Thoughts on a 4-3 Rangers loss – Lone Star Ball
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Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images
Astros 4, Rangers 3
That was disappointing.
I don’t know that. I maybe should feel more down about this game than I actually do.
Jack Leiter took a no hitter into the seventh inning, only to have it ended with a two out home run by Yainer Diaz. The expectation is always that a no hitter is going to be ended, so the fact that there was not a no hitter isn’t all that disconcerting, even though it would have been nice if it had happened. Having it broken up by a home run, ending a shutout as well, makes it more unpleasant than it had to be, though.
I saw one of the beats describe this loss as a “bullpen meltdown,” which I don’t think is a real fair, or accurate, description of what transpired after the seventh inning. I’m sure that there are folks who feel that Jack Leiter shouldn’t have started the seventh inning in the first place, and that’s probably not really a warranted criticism, either.
Leiter was in control, had a low pitch count, was pitching well. It is understandable that, even though he had never thrown more than six innings in the majors before, he’d be sent out to start the eighth.
And really, the eighth inning, both top and bottom, is an example of how shit happens sometimes. Leiter allowed a not terribly hard hit single to Jake Meyers to start the inning. He had Cam Smith struck out after Meyers, got screwed by the home plate ump, and ended up giving up a pop fly that fell in for a single.
To the bullpen, and we have Chris Martin in the game. Martin, who left after one pitch earlier this week after having a pop in his elbow, left after one pitch in this game with shoulder soreness. Robert Garcia was summoned, retired the first two batters he faced easily, and then gave up an Isaac Paredes homer.
So Garcia is a member of the bullpen, he allowed the homer that won the game, and thus the “bullpen meltdown” mantra gets pulled out. The pitch that Garcia threw to Paredes was a changeup that probably wasn’t exactly where he wanted it, but also wasn’t a meatball. Paredes went down and got it and lofted a fly ball to left field that is the type of ball that gets caught most of the time. Not terribly well hit, lofted at a little higher angle than a hitter would like.
But because of where Paredes hit it, it snuck over the wall. and the Astros the lead for the first time in the game.
Bottom of the eighth, the Rangers put four balls in play and had a walk. Balls in play had exit velocities of 106.2, 104.6, 100.5, and 103.9. The xBA ranged from .440 to .780. One of the balls went for a single. The rest were caught for outs.
Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you.
Jack Leiter’s fastball topped out at 98.9 mph, averaging 97.6 mph. Robert Garcia’s fastball hit 93.8 mph. Luke Jackson touched 94.3 mph with his fastball.
Jake Burger had a 109.4 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 109.1 mph single. Wyatt Langford had a 106.2 mph line out and a 105.8 mph single. Josh Jung had a 104.6 mph line out. Sam Haggerty had a 104.0 mph single. Jonah Heim had a 103.9 mph fly out and a 100.8 mph fly out. Adolis Garcia had a 100.5 mph single.
So we have an off day, and then three in New York and three in Chicago. A split on the road trip would be good.
