RECAP: Pitching Struggles in Texas Rangers 9-8 Win

The Texas Rangers faced off against the Miami Marlins on Saturday afternoon in Game 2 of their three-game series.

Jon Gray returned to the rotation after being out for a few weeks.

The Marlins pushed across 3 runs in the top of the third, and the Rangers went quietly. The Marlins added two more in the 4th and led 5-0. Jon Gray was struggling with his command.

The Rangers got on the board with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning.

Gray settled down in the 5th, and after a 1-2-3 top of the 5th, the Rangers scored 4 more runs in the bottom off a Seager 2-run jack and a Jung 2-run homer, making the score 7-5 Rangers.

The Rangers added another run in the 7th and 1 more in the 8th to make it 9-6 going into the 9th.

Aroldis Chapman struggled but got out of the 8th unscathed.

Will Smith struggled in the 9th; after giving up a walk, he gave up a 2-run shot to Jake Berger to make the score 9-8.

Smith got the last two outs, and the Rangers hung on to win 9-8.

“It’s nice to know, getting down by 5 runs, you know, that this team can always fight back,” Bochy said after the game.

“We never feel like we are out of it with our offense.”

Jon Gray had not pitched in 11 days, and his command was a little rusty. He pulled it together in 5th with a nice 1-2-3 inning before leaving with one out in the 6th.

The Rangers’ offense showed once again that no deficit is enough to stop them. Homers from Corey Seager, Robbie Grossman, and Josh Jung helped lift the offense to their 9-run outburst. Only Adolis Garcia, Ezequiel Duran, and Austin Hedges went hitless, and Hedges had a nice sacrifice bunt late in the game.

The Astros lost to the Yankees today, and the Rangers took advantage of it by winning and extending their lead in the American League West to 2.5 games.

It is becoming evident that the Rangers are a different team at home than they are on the road. They seem to have no trouble putting up runs at Globe Life Field.