The Texas Rangers scored two runs while the Colorado Rockies scored one run.
Welcome back, early April Rangers. That version of the club got off to a quick start to the season by winning low-scoring, one-run games with relative ease.
Tonight’s game wasn’t especially easy. These Rangers who hit eight dingers in their last two games seemed to leave the power surge in Detroit. In fact, Texas didn’t even have a base hit through 5 2⁄3 innings and seemed in danger of the embarrassment of leaving Tyler Mahle hanging for a potential 1-0 loss to a seven-win Colorado club.
Tonight’s Rockies’ starter Chase Dollander was a heralded first-round pick for a reason, you’d expect. In many ways, he’s Colorado’s Jack Leiter. A former SEC weekend star pitcher who is trying to transition easy success in college to the big leagues. Nevertheless, Dollander came into the contest sporting a ghastly 7.71 ERA through six career starts.
The best outing of Dollander’s early career thus far was 5 2⁄3 innings of one-run ball against Atlanta in his final start of April. However, his last time out, against a Detroit team that the Rangers more recently shut down, Dollander allowed six runs in three innings.
Against Texas Dollander made it six innings and allowed just one hit. Of course, that one hit ended up being the difference in the game as Wyatt Langford smacked a two-run home run into the Texas bullpen. That blast turned a 1-0 deficit into the eventual 2-1 final score.
In holding on to beat the Rockies in the opener, the Rangers have climbed back to .500 and have their first three-game winning streak since sweeping Anaheim back in mid-April.
Player of the Game:
Up Next: More Rangers and Rockies from Arlington with RHP Jack Leiter next up to start for Texas against LHP Kyle Freeland for Colorado.
The Tuesday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CT and will be telecast via the Rangers Sports Network.