The Rangers earned their way back into the win column on June 4 as Adolis García belted a three-run roundtrip shot. Glen Otto pitched five solid innings and was followed by four relievers, who combined to toss four scoreless innings in Texas’ 3-2 win over visiting Seattle.
“We know that our pitching is going to keep us in games,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “I would like us to get better offensively, you know, just put a little bit more pressure at times, but that’s not always gonna happen.”
Otto ran his record to 4-2 on the season and dropped his ERA to 4.24 with the victory. The 26-year-old righty allowed two earned runs on two hits while walking five and striking out one. The two runs allowed by Otto were the results of a fifth-inning, two-run dinger from Jesse Winker that cut the Ranger lead to 3-2.
An inning earlier, García belted homerun number nine of the year and ran his RBI total to 35, leading the team in that category.
Garcia’s three-run shot in the fifth proved to be all the offense the Rangers would need as set-up men Dennis Santa (8), Matt Moore (2), and John King (7) all pitched scoreless innings and picked up holds in the victory.
“When we needed them, they came through, and at the end of the day, we’re shaking hands,” Woodard said of the bullpen. “It’s a big win for us ’cause, you know, the bullpen came in and shut the door, you know, four scoreless.”
The three relievers left Ranger closer, Joe Barlow, a chance to redeem himself after blowing a save opportunity in a 4-3 loss the night before against Seattle. Barlow pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out one for his 10th save on the season.
“Kudos to him,” Woodward said. “To get thrown in a day game after a night game, you know, it’s as quick on a turnover and turn around as you can get. I had zero thoughts of not putting them in there like honestly. Like, it was the easiest call in the world to put him back out there back out there.”
The win halts a three-game losing skid for the Rangers and runs their record to 25-27, earning Texas third place in the AL West, a game behind the second-place Angels, 8.5 games behind first-place Houston, and one game out of the final wildcard spot.
The Rangers will look for a series win in game three of the three-game set against the Mariners at Globe Life Field in Arlington on June 5, 1:35 CDT, on On-deck Circle Beach Towel Day, and towels will be given to the first 15,000 spectators through the gates. Probable starting pitchers for the Sunday tilt are George Kirby (1-1, 3.46) for Seattle and Texas ace Martín Pérez (4-2, 1.42) on the bump for the Rangers.