The Texas Rangers hope their newfound offensive prowess doesn’t abandon them when they clash with the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday afternoon in the second contest of a three-game interleague series in Arlington, Texas.
The Cardinals will begin the game with right hander Sonny Gray (5-1, 4.06 ERA) while Texas will counter with left-hander Patrick Corbin (3-3, 3.75).
The Rangers won 11-1 in the series opener on Friday as Josh Jung and Sam Haggerty drove in three runs apiece and Wyatt Langford and Marcus Semien each added a two-run homer. Semien finished with four hits, and Jung and Haggerty both had three.
The 11-run outburst was the Texas’ largest since April 29 and more than the team’s run total from the previous four games combined.
St. Louis was out-hit 15-5 in the loss and made no noise until the eighth inning, when Lars Nootbaar doubled home Victor Scott II with the team’s lone run.
The Cardinals hope Gray can get them back on track. He has alternated between wins and no-decisions over his past four starts, with his most recent appearance producing the latter in a Cardinals’ 4-3 home victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. Gray allowed three runs on nine hits over six innings in that game, striking out five without a walk.
In his first 11 starts this year, Gray has allowed three or fewer runs in eight of his appearances and five, six, and seven runs in the other three. His only loss came on May 2 at home against the New York Mets when he gave up six runs (four earned) in 4 1/3 innings, his shortest stint of the year.
Gray’s success this year has been a huge part of the Cardinals’ resurgence.
“It been about letting everybody be themselves and not putting all this unreasonable amounts of pressure or (making) everybody be a certain way and this and that — just letting guys go play,” Gray said. “Trying to create an environment where they can thrive and feel comfortable on a daily basis.”
Gray has made 18 career appearances (17 starts) against Texas, amassing a 10-5 record and a 3.05 ERA in 112 innings.
Corbin, signed late in spring training, has been surprisingly solid despite posting just one win over his past six starts. His most recent outing, on Sunday in a game Texas won 5-4 against the host Chicago White Sox, resulted in a no-decision. Corbin lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out six.
The 35-year-old veteran has surrendered three runs or fewer in all nine of his starts.
“I’m locating better, throwing better pitches in better counts and striking to the game plan,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said.
Bochy added, “Patrick has done a magnificent job since we got him. He has the ability to pitch and uses the sinker inside and out. He has a feel for off-speed pitches.”
In nine all-time appearances (all starts) against St. Louis, Corbin is 2-2 with a 3.81 ERA over 52 innings.
–Field Level Media
