PHILADELPHIA — In the eighth inning of a one-run game Tuesday, Bruce Bochy turned to rookie reliever Cole Winn.
It did not work out.
Winn allowed two runs. The Rangers lost 5-2. They have a losing record.
It did, however, once again highlight the great missing link in the Rangers’ bullpen. They lack reliable guys to pitch when they are behind. Bochy is going to save 39-year-old David Robertson and 37-year-old Kirby Yates for leverage situations. And if one of them isn’t available, he’s going to hold José Leclerc in reserve.
That currently leaves him to choose from: Shaun Anderson, Grant Anderson, Jonathan Hernández, Yerry Rodriguez or Winn. In other words: Crapshoot. Who would you choose? And why? Rodriguez was great last week with six innings of work. Does that qualify as the hot hand? It’s just not a comfortable spot to be in.
Here are a few other VERY IMPORTANT final thoughts:
Most adventurous evening: Ezequiel Duran saved a run by throwing a laser beam home in the fifth inning to cut down Brandon Marsh for the final out. It was maybe the best throw Duran has made as a major leaguer. But he’s still very much a neophyte in the outfield, evidenced by the two plays he had in the eighth where he overran line drives by Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott. Fortunately, he was able to reach back and still make the catch on both balls. It was, well, entertaining.
But he also failed when a productive out was needed. The Rangers are not slugging right now and they need to take advantage of run-scoring opportunities. When Duran came to the plate in the fourth inning of a 1-1 game after Jonah Heim led off with a double, the Rangers needed, at the very least, a ball hit to the right side. Duran could not deliver, bouncing a ball to third. Heim ended up stranded at third. The Phillies took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Right now, it’s the little things.
Worst rookie trend: Tuesday was a day when it looked like Evan Carter didn’t have a role on the team, which would be a scary thought. He didn’t start against lefty Ranger Suarez, the sixth consecutive time he hasn’t started when an opponent started a lefty. But he wasn’t used when a right-hander came in either.
The situation: In the eighth, the Phillies turned to Jeff Hoffman to replace Suarez. The Rangers drew within a run on Corey Seager’s one-out homer bringing up Robbie Grossman’s spot. Grossman hits lefties, but he’s going to come out late in games with a right-hander on the mound. Only the pinch-hitting choice was Travis Jankowski, not Carter. Both are left-handed.
Bochy explained postgame that Jankowski is “our best pinch hitter and one of our most experienced players.” True and true. Jankowski went into the at-bat 6 for 19 as a pinch hitter since joining the Rangers in 2023. But it did highlight this, too: Carter isn’t a great pinch-hitting option right now on days he doesn’t start. He’s 0 for 7 in his career as a pinch hitter with five strikeouts.
Worst statistical cherry-picking: Facing the Phillies is a reminder that the Rangers, relatively-speaking, don’t have many hard throwers. As a staff, Philadelphia had thrown 547 pitches 97-mph or harder this season, fourth most in the majors. The Rangers: 149, which was 25th. In a game where velocity appears to be king right now, the Rangers don’t rule the field.
Most useless opinion: Sometimes people actually take an interest in my job and ask questions like: Do you get free beer in the press box? (No!) Or where is the best press box food? (Why, I don’t know).
But let me, for the record state this: Nobody does it better than the Phillies. The available choices are always inspired and varied. And they have Frankie “Two Scoops” the ice cream man dishing out ice cream in the back. The salted caramel with pretzels is the best. It’s a warm and welcoming atmosphere. So, there. The more you know.
Twitter: @Evan_P_Grant
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