The Rangers wrapped up a seven-game road trip on June 12 and, after losing a series to the Guardians in Cleveland by a 1-2 clip, earned the series win over the White Sox in Chicago, taking two of three games, taking the finale with Southsiders 8-6 in extra innings.
“That was an amazing, hard-fought game,” Rangers skipper Chris Woodward told MLB.com. “There’s so many things that went into that game. Jon Gray was good, the rest of our bullpen did a good job and Kolby Allard hasn’t pitched in 10 days and then comes in and wins the game for us.”
Texas used five pitchers in victory as Grey, the game’s starting pitcher for Texas, hurled six innings and allowed one earned run on three hits while walking three and fanning 10. Gray gave way to Garret Richards, who earned his first hold of the season after earning one out in the seventh (allowing two runs, one he inherited from Gray.) Dennis Santana was next out of the pen for Texas and blew his first save of the season after allowing one of Richard’s runners to plate.
Eli White belted a homer with a runner on first to give Texas their first lead of the day, 2-1 (White’s third long-ball of the season.) White picked up his third RBI of the day when he hit a sac-fly to right field and scored Nathaniel Lowe, who got aboard on a single. The run gave the Rangers a 3-1 cushion after four innings.
Chicago notched two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the score would remain knotted 3-3 through regulation and into extra innings.
The Texas sticks came alive in the top of the eleventh inning as Marcus Semien scratched out a lead-off single in the frame. John Heim – who led the inning as the phantom runner at second – moved to third on the Simien’s single.
Ezequiel Duran, the 23-year-old second basemen hailing from the Dominican Republic, hit his second career home run following Simien’s single, driving in three runs. Duran looked to almost take a knee on the home-run swing, reaching down Loew before smacking the rawhide over the left-center fence. (Duran earned his 10th RBI on the hit.)
Rangers reliever Job Barlow replaced John King on the mound for the Rangers. After tossing two scoreless innings, King paved the way for Barlow’s save attempt. The White Sox would not go quietly, however, and posted a three-spot in the bottom of the 11th off Barlow earning the Rangers closer his second blown save of the season.
Tied at six in the top of 12, Adolis Garcia spanked a single to left, pushing phantom runner Corey Seager from third. Jonah Hiem followed suit with a single of his own to left field, scoring two, earning the catcher his 22nd RBI of the year, and giving the team an 8-6 lead.
Rangers’ reliever Kolby Allard – pitching in his 61st career game – earned the first save of his career closer the door on Chicago, one two three in a perfect inning. After suffering the blown save, Barlow earned the win to push his record to 2-1 on the season and 2-3 lifetime.
The Texas victory moves the Rangers’ record to 28-31 on the season and drops the Sox to 27-31. The Rangers now trail AL frontrunner Houston by 8.5 games but move into second place ahead of Anaheim (29-33) by a half-game in the standings.
The first-place Astros bring their first-place show to Arlington on June 13 to face the Rangers starting at 7:05 p.m. The first 15,000 guests through the gates will receive Adolis Garcia bobbleheads. Projected starters for the Astros-Rangers tilt on Monday are Cristian Javier (3-3, 3.22) for Houston and Taylor Hearn (4-4, 5.40) for Texas.