ARLINGTON, Texas — Cal Quantrill said the Texas Rangers are frustrated with how they have played on the road, and that he does not want anything left in the tank in September.
Quantrill spoke after allowing 2 singles and 2 walks over 7 scoreless innings in a 6-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night at Globe Life Field.
“I think the end is in sight,” Quantrill said. “We have bigger ambitions than the regular season. I think that we’re well aware of how important each one of these games is. I think that we’re frustrated with how we’ve played on the road and we want to make sure that we’re not throwing away a good opportunity here. At least for myself, I know how important these games are and I want to make sure that there’s nothing left in the tank as we get into September. It’s rewarding but we have a job to do here.”
Cal Quantrill And The Texas Rangers Wild-Card Picture
Texas went 2-4 on its most recent trip, dropping two of three at Chicago and two of three at Milwaukee before returning to Arlington to face the Athletics.
The Rangers are 70-71 and sit one-half game behind Cleveland for the American League’s final wild-card spot. They trail first-place Houston in the West by 2 games. Baseball Reference gives Texas a 21.0% chance of reaching the postseason.
Quantrill improved to 7-5 with the win. He entered Thursday with a 3.01 ERA over 28 appearances, 11 of them starts, and 89 2/3 innings.
Since July 28 at Tampa Bay, Quantrill has a 1.25 ERA over 8 outings, 7 of them starts. His ERA in 7 career starts against the Rays is 1.77.
Quantrill was named the Rangers’ Player of the Month for August, an award voted on by the media members and broadcasters who cover the team on a regular basis. It was his first monthly award with Texas, and he posted a 1.45 ERA over 31 innings last month.
Cal Quantrill’s Path From A Minor League Deal Into The Rotation
The Rangers signed Quantrill to a minor league contract on Jan. 29 and included an invitation to major league spring training. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News first reported the deal.
Texas reassigned him to minor league camp on March 25 and opened the season with Kumar Rocker in the fifth rotation spot. Quantrill made six relief appearances for Triple-A Round Rock, going 1-0 with one save, a 2.70 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts against 2 walks.
The Rangers selected his contract from Round Rock on April 15, before a game against the Athletics in West Sacramento. He worked in long relief and then as a leverage arm before injuries to Jack Leiter and Nathan Eovaldi moved him into the rotation. Leiter is on the 60-day injured list and Eovaldi is on the 15-day injured list.
What Is Left On the Texas Rangers Schedule
Quantrill has 21 games left on the schedule to add to his case. Texas plays three more against the Rays, then travels to Seattle and Arizona before a homestand against Boston, Toronto, and the New York Mets.
Friday’s game is at 7:05 p.m. CT at Globe Life Field on Rangers Sports Network. Right-hander Trevor Williams is the Rangers’ scheduled opener, and Rays right-hander Nick Martinez (13-4, 2.99 ERA) is set to start for Tampa Bay.
