The Texas Rangers scored seven runs while the Milwaukee Brewers scored four runs.
Today’s game started with the Rangers failing to score on an opportunity with RISP in the top of the first inning and then Kumar Rocker allowing the first four Brewers to reach in Milwaukee’s half as the Rangers trailed 2-0 after the first frame for a third consecutive game in this series.
By this point, the gulf between the Rangers and Brewers felt so apparent that you would have been forgiven if you just tuned out and assumed the Rangers would lose and be swept. Instead, Texas showed a little resolve and, after a two-out rally from the bottom of the order, scored a run in the top of the second. An inning later, Ezequiel Duran’s 15th home run of the year tied the game.
A couple of innings after that, in the top of the fifth, it was Duran again who delivered with a two-run ground-rule double to give Texas their first lead of the weekend.
Meanwhile, there was only enough bullets for two more innings from Rocker after his usual first inning struggles. On the plus side, Rocker kept the Brewers off the board after the first four batters while the Rangers were rallying. However, it took 86 pitches for Rocker to complete his three innings, which meant the bullpen was in for a heavy workload.
Luckily, piecing together relief worked out. Tyler Alexander handled a couple of scoreless innings. Adam Macko contributed a scoreless frame. Jordan Montgomery was touched up for a two-run home run, but Jacob Junis and Jacob Latz nailed down the win.
The reason the home run off Montgomery wasn’t devastating was because the Rangers kept adding to their total with Joc Pederson hitting a solo home run in the sixth and Jake Burger and Cody Freeman driving in a couple of extra insurance runs on a pair RBI singles in the seventh.
Are the Rangers now better than the Brewers? No. Did the Rangers have a pretty miserable road trip against a couple of first place squads? Yes. Could the Rangers somehow still make the playoffs? Apparently so.
I’m mostly just glad I got to see the Rangers fight their way back from a poor start against a good team with a well-played game of baseball. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be any deeper than that.
Player of the Game: Surely no one would have believed coming into this season that Duran would become Texas’ best player but for better (the Solution’s ascension) or worse (the players above him in the pecking order being injured or disappointing or both), here we are.
Today Duran drove in three of the Rangers’ seven runs with one of them erasing another early deficit and the others acting as the big go-ahead blow in a comeback win. If there was one regular for the Rangers who looked like he could hang with the Brewers this weekend, it was Duran, and his efforts today was a primary reason for Texas avoiding a sweep.
Up Next: The Rangers head back home to open up a series against the Athletics. RHP Jacob deGrom is expected to take the mound for Texas opposite LHP Gage Jump for not-Oakland.
The August finale first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and will be telecast via the Rangers Sports Network.
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