Rangers Roundup: August 12th

The Rangers dropped the series opener to the Minnesota Twins 3-2. Elvis Andrus hit his fifth homerun of the season in the second inning to give the Rangers an early 2-0 lead, but that was all the offense the Rangers would muster in this game. Yovani Gallardo pitched 5.2 innings and only allowed two hits, as the Rangers held the Twins scoreless through seven. In the eighth, Jake Diekman walked the lead off man, Eduardo Escobar, who subsequently advanced on a pass ball to second base. Then Diekman got the first two outs of the inning before Joe Mauer and Miguel Sanó hit back to back doubles and tied up the game. Spencer Patton came in to pitch the ninth for Texas, and after getting the first two outs Kurt Suzuki drew a walk and then Escobar doubled to right field and Suzuki came around to score and win the game before it would go to extras.

Today Nick Martinez will start for Texas, going against Mike Pelfrey. First pitch is at 7:10 CT.

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Cole Hamels was scheduled to start the series finale but has been scratched due to a sore groin. Either Chi Chi Gonzalez or Anthony Ranaudo will make the start on Thursday against Ervin Santana. Gonzalez has started seven games this season, making it 5.2 or more innings in every start except for his last one, in which he only lasted 1.2 against the Angels. Through his first four starts his ERA was below one and his record was 2-1. He struggled in two of his last three starts—against the Angels and A’s, but managed to contain the powerful Jays lineup even in a loss between those two starts. Those three starts inflated his ERA to 3.74, over four times what it was before.

Ranaudo made two starts this season, has appeared in four games overall. He started against each of the Los Angeles teams, losing to the Angels in his first start and pitching a gem against the Dodgers—6.2 shutout innings but a no-decision in a game the Rangers lost 1-0. He last pitched on July 19th against the Astros, giving up five runs in three innings. If I had to put money on it, I’d bet Gonzalez gets the start tomorrow.