Wednesday newsletter time: Another night, another bullpen collapse, another Rangers loss
(AP photo/Aaron Doster)
The Rangers have scored 12 runs in two games at Cincinnati.
They have led the two games by four and six runs.
They have lost both.
Another bad bullpen game Tuesday night sent the Rangers to a second straight 7-6 defeat against an inferior Reds team. The Rangers led 6-0 entering the bottom of the seventh and were losing by the top of the ninth.
Cincinnati scored six times in the eighth inning, with Cole Ragans and Ian Kennedy giving up what looked like a sure win. The Reds hit only one ball hard in the inning, but that’s baseball.
“They’re tough losses. A five-run lead in the eighth, we couldn’t hold it,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s not easy to go through two losses like this, but we’ve got to bounce back.”
The Rangers need to win today to avoid a three-game sweep before the schedule moves up in class with the Yankees and the Diamondbacks at Globe Field. A 10-game West Coast road trip follows, with three games each against the Angels and Mariners to open the trip.
A second straight bullpen meltdown spoiled 6 1/3 solid innings from Martin Perez, who opened with six scoreless innings before allowing a run in the seventh. Nate Lowe, Marcus Semien and Josh Smith hit solo homers.
The Perez performance and the offense the past two nights are silver linings to two painful losses.
Really painful.
One candidate down
The longer the Rangers remain in contention, the more there will be talk about the need for a big bat at the trade deadline.
One were linkethey d to during the offseason will not be available.
The surprising first-place Pirates came to contract extension with outfielder Bryan Reynolds on an eight-year, $106.75 million contract. The two sides were thought to be light years apart during the offseason, when Reynolds requested a trade.
The Pirates were asking for the moon, and the Rangers didn’t want to give it to them. The Rangers also were unable to sign Michael Conforto and they never gave bringing back Joey Gallo much thought.
Gallo, by the way, has six home runs early this season for the Twins, who signed him to a one-year, $11 million contract. His sixth homer came Monday night against the Yankees, and the guess here is that it felt awfully good.
The Rangers ended up signing Robbie Grossman to a one-year, $2 million deal after spring training started. Grossman has been better of late, but is still batting only .211.
Carter returns
Top prospect Evan Carter, who was hit by a pitch Friday night, returned to Double A Frisco’s lineup Tuesday night for the opener of a six-game series at Amarillo. Hitters love Amarillo so much that Carter might have played with a broken arm.
He connected for a solo home run that helped stake Frisco to a six-run lead in the seventh inning.
Right-hander Owen White worked into the sixth, but was removed in the seventh during a six-run Amarillo rally that tied the game. He allowed only one run in his first six innings before getting charged with two more in the seventh. A quality start in Amarillo is really good.
Amarillo scored two more in the eighth for a 9-7 victory.
Down in Low A, outfielder Anthony Gutierrez collected two hits to lift his average to .311 on a team that has seen many of its young prospects struggle. Outfielder Yeison Morrobel went 1 for 3 to raise his average to just .103. Infielder Cam Cauley had two hits to lift his average to .163.
Shortstop Danyer Cueva is batting .234 after a two-hit game. The hitter struggling the most is JoJo Blackmon, who is batting only .065.
Doggy video!
Now that is hopping into bed. Enjoy.
Wait for it…😂
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— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) April 25, 2023
Jeff Wilson, jeff@rangerstoday.com
