GAME THREAD: How Tigers Blew Out Rangers

Texas continued its three-game home series with the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night at Globe Life Field.

Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas Rangers continue their five-game homestand when they host the Detroit Tigers at Globe Life Field on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m.

The Rangers conclude the series on Sunday at 1:35 p.m.

Texas is now 7-4 since Tony Beasley took over as interim manager in the wake of the firing of Chris Woodward. Texas is coming off a 7-6 victory over the Tigers on Friday night.

Dallas Keuchel, a former Cy Young winner, will make his first start for the Rangers as he tries to turnaround the worst season of his professional career and make a case for a spot on a Major League roster in 2023.

In the victory, Mark Mathias hit his second home run as a Ranger, and he talked about his his approach at the plate has changed, thanks in part to Rangers coaching. Nathaniel Lowe, who is flirting with .300, had a solo blast, his third straight game with a long ball.

Meanwhile, Adolis García extended his hit streak to 22 games, now tied for the third-longest in the Majors in 2022 and tied for the seventh-longest in Rangers history with Jim Sundberg. He also is just the second Rangers player to have at least 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases and a hitting streak of at least 20 games in the same season. The first to do it was Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez in 1999.

The other two Rangers with 20 or more home runs this season are Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, the latter of which leads the Rangers with 26, which matches his career high for a single season.

Scroll down to get ready for tonight’s game.

Detroit Tigers (48-78) at Texas Rangers (58-67)

August 27, 2022, Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas, 6:05 p.m. (CDT)

Starting Pitchers

TEX: LHP Dallas Keuchel (2-7, 8.53)

Vs.

DET: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (2-3, 3.89)

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Rangers Pre-Game Transactions:

The Rangers purchased the contract of LHP Dallas Keuchel from Triple-A Round Rock.

Rangers Injury List:

P Cole Ragans (15-day, left calf strain), placed on Aug. 26, retroactive to Aug. 23. Eligible to return on Sept. 7.

P Jon Gray (15-day, left oblique strain), placed on Aug. 2. He is eligible to return, but his recovered was expected to take 4-6 weeks.

P Spencer Howard (15-day, right shoulder impingement), placed on Aug. 10 (retroactive to Aug. 8), eligible to be activated. He is on a throwing program in an effort to return.

P Joe Barlow (15-day, right index finger blister), placed on Aug. 19 (retroactive to Aug. 18). Eligible to be activated on Sept. 2. Note: This is the second time Barlow has been on the injured list due to a blister in the past two months.

OF Eli White (60-day, right wrist fracture), placed on June 13. He is expected to return at some point this season.

C Mitch Garver (60-day, right forearm flexor tendon repair surgery), placed on July 11. He is not expected to return this season.

Follow the Game

TV

Rangers – Bally Sports Southwest

Tigers – Bally Sports Detroit

Radio/Internet

Rangers –105.3 The Fan, KRLD 1080-AM, KFLC 1270

Tigers – WXYT 97.1-FM

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Texas Rangers Starting Lineup

1. 2B Marcus Semien

2. SS Corey Seager

3. DH Nathaniel Lowe

4. RF Adolis García

5. C Jonah Heim

6. CF Leody Taveras

7. DH Mark Mathias

8. 3B Ezequiel Duran

9 LF Bubba Thompson

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Detroit Tigers Starting Lineup

1. CF Riley Greene

2. LF Victor Reyes

3. SS Javier Báez

4. DH Eric Haase

5. RF Willi Castro

6. 1B Harold Castro

7. 3B Jeimer Candelario

8. C Tucker Barnhart

9. 2B Zack Short

Top of First

Dallas Keuchel (TEX) pitching

Keuchel’s first start for the Rangers started by getting Detroit’s Riley Greene to fly out to Leody Taveras in center field. Victor Reyes followed that with a ground-ball double past Rangers third baseman Ezequiel Duran for a stand-up double. Shortstop Javier Báez then hit a sharp line drive to Taveras in center field, but he was unable to cut down Reyes at home and that allowed Báez to advance to second on the RBI single. Designated hitter Eric Haase hit a sharp ground ball to Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, a hard-hit one-hop grounder that led him right to the bag. But Báez advanced to third base. Right fielder Willi Castro then hit a soft single into right field, which scored Báez to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. First baseman Harold Castro followed and hit a base hit to center field, which moved Willi Castro to second base. Tigers third baseman Jeimer Candelario finally ended the inning with a flyout to Taveras in center field. Keuchel gave up four hits in his first half-inning with the Rangers. Tigers 2, Rangers 0

Bottom of First

Eduardo Rodriguez (DET) pitching

Marcus Semien led off with a walk on a full count. While Corey Seager was at the plate, Semien advanced to second on a passed ball credited to Tigers catcher Tucker Barnhart. Seager then drew a five-pitch walk. Lowe, who has been the Rangers’ hottest hitter of late and has hit home runs in each of his last three games, singled to center field which scored Semien from second and Seager advanced to third to give the Rangers their first run. That led to a quick mound visit to Rodriguez before Adolis García stepped in. Garcia took a 0-2 pitch inside and struck out. Rangers catcher Jonah Heim followed by hitting a sharp line drive right back to Rodriguez, who quickly turned to first and threw out Lowe to end the inning. Tigers 2, Rangers 1.

Top of Second

Barnhart led off the second with a single up the middle on the first pitch from Keuchel. Second baseman Zack Short, the No. 9 hitter, hit a deep liner to Taveras in center field for the first out. Greene returned to the plate and pulled a screaming grounder through the shift between Lowe and Semien for a double, which advanced Barnhart to third base. Reyes hit a deep fly ball to Taveras in center, and the RBI sacrifice fly scored Barnhart and moved Greene to third base. Báez hit a weak grounder to Seager at shortstop, which he had to backhand, and his throw was wide of Lowe at first base. It was scored an error, but later changed to a single, and Greene scored from third. Haase was at the plate when Báez tried to steal second. But Heim was able to throw him out to end the inning. Tigers 4, Rangers 1.

Bottom of Second

Taveras led off and grounded out to Báez at shortstop. Mark Mathias, who was hitting .500 in his short stint with Texas entering the game, laced a single to left field to push his start with the Rangers to 10-for-19. Duran followed with a flyout to Reyes in left. Rangers left fielder Bubba Thompson struck out looking on four pitches. Tigers 4, Rangers 1. 

Top of Third

Haase led off the third by hitting a single to left off Keuchel. Willi Castro, after taking two pitches, hit a weak ground ball to Keuchel, which allowed the veteran to show off his Gold Glove fielding skills as he turned around to make the throw to Lowe at first. Haase moved to second and in scoring position for Harold Castro. He hit a ground ball up the middle to Seager, who retired Harold Castro at first base. Haase advanced to third. Candelario hit a weak fly ball to right field to end the inning. Tigers 4, Rangers 1.

Bottom of Third

Semien led off by hitting a ground ball down the third-base line to Candelario, who threw him out at first base. Seager followed with a line-drive single to left field. Lowe grounded into a 6-5-3 double play to end the inning. Tigers 4, Rangers 1.

Top of Fourth

Barnhart led off by grounding out to Seager at shortstop. Short then struck out, which was Keuchel’s first strikeout victim of the game. Keuchel struck him out on a 2-2 changeup. To that point, Keuchel had not given up a walk. Greene followed by grounding out to Semien, positioned on the outfield grass, for the third out. It was Keuchel’s first 1-2-3 inning of the night. Tigers 4, Rangers 1.

Bottom of Fourth

García led off the inning trying to extend his 22-game hitting streak and popped out to Candelario down the third-base line for the first out. Heim hit a long shot to the right-center field gap, which Greene was able to run down at the warning track in front of the Rangers’ bullpen. Taveras singled up the middle to center field to extend the inning. Mathias followed by drawing a five-pitch walk. Duran grounded into a force out to Baez at shortstop, who threw out Mathias at second to end the inning. Tigers 4, Rangers 1.

Top of Fifth

Keuchel came out for a fifth inning of work and started by facing Reyes, who hit a gap shot into left-center field for a double. Báez then grounded down the first-based line, where Lowe dove to make the grab on the grounder and then tossed it to Keuchel at first base for the first out. Reyes did advance to third. Haase then hit an RBI sacrifice fly to Taveras in center, scoring Reyes. Willi Castro was next up, and he flew out to Garcia in right to end the inning. Tigers 5, Rangers 1.

Bottom of Fifth

Thompson tried to bunt on base to lead off, but he was thrown out at first by Harold Castro. Semien popped out to Short at second base, and Seager ended the inning with a groundout to Harold Castro. Tigers 5, Rangers 1. 

Top of Sixth

Keuchel came out for a sixth inning to face Harold Castro. He hit a tapper to the left side that Duran tried to backhand it but was unable to pick it up cleanly and Castro reached on a single. Candelario then followed with a first-pitch home run to the Tigers’ bullpen in left field to score Castro and push the Tigers’ lead to six runs. With Barnhart at the plate, action started in the Rangers’ bullpen. Barnhart grounded out to Seager for the first out. Short drew a walk and that brought Rangers manager Tony Beasley to make a pitching change.

Rangers Pitching Change: Dennis Santana for Dallas Keuchel.

With one out and a runner at first base, Santana faced the top of the Tigers’ order. Greene struck out looking. Reyes hit a slow groundout to Santana, who tossed it to Lowe for the third out. Tigers 7, Rangers 1.

Keuchel Pitching Line: 5 1/3 innings, 11 hits, seven runs (earned), one walk, one strikeout, 96 pitches, 69 strikes.

Bottom of Sixth

Lowe led off with an opposite-field single to left field. García then hit an infield base hit to extend his hitting streak to 23 games. He hit a sharp ground ball down the third-base line to Candelario, who tried to handle it but couldn’t on a short hop he had to try and back hand. García’s hit was scored a single. Heim flew out to Greene in single. Taveras lined out to Short, who doubled up Lowe at second base to end the inning. Tigers 7, Rangers 1. 

Top of Seventh

Báez led off by striking out against Santana, out for his first full inning of relief. Haase walked, followed by a fly out by Willi Castro to left field for the second out. Harold Castro was next and he struck out swinging. Tigers 7, Rangers 1.

Bottom of Seventh

Tigers Pitching Change: Will Vest for Eduardo Rodriguez

Rodriguez Pitching Line: Six innings, six hits, one run (earned), three walks, two strikeouts, 78 pitches, 48 strikes.

Vest, a product of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, struck out Mathias and Duran to start his relief stint. That brought up Thompson, who also struck out to end the inning. Tigers 7, Rangers 1. 

Top of Eighth

Rangers Pitching Change: Josh Sborz for Dennis Santana

Santana Pitching Line: 1 2/3 innings, no hits, no runs, one walk, three strikeouts, 26 pitches, 18 strikes.

Sborz started the inning by giving up a double to Candelario, who homered earlier in the game. Barnhart singled to move Candelario to third. Short flew out to Taveras, but his sacrifice fly scored Candelario. Barnhart advanced to second on a Sborz wild pitch, which was followed by Greene’s strikeout swinging. Reyes struck out swinging to end the inning. Tigers 8, Rangers 1.

Bottom of Eighth

Tigers pitching change: Joe Jimenez for Will Vest

Vest Pitching Line: One inning, no hits, no runs, no walk, three strikeouts, 13 pitches, nine strikes.

Jimenez started his stint by giving up a single to Semien. Seager then grounded into a double play to wipe out Semien’s hit. Lowe struck out to end the inning. Tigers 8, Rangers 1.

Top of Ninth

Sborz began his second inning of relief by facing Baez, who walked. Haase followed with his ninth-home run of the season, a two-run shot that put the Tigers in double digits. Willi Castro doubled down the third-base line, which prompted action in the Rangers’ bullpen. Harold Castro hit a single to right field, which moved Willi Castro to third base for the Tigers’ 16th hit of the game. That prompted a Rangers pitching change.

Rangers Pitching Change: Brett Martin for Josh Sborz.

Candelario faced Martin with two runners on and no one out. He grounded into a fielder’s choice that led to Harold Castro being forced out at second base but allowed Willi Castro to score. Barnhart singled to right field, which moved Candelario to second base. Short flew out to Garcia in right field for the second out. Greene singled to left field to load the bases for Reyes. Reyes grounded out to Duran to end the inning. Tigers 11, Rangers 1.

Sborz Pitching Line: One inning, five hits, four runs (earned), one walk, two strikeouts, 35 pitches, 22 strikes. 

Bottom of Ninth

Tigers Pitching Change: Daniel Norris for Joe Jimenez

Jimenez Pitching Line: One inning, no hits, no run, no walks, one strikeout, 14 pitches, nine strikes.

García led off the inning with his 21st home run of the season. Norris then hit Heim with a pitch. Taveras then struck out. Mathias followed with a sharp grounder to Short at shortstop. He did a great job with a diving backhand grab but couldn’t get it out of his glove quickly enough to force Heim out at second. Mathias was credited with a single. Duran popped up in the infield for the second out. Thompson ended the game with a swinging strikeout. Final: Tigers 11, Rangers 2.