Texas Rangers Offense Explodes on Opening Day

The Texas Rangers scored nine runs in the fourth inning, including a three-run home run from outfielder Robbie Grossman.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Opening Day was supposed to be a new day for the Texas Rangers. A true, legitimate pitching ace in Jacob deGrom, a two-time Cy Young winner, on the mound.

Turns out the Rangers had to win this one the old-fashioned way — with a whole lot of offense — in an 11-7 victory Thursday over the Philadelphia Phillies at Globe Life Field.

In doing so, the Rangers did something no team had done since Opening Day 1997 — score at least nine runs in an inning. The last time that happened was in 1997, when the San Diego Padres unloaded 11 runs on the New York Mets. The Padres won that game 12-5.

The Padres manager that day was the same as the Rangers manager on Opening Day — Bruce Bochy, who was making his Texas debut.

Bochy admitted he didn’t remember much about that game in 1997. But offensive rallies like Thursday’s are special.

“It just gets contagious (offense),” Bochy said. “We felt like we couldn’t make three outs. That’s how contagious it got in that inning. You pass the baton to the next guy and they came through for us.”

Plus, the Rangers’ rally came after they closed the roof at Globe Life Field due to incoming weather. It was the first time a game at Globe Life Field started with the roof open and ended with it closed.

All nine Rangers starters scored at least once on Thursday. Texas batted around in the bottom of the fourth after being down 5-0. Phillies starter Aaron Nola (0-1) no-hit the Rangers for three innings.

Texas sent 11 hitters to the plate as Robbie Grossman’s three-run home run tied the game at 5-5. Nola left after the following hitter, Brad Miller, grounded out.

With two outs, the Rangers continued to pour on runs, chasing off a second pitcher, reliever Gregory Soto, who took the loss. The Rangers loaded the bases again at 5-5 and a Nathaniel Lowe single scored the go-ahead run. Semien scored on a passed all by with Phillies reliever Connor Brogdon, followed by Adolis García’s two-run single to make it 9-5. He was thrown out at second trying to advance.

Semien, García and Heim had two hits each. Miller hit a two-run home run in the fifth. The only two Rangers starters that didn’t have a hit — Josh Jung and Josh Smith — both walked in the fourth and later scored.

The Rangers offense turned deGrom’s tepid debut into a footnote.

“Today I had a down day and they picked me up,” deGrom said. “That’s important. You’re out there with the same goal in mind. You go out there every day trying to win and the offense did a good job picking me up.”

deGrom threw 72 pitches, right around the 75 Bochy was hoping for. At times, deGrom looked efficient. He struck out six and started the game with a 10-pitch first inning in which he struck out Philadelphia’s Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto.

But the first inning was as good as it got. He gave up a two-run home run to Alec Bohm in the second inning. He gave up back-to-back triples by Brandon Marsh and Turner in the third, along with an RBI double to Realmuto. In the fourth, before he was pulled for Cole Ragans, he gave up a Bohm double, and he later scored on a Marsh double.

deGrom went 3 2/3 innings, gave up six hits, five runs (all earned) and struck out seven. Before Thursday, deGrom hadn’t given up a run in three previous Opening Day starts. Nola, oddly, worked the same amount and gave up the same amount of runs.

For his 1/3 inning of work, Ragans ended up with his first Major League win, the beneficiary of the Rangers’ incredible fourth inning.

The Rangers’ bullpen made the lead hold up. Brock Burke and Jonathan Hernández each worked two innings, giving up a combined four hits and two runs while striking out five. José Leclerc worked a scoreless ninth inning to close out the game.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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