Thoughts on a 2-0 Rangers loss
TL;DR
The Texas Rangers lost 2-0 to the Houston Astros, managing only one hit in the game. Jack Leiter had a strong performance on the mound, but the Rangers struggled offensively with missed scoring opportunities.
Key points
- Texas Rangers lost 2-0 to Houston Astros
- Rangers only managed one hit in the game
- Jack Leiter pitched seven innings with three hits allowed
- Justin Foscue broke up a no-hitter but was picked off
- Rangers had limited scoring opportunities
- Well, at least they didn’t get no hit.
- Still, an ignominious way to start the road trip, getting one-hit by the team with the worst pitching staff in baseball this year.
- Justin Foscue being the guy who broke up the no hitter was kind of funny.
- Justin Foscue then being picked off of first base — when there was a runner at second, to boot — was less funny.
- Ezequiel Duran was at the plate with a 2-0 count, Alejandro Osuna at second and Foscue at first when Foscue was picked off. That was one of the Rangers’ best scoring opportunities of the game.
- The best scoring opportunity came in the fifth. Jake Burger drew a one out walk, and then Alejandro Osuna lined a ball into the gap the other way that looked like it was going to be a double. Zach Dezenzo made a great diving catch on it, for the second out.
- Burger then stole second, and Kyle Higashioka reached on an E5 to put runners on the corners with two outs for Foscue, who grounded out to end the inning.
- Those were, really, the only meaningful scoring opportunities the Rangers had in the game.
- Per Statcast, the Rangers had an xBA in the game of .161, which meant that they would have been expected to have 4 hits in their 27 at bats, rather than 1 hit.
- Not that that would have been that much better.
- The offensive underperformance overshadowed a very solid outing from Jack Leiter, who went seven innings, with an Isaac Paredes homer into the Crawford Boxes accounting for the one run he gave up.
- Leiter only allowed three hits himself in the game, along with three walks. Interestingly, he used his fastball a little less often than usual, mixing in his sinker more than he has most of this year. I’m curious if this was a one off, or if we’ll see that more often going forward.
- Cole Winn allowed a run on a hit by pitch and two singles, but also struck out three batters in the inning, so we can all start up the “did he strike out the side?” debate again.
- Jack Leiter hit 97.9 mph with his fastball, averaging 96.6 mph. Cole Winn’s fastball maxed out at 96.9 mph.
- Evan Carter had a 103.0 mph fly out. Justin Foscue had a 102.4 mph ground out. Alejandro Osuna had a 101.0 mph fly out.
- Shake it off. Move on to the next one.
Q&A
What were the key moments in the Rangers' 2-0 loss to the Astros?
Key moments included Justin Foscue breaking up a no-hitter but getting picked off first base, and a diving catch by Zach Dezenzo that thwarted a potential scoring opportunity.
How did Jack Leiter perform in the game against the Astros?
Jack Leiter pitched seven innings, allowing only one run on three hits and striking out several batters while averaging 96.6 mph on his fastball.
What does the Rangers' offensive performance indicate about their season?
The Rangers' offensive struggles, highlighted by an expected batting average (xBA) of .161, suggest ongoing challenges in generating hits and scoring runs.
