The Texas Rangers won for just the second time in their last 11 games with a 4-3 victory over the New York Mets on Monday night in New York.
After home runs from Brandon Nimmo and DJ Stewart gave the Mets a 3-0 lead through five innings, Adolis Garcia’s RBI double in the sixth got the Rangers on the board. Robbie Grossman cut the deficit to one in the eighth, and Nathaniel Lowe delivered a clutch two-run single in the ninth.
“Huge win,” manager Bruce Bochy said postgame. “That’s one of the biggest hits we’ve had this year. You go through a rut like this, you need somebody to pick you up, and it wasn’t just him.”
Starting pitcher Jon Gray threw six innings, striking out nine while allowing three runs on the two home runs.
“Jon Gray [had] really good stuff,” Bochy remarked. “A couple mistakes left the ballpark, but he really pounded the strike zone.”
Martin Perez, a former starter, entered the game out of the bullpen in the seventh and pitched two hitless innings to keep the Rangers in the game. Jose LeClerc, who had been removed from the closer role earlier this season, came in and stymied the middle of the Mets’ order to earn the save, which Rangers’ pitching has struggled to do this season.
“It felt really good for me,” LeClerc told the media after the game. “It’s been a long time since I’ve pitched in the ninth inning in a close game. I felt a little pressure, I’m not going to lie, but I was excited about it. Hopefully, I get another chance.”
The Rangers entered the game losers of nine of their last team games, including an eight-game losing streak that was snapped on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. Now, after losing the division lead they had held since April to the Seattle Mariners, they have won two of their last three and sit in a second-place tie with the Houston Astros in the American League West with 31 games remaining.
While the division lead is gone, the division title is still attainable, and the Rangers currently hold the second of three wildcard spots in the American League.
Texas (74-57) continues its series against the Mets (60-72) at 6:10 p.m. CT on Tuesday. Andrew Heaney (9-6, 4.34 ERA) will take the mound against New York’s Jose Quintana (1-5, 3.73 ERA).
