decision to remove him from the game after four innings.
Starting pitchers learn early that they are expected at their lockers to talk to the media after each start. It’s not easy being professional, especially with some of the questions that are asked, but that trio endured and I, for one, am thankful.
Card of the Week
Our plea for help was heard last week.
We lamented that we were running out of rookie cards to feature in Card of the Week, and this one fell in our laps thanks to a reader who will remain anonymous.
It’s the 2023 Topps Update Cody Bradford rookie.
Considering how well Bradford has pitched this season, it’s a timely arrival, too. Yes, he gave up the three-run homer to Jose Abreu that took the starch out of Game 5, but he has allowed only one run over 5 2/3 innings this postseason.
Bradford made his MLB debut in May after splendid start to the season at Triple A Round Rock. He bounced back and forth between the Rangers and the minors, but he pitched enough (and well enough) at Triple A to be the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year.
Josh Jung will be the Rangers Rookie of the Year, but Bradford’s contributions shouldn’t be overlooked. The Rangers haven’t overlooked them, and they will head into spring training knowing they have a versatile pitcher who could start, relieve or do both.
Doggy video!
Me, after realizing I have to go back to Houston. Enjoy.
— out of context dogs (@contextdogs) October 15, 2023
Jeff Wilson, jeff@rangerstoday.com
I know it’s not so simple, but it’s the walks that lose the game. There’s more wiggle room on a mistake when the bases are empty. And the same goes for the offense. We can put those crooked numbers up when we’re taking the walks and run into a mistake pitch.
You can’t slow the Astros by throwing 0-0 strikes to Altuve. It should be a rule that when the Astros are in Texas, never throw him an 0-0 strike, and make sure it is well out of the zone. The Rangers coaches and managers are really slow to catch up on this. He will swing, no matter what on 0-0 when in Arlington and you absolutely can not throw a pitch in the zone, especially with the game on the line. OK, slow learners at the top of our organization and maybe with the catcher as well. (same with Adolis for those in the Astros world).
OK, now having said and observed many an at bat from both, we now come to being patient with the game on the line WITH A LEAD. Memo to Jung and Lowe, gents a single will do. In Jung’s case a fly ball will do. Hey, let’s look for that perfect pitch in the 8th, with the chance to hit that massive home run (when a single would do). Didn’t get it. One swing for a strike (in the dirt) and 5 taken strikes. Only one word comes to mind PATHETIC. This is the opposite of Altuve and you two and wear this Game 5 loss as well as our closer. Simply the worst game since (you all know when).