Texas fell to the visiting Guardians on Friday in Arlington, 6-3, and Rangers’ righty reliever and Royce City native Taylor Hearn had an outing he’d likely soon forget.
The team’s Roberto Clemente award nominee this season, Hearn couched-up five runs on six hits while getting only a lone batter out in the loss. He came into the game against the Guardians and asked to protect a 2-1 lead he inherited from Texas starter John Gray in the top of the sixth inning.
Gray was effective in his outing, allowing a single run on a single hit with one base on balls and a strikeout. The 30-year-old pitcher who has had injury issues this year came into the game with a 7-7 record. Gray is in his first year as a Ranger and had lost three games in a row.
Texas clung to a 2-1 lead heading into the sixth inning. They built the lead on a two-out RBI single in the second inning by Kevin Plawecki (the newest Ranger), which led to a Cleveland throwing error that Leody Taveras hustled around third to score on.
Hearn’s rough sixth inning was uncharacteristic as he entered the game allowing only two runs in September 9.1 innings pitched, including a two-inning effort against Houston on September 6, where he earned his sixth game of the season.
Hearn gave up five singles and a double in the sixth and collected just one out before being yanked from the contest and replaced by Jesus Tinoco, who got the final two outs of the inning to stop the scoring spree.
Tinoco pitched another scoreless inning in the seventh and was joined by bullpen mates John Barlow and Dennis Santana, who each tossed scoreless frames of their own in the loss.
Cleveland moves their magic number to three games in the AL Central as the postseason looms with the win. The Guardians got five innings of pitching from Cody Morris, who earned his first career win for his effort allowing one earned run on four hits with two walks and five punchouts.
The loss ends the Rangers’ two-game winning streak and drops the team to 65-85.
The two teams tango again on Saturday, September 24, at Globe Life Filed, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT on 50th Anniversary Juan Gonzalez Bobble Head Night.
Probable pitchers for the game are Cal Quantrill (13-5, 3.56) for Cleveland and Glenn Otto (6-9, 4.88.)
