The Texas Rangers closed out their trip to Cleveland with an ugly one, dropping the finale 9-4 to the Guardians after another day when the offense put runners on and couldn’t quite cash them in.
Texas did score four times, but the bigger number belonged to Cleveland, and the Rangers spent most of the afternoon trying to climb out of a 5-0 second-inning hole. That inning came after what the source called a MacKenzie Gore flareup, and once the Guardians piled on, the game tilted hard in their direction.
Still, Texas gave itself chances. The Rangers got the margin down to 5-3 in the middle innings and kept putting traffic on the bases, but the big swing never arrived.
They finished with 12 opportunities with runners in scoring position and converted only three, while leaving nine men on base. For a club trying to battle through an uneven stretch, that was the difference.
Two double plays ended key chances for Texas. The first came in the top of the third, when Cam Cauley was doubled up to wipe out a bases-loaded threat.
The second came in the seventh after the Rangers opened the inning with their first two hitters on and still had life down a couple of runs. Joc Pederson struck out in a pinch-hit spot, then Josh Smith grounded into the twin killing.
Cole Winn took over for the bottom of the seventh and allowed a run and a hit that eventually scored, stretching Cleveland’s lead further. Then, with the game getting away, Winston Santos finally made his MLB debut.
He got through his first inning as a big leaguer with a 0.00 ERA technically still intact, even though an inherited run scored. That didn’t last.
Asked to cover a second inning, Santos was greeted by Austin Hedges, who hit a two-run homer.
The Rangers have been grinding through a battered roster and a brutal travel load, and the source didn’t hide the wear and tear. Even with the rough finish in Cleveland, Texas still left the trip at 7-3, moved back over .500, and returned to the top of the AL West.
Elias Diaz was the bright spot at the plate. He picked up a couple of hits and a couple of RBIs, and he also launched his first home run as a Ranger. It came as a solo shot in a 7-3 game, one of the rare times Texas didn’t have runners aboard to strand.
Now the Rangers head home for a quick turnaround. They fly out of Cleveland and open a series against Detroit tomorrow night, with their first rest in over two weeks coming on Friday before the series resumes on Saturday. The wrinkle: a World Cup Round of 32 match is being played across the home parking lot on Friday.
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