Texas Rangers' Jose Leclerc Surprised By Game 4 Action, Dane Dunning Expected More

Texas Rangers altered bullpen strategy after Andrew Heaney went five innings with a 10-run early lead, but Jose Leclerc still surprised by ninth-inning action

PHOENIX — Andrew Heaney's solid five-inning start and the Texas Rangers' early 10-run explosion in Game 4 of the World Series altered how manager Bruce Bochy used is bullpen.

A little bit, at least.

For his third the third time in the World Series, Dane Dunning worked an inning or less — a scoreless sixth against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tuesday's 11-7 Rangers win that moved the club to within a win of their first World Series title.

That could come with a Game 5 win at 7:03 p.m. (CT) Wednesday at Chase Field.

"I’m a one-inning guy now. It’s just how it is now," Dunning joked.

Rangers reliever pitched one inning in the World Series Game 4 win over the Diamondbacks / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

It was a fair assumption to think Dunning would throw another inning but with a 10-1 lead after six innings, Bochy likely decided Dunning, who threw 16 pitches, was better saved for a potential Game 5 title-clincher on Wednesday.

"The only thing I knew was I was probably going to follow Heaney and he had a great start," Dunning said. "I thought he did phenomenal. Our offense exploding for 10 runs probably changed how they looked at finishing this game off. I was expecting to go more than one. I got that one inning and he told me my job was done."

Closer Jose Leclerc didn't expect to see action at all with the Rangers leading by 10 entering the bottom of the eighth. But the D-Backs scored four in the inning.

Will Smith, who had pitched 2 2/3 innings the entire postseason, including 2/3 in the ninth in World Series Game 1 on Friday, started the ninth on Tuesday and quickly had two bases runners after a walk and single.

But Smith rebounded with strikeouts of Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll. They were at second and third with two outs when Bochy decided to use Leclerc for the right-hitting Gabriel Moreno.

"For me, it was [a surprise]," Leclerc said. "I thought I wasn’t going to be in. I thought after Moreno, if something happened, maybe I’d come in."

Moreno singled up the middle to drive in two runs and pull the D-Backs to within 11-7.

"It’s not an excuse, I should have made a better pitch," Leclerc said of his 84.3-mph slider off the outside edge of the plate that Moreno grounded up the middle. Leclerc threw 10 pitches, so he should be fully available in a closer situation on Wednesday.

Dunning hopes he's back on the mound in Game 5, too.

"I leave that in their control but hopefully, I get in the game [Wednesday], too," he said. "I don’t try to think of reasons, I don’t try to play GM, I just put the ball in their court and tell them I’m ready and go from there."

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You can follow Stefan Stevenson on Twitter @StefanVersusTex.

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