Rangers Walk It Off against Cardinals

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

June 5, 2023

Rangers 4, Cardinals 3

ARLINGTON, Tex. (June 5) — The Texas Rangers took the first game in their series against the St. Louis Cardinals by a final score of 4–3 on Monday. It was a walk-off single by Nathaniel Lowe that sealed the win for the home nine. The second game of this three-game series is on Tuesday at 7:05 pm Central. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore (1–1, 4.91 ERA) will be the starting pitcher for the Cardinals. Righty Dane Dunning (4–1, 2.06 ERA) will get the ball for the Rangers.

Walking Tall on the Bat of Lowe

Even though the Rangers led most of the evening, it was the Cardinals that got on the board first. In the top of the second, catcher Willson Contreras scored on a single to left by Paul DeJong. The Rangers tied it quickly in the bottom of the second. Ezequiel Duran doubled for the ninth time this season, bringing home Jonah Heim. It also advanced Mitch Garver, who singled earlier in the inning, to third. Garver scored moments later on a Leody Taveras groundout to short. The lineup flipped over, bringing Marcus Semien to the plate. Semien drove in Duran on a single to left, thus extending his hitting streak to a career-high 24 games.

The Cardinals were able to make a bit of a comeback in the top of the eighth. Jordan Walker trotted home on a sacrifice fly to left by Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado plated Nolan Gorman with a double to left. It was the ninth double of the season for Arenado, and the game was now tied 3–3. At this point, it sounded as if there was a good amount of Cardinals fans in Globe Life Field. However, the big moment was rapidly approaching with Nathaniel Lowe striding to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Just prior, Semien drew a walk, and Corey Seager hit an infield single. Lowe stepped up to the plate and hit a ground ball to left for a walk-off single that led the Rangers to their fourth straight win.

Martin Perez’ Night

Rangers lefty Martin Perez did not factor into the decision despite tossing his third ultra-quality start (7+ IP, 2-or-fewer ER) in four outings (ND, 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R-0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 88 pitches/59 strikes). The lone run that Perez allowed was unearned following a two-base error by Adolis García in the second. He exited after the seventh, leading 3–1, but was removed from the decision after the Cardinals leveled the score, 3–3 in the eighth. This marked the first time a Rangers starter has failed to record a win after logging 7+ innings with no ER allowed since Pérez on May 4, 2022 against the Philadelphia Phillies tossed seven scoreless. Perez remains unbeaten (5–0) in his last ten starts.

He has gone 3–0, with a 1.40 ERA (4 ER/25 2/3 IP) in four starts at Globe Life Field this season. Will Smith earned the win on Monday after tossing a scoreless frame in the ninth. He had gone 0–7 over his previous 118 appearances. Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright threw a season-high 106 pitches (5 1/3 IP, 8 H, 3 R-ER, 2 BB, 3 K). Wainwright had not allowed a run in the second inning in any of his first five starts this season, and allowed three runs in the second inning on Monday. He has thrown five or more innings in all six starts this season. Génesis Cabrera gave up the winning run and took the loss. He is now 1–1 on the year with an ERA of 4.70. There was no save recorded.

Semien Extends His Hitting Streak

Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien extended his career best and MLB-high 24-game hit streak with his RBI single in the bottom of the second. The hitting streak is now tied for the fourth-longest in Senators/Rangers franchise history. It is the longest by a Ranger since a 25-game run by Ian Kinsler from June 17 to July 13, 2008. Semien is four games shy of matching the longest hit streak in franchise history (28 games by current San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler from July 17 to August 15, 2000).

Postgame Comments

After the game, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was asked what he saw from Marcus Semien and Nathaniel Lowe in the ninth. He said, “It started with Marcus (Semien). He had the big walk, and Corey (Seager) hit it hard, and he hit it in a good place. We had another good hitter up. Nate (Lowe) hit a ball the other way, and it was a hard-fought game. It was a character builder. You got a 3–1 lead. They tied it in the eighth, but we found a way to win that ballgame.”