Texas Rangers: Crucial Error In Ninth Costs Team A Win

The Texas Rangers come up short in their final game in Kansas City. As a result, Texas falls back to under .500 and drops to third place in the American League West standings, now being 16.5 behind Houston. Furthermore, Texas’ 12-game winning streak against the Royals is over. Now, the Rangers making their way to Baltimore for a four-game series against the Orioles.

Didn’t turn out to be the afternoon for the Texas Rangers. Kansas City quickly took an early 1-0 lead. Texas tied in the top of the third only for K.C. to make 2-1 in the bottom of the third. Things were quiet until the bottom of the seventh when Texas tied the game again only for K.C. to again increased their lead, making it 3-2. Then in the eight, Texas tied it at three runs a piece. The bottom of the ninth was the nightmare for Texas. At one point, K.C. had the bases loaded with one out, but after striking out one, Texas was in perfect position to make a play and keep the game going, but one little error by Shin-Soo Choo let it slip away.

Yu Darvish took the mound, hoping to snap his four-game losing streak and avoid his first-career five-game losing streak. He pitched 6.2 innings, allowing eight hits, three runs, and striking out six batters, earning a no-decision. However, it was still a special afternoon because as of today, Darvish has more strikeouts in a Rangers uniform than Nolan Ryan. Darvish is now fourth all-time in strikeouts in franchise history with 943.

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Matt Bush relieved Darvish pitching 0.1 innings, allowing no hits, no runs, and striking out one batter. Bush has a strikeout in four straight games now and has only allowed one hit in his last six appearances.

Alex Claudio then entered the game, pitching 1.0 innings, allowing no hits, no runs, and striking out no batters. His streak of four games with at least one strikeout is over, but his streak of not allowing a hit or a run is now at four.

Jason Grilli came in the bottom of ninth, attempting to keep the game going. Immediately falling into a predicament where there was two on base with no outs, Grilli retired two batters. Soon he allowed a pop-up to the right where a play could have been made to keep the game going, but as mentioned earlier, the play was not properly played. As a result, Grilli gets the loss, dropping to 2-5.

Offense finished 7-for-32, striking out eight times. The streak of less than eight strikeouts is snapped. Choo extends his hitting streak to two. Carlos Gomez’ two-game hitting streak is over. After going hit-less yesterday, Elvis Andrus goes 1-for-4, hoping to start a new game-hitting streak than can last longer than his previous one. After his four-game hitting streak was snapped yesterday, Nomar Mazara went 1-for-3, hoping to start a new one. Rougned Odor’s hit-less streak is now a four games and Adrian Beltre’s is at two. Jonathan Lucroy’s hitting streak increases to four games.

Andrew Cashner takes the mound for Texas’ first game in Baltimore tomorrow. Cashner’s last start was in an 8-2 win against Boston, resulting Cashner earning his fourth win. Winning tomorrow’s game keeps prevents a significant loss of momentum.