Rangers Blank Guardians to Avoid Sweep

(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

May 15, 2024

Rangers 4, Guardians 0

ARLINGTON, Tex. (May 15) — The Texas Rangers got a very satisfying win on Wednesday evening, as they beat the Cleveland Guardians, 4–0. This victory breaks a string of five consecutive losses for the Rangers. With the help of a pair of two-run moonshots by Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia, they were able to avoid what would have been their second consecutive sweep. They were swept this past weekend by the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. After an off-day on Thursday, the Rangers will welcome the Los Angeles Angels to town for a three-game set. First pitch for the series opener will be at 7:05 pm Central on Friday at Globe Life Field. Lefty Tyler Anderson (3–4, 2.92 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Angels, and left-hander Andrew Heaney (0–4, 4.39 ERA) will take the hill for the Rangers.

The Guardians, meanwhile, will head back home to Progressive Field to begin a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Friday. First pitch will be at 7:10 pm Eastern. Right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson (1–0, 3.24 ERA) will get the ball for the Twins and Triston McKenzie (2–3, 3.54 ERA) will take the mound for the Guardians.

Simmy Smash

The first four and a half innings of this game were very quiet as neither team scored. The Rangers took their first lead of the series in the bottom of the fifth off Guardians starter Carlos Carrasco. After back-to-back groundouts by Travis Jankowski and Ezequiel Duran, Leody Taveras hit his second triple of the season. Semien followed that up with his eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left. An inning later, the Guardians brought in Nick Sandlin to relieve Carrasco. A leadoff walk to Nathaniel Lowe set the table for Garcia. He promptly blasted his 10th homer of the season, making it 4–0 Rangers.

What Went Right for the Rangers

Simply put, Wednesday was a much-needed win for the Rangers. The two home runs by Semien and Garcia provided a nice cushion that allowed the Rangers to leave the field with a well-deserved strut. To go along with their offense, they used four pitchers on the evening, none of whom surrendered a run.

What Went Wrong for the Rangers

On nights like this, these sections are always difficult for this writer. It is very hard to pinpoint anything that went wrong in this one other than the fact the Rangers were on the losing end of this three-game series. It’s safe to say that everyone is looking forward to the second half of the homestand, which will begin on Friday.

Gray Skies Are Gonna Clear Up

Rangers starter Jon Gray proved to be the stopper on Wednesday. He made his team-high ninth start, earning the win after tossing 6 1/3 scoreless frames. He is now 2–1 with an ERA of 2.08. His final line was 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K. Gray did not allow a runner past second until Jose Ramirez’ sixth-inning single advanced Andrés Giménez from first to third. The threat was promptly erased after he induced a Josh Naylor double-play groundout to end the inning.

He departed with one out in the seventh and a runner on first, which was stranded thanks to José Leclerc’s relief efforts (2/3 IP, HBP). Gray’s four runs of support surpassed his combined total from his previous two starts. He had received two or fewer runs of support in seven of his eight starts.

For the Guardians, Carrasco was saddled with the loss. He is now 2–4 despite permitting two runs, both earned, over five innings. His final line was 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R-ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 75 pitches/44 strikes. He was scoreless through four frames before Semien followed Taveras’ two-out triple with his two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth. Carrasco has gone 1–2 with a 3.00 ERA, 11 strikeouts, and three walks in his three May starts.

Postgame Comments

After the game, manager Bruce Bochy looked pleased as echoes of Cher’s “Believe” drifted from the Rangers’ clubhouse to the interview room. Members of the media snickered about their postgame celebration. Bochy grinned and told everyone to let them have their well-earned moment. As for the game itself, Bochy had nothing but kind words for Jon Gray. “You saw his stuff out there. We’ve seen him get on a roll before. He did it last year. He was really good again tonight. It’s been so fun to watch this guy. He’s so consistent with all of his pitches, and he attacks the zone. He’s been in a good zone himself. It’s what we needed to get out of this rut.”

After Bochy exited (Cher was on her third verse) Gray took his spot. He gave his thoughts on his evening. “I think the best comes out of me when times are tough right now, and I think that’s important for a starting pitcher,” said Gray, supported by two runs or fewer in seven of his previous eight starts. “That’s why we were so good last year.”