ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers appeared to be a team in need of a boost this week after a trying road trip that fed directly to the MLB trade deadline. Neck and neck with Houston for first place in the AL West, the Rangers couldn’t afford to let an opportunity to earn wins against a down and out Chicago team get by them.
The deadline was sandwiched between a sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres and this series against the seller White Sox. The Rangers got their boost from the front office, as they pulled off a few big trades to bolster the team. Texas responded in kind by taking care of business against Chicago with their third home series sweep in four tries since the second half began.
- Game 107: Chicago 0, Texas 2 (W: Heaney, 8-6, L: Scholtens, 1-4, Sv: Smith, 18)
- Game 108: Chicago 1, Texas 11 (W: Dunning, 9-4, L: Cease, 4-5)
- Game 109: Chicago 3, Texas 5 (W: Scherzer, 10-4, L: Toussaint, 1-4, Sv: Smith, 19)
Three Up
Staking a claim – It can be so easy to say that “it’s only the White Sox,” but with Texas fresh off a dud of a road trip, you can never take things for granted. What Texas has been lacking for so long, nearly two months in fact, has been a dominant pitching performance from a starter.
That’s what they got from Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning in the first two games of the series. Heaney had one of his most impressive and efficient outings of the season. Not since his second outing of the season, against the Kansas City Royals back in April, had Heaney posted double digits in strikeouts.
On Tuesday, Heaney reached his 80 pitch threshold with a 69% strike rate on his way to striking out 11 White Sox hitters. Dunning followed that with an equally impressive performance the next night, with a 102-pitch, 7 ⅔-inning outing in which he also struck out a career-high 11.
Dunning gave up just one run on three hits – one of those hits was a solo home run that ended his night. Maybe it was a desire to keep themselves out of the bullpen with the additions of Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery, or maybe it was just that they were facing the White Sox, but Heaney and Dunning delivered performances that the Rangers needed.
“I’m playing.” – Unexpectedly, Corey Seager returned to the Rangers lineup on Wednesday night. After taking some swings against live pitching earlier in the day, Seager went to manager Bruce Bochy and told the skipper he was ready to go that night.
It was Bochy’s intention to just slot Seager, who had gone on the IL just nine games earlier with a sprained thumb, as the designated hitter. But Seager insisted on being put in the field. To the media, Seager would say, “It’s kind of a pain management thing at this point, right?”
However Seager managed whatever pain he was in, his presence in the lineup was certainly welcomed. The Rangers’ shortstop handled all of his fielding efforts flawlessly and finished at the plate 2-for-4 with three RBI, including a towering, two-run homer in his first at-bat back.
Welcome to Texas – Texas got to meet three of its new acquisitions in this series against Chicago, as catcher Austin Hedges, reliever Chris Stratton and Scherzer all made their Rangers debuts.
Hedges came on in the top of the 7th on Wednesday evening with the Rangers leading 11-0 in an eventual blowout. The first five batters that Dunning faced after Hedges entered the game all struck out, with a few pitches framed perfectly for called strikes, highlighting one of the former Pirate’s defensive strengths.
Stratton also came on in that game, going 1 ⅓ innings following Dunning, allowing one hit and collecting a strikeout in a scoreless performance. Then it was Scherzer’s turn, and after a rough start to his afternoon – surrendering three runs on three hits on 37 1st inning pitches – he settled down for a quality start.
With the Rangers also completing a comeback and passing the White Sox in runs, Scherzer was able to end his debut with a win, going six innings, with just those three 1st inning runs allowed. That leaves one last Ranger to make his debut – Jordan Montgomery, who goes for the Rangers to open the series against Miami on Friday night.
Three Down
Perez to the ‘pen – As Scherzer prepared for his Rangers debut, the first shake-up for Bochy’s pitching staff was announced. Martin Perez, who had accepted the Rangers’ 1-year, $19.65 million qualifying offer after a career-best year in 2022, will be shifted to the bullpen to take on a long-relief role.
Perez, while posting an 8-4 record, has put up a 4.98 ERA for the season. In the month of July, however, Perez had an awful time. The ‘22 All-Star did not post a quality start in the month, and put up an 8.50 ERA, giving up 26 hits over his last four starts. The last time Perez had a bullpen role was in 2021 with the Red Sox. Over 14 games in relief, Perez put up a 4.50 ERA in 14 innings with a 1.429 WHIP.
Scherzer eases in – Excitement was palpable at Globe Life Field ahead of Scherzer’s Rangers debut. Despite some lackluster numbers this season with the Mets, Scherzer’s introductory press conference had alluded to the idea that the 3-time Cy Young award winner had things figured out, especially as concerned his slider and his performance with two strikes.
The 39-year old’s first inning with Texas, however, did not play out that way. Scherzer threw 37 pitches in the 1st, surrendering three runs on two walks and three hits. Scherzer was a little unlucky. None of the White Sox hits left the bat at more than 80 mph, for example.
Scherzer then gave up just three more hits total, two of which topped 90 mph. In all, Scherzer did appear to have command of his slider – but very little control of his fastball, change up and curveball until he worked his way through the dangers of a dubious first inning in Arlington.
Slumping Taveras – Leody Taveras, who had been a key contributor during the Rangers’ best run earlier in the year, finds himself in a bit of slump. Taveras went 1-for-12 during this series, and since the All-Star break, has only hit .176.
Taveras is a big part of the bottom of the lineup, as he and Ezequiel Duran have formed a stellar 8-9 combo throughout the season. While there are other role players around the lineup to help fill in for what Taveras is lacking, it would be nice for the Rangers’ center fielder to get things going again at the plate to once again provide a spark before the lineup flips over.
Yes, it can be easy to say that this was a sweep of a far-out-of-contention White Sox team, therefore nullifying its impact, but when you look at the brief period that the Astros had evened things up in the AL West before the Rangers win on Wednesday, there’s another two sayings that come to mind: “Taking care of business” and “Every win counts.”
Do you think the Rangers will build on this sweep to have a successful month of August? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.
