The Texas Rangers defeated the ’99-win team’ Tampa Bay Rays led by championship contractor Jordan Montgomery (31).
Texas won 4-0 in the first game of the wild card series against the Tampa Bay Rays held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA on the 4th (Korean time).
The main contributor to giving Texas its first postseason victory in a long time was definitely starting pitcher Montgomery. Texas strengthened its starting lineup by signing Max Scherzer and Montgomery in the transfer market ahead of the trade deadline last summer. Montgomery, who recorded 4 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 2.79 in 11 games after the transfer, was selected as the starter for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, and lived up to expectations by pitching 7 innings with 6 hits, no walks, 5 strikeouts, and no runs.
Texas took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning with Josh Young’s sacrifice fly RBI in a chance with one out and runners on first and third base. In the bottom of the second inning, Tampa Bay counterattacked right away by creating a chance with one out and runners on first and third base, but Jose Siri’s surprise bunt hit the infield, and Montgomery threw himself to catch the batted ball. After shaking off the shock of the diving catch, Montgomery ended the inning with a strikeout and escaped the crisis on his own.메이저사이트
Texas added one run in the top of the 5th inning with one out and bases loaded thanks to Tampa Bay starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow’s wild pitch, and in the top of the 6th inning with no outs and a chance on first and second base, Corey Seager hit a timely hit with an RBI and ran away to 4-0.
After Montgomery pitched 7 innings, Texas’ bullpen led by Aroldis Chapman (1 inning, 1 strikeout) and Jose LeClerk (1 inning, 1 walk, 1 strikeout) kept the remaining 2 innings scoreless and won 4-0. Tampa Bay lost the game with starting pitcher Glasnow allowing 4 hits, 5 walks, 8 strikeouts, and 4 runs (3 earned) in 5 innings.
It has been eight years since Texas won a fall baseball game. Texas first won two games against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2015 American League Division Series (ALDS) and then was eliminated with three consecutive losses. Texas, which met Toronto again in the 2016 ALDS, was eliminated with three straight losses and had no contact with fall baseball for the next five seasons. Texas, which enjoyed victory in the postseason stage after returning for the first time in a long time, is aiming to advance to the ALDS with Nathan Eovaldi as the starting pitcher for the second game, which will be held at the same venue at 4:08 a.m. on the 5th. Tampa Bay, on the verge of elimination, is trying to counterattack with Jack Applelin, tied for first place in AL wins (16 wins).