ARLINGTON, Texas — MacKenzie Gore can most likely make another start before the regular season ends, Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Wednesday.
The left-hander worked 5 innings against the New York Mets on Tuesday night and left with a 3-2 lead. Texas lost 6-3. Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field would fall on four days’ rest for Gore, with first pitch set for 2:10 p.m. CT.
Schumaker spoke on The Skip Schumaker Show, the pregame segment Rangers Sports Network posts before games, ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Mets at Globe Life Field.
Gore allowed 4 hits and 1 earned run, walked 1, and struck out 2 on 77 pitches. The second Mets run against him was unearned. Six days earlier, muscle spasms in his back and shoulder ended his start against the Boston Red Sox after 4-plus innings and 69 pitches.
“The word that keeps coming to my mind when watching MacKenzie Gore again this morning and the outing on video was gutsy,” Schumaker said. “I mean, he had, from what he came from, the outing before, going literally one inning and giving us 75-plus pitches, five innings, and coming out with a lead was all I could really ask for and the team could ask for. And we didn’t play real clean behind him either. He still gutted through it and gave us a chance to win.”
“And that’s really what we’re hoping for and handed off to our bullpen,” Schumaker continued. “Just unfortunately, we couldn’t hold the lead, but it was encouraging to know that MacKenzie can make another start, most likely, after this one.”
Nathan Eovaldi took over in the sixth, making his fourth relief appearance since coming off the injured list. A two-run double by Francisco Alvarez put New York ahead for good in Tuesday’s 6-3 loss.
The loss dropped Texas into a tie with the Houston Astros atop the American League West. Both teams are 78-79 with five games left. Houston won the season series 9-4 and holds the tiebreaker.
MacKenzie Gore Stays In After Second-Inning Mound Visit
Gore walked Francisco Lindor on four pitches in the second inning. Schumaker, pitching coach Jordan Tiegs, and head trainer Matt Lucero then went to the mound, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reported. Gore’s velocity was down multiple ticks across the board, according to Landry.
It was the second straight start in which the Rangers’ staff checked on Gore in the second inning. Against Boston on Sept. 16, he grabbed at his back after a 2-1 pitch and stayed in the game with his velocity down. On Tuesday, Gore was shaking a little on the mound when Schumaker went out.
“That’s why [we] went out, yes,” Schumaker explained. “And I think you’re always kind of holding your breath a little bit because you pulled him the game before. And when you see him kind of shaking a little bit, you’re making sure that he’s not hurt. And that’s the last thing I want to do is put a guy out there that is injured and just trying to do whatever he can to help the team win.”
“But there is injury concern,” Schumaker continued. “But there wasn’t anything. He’s feeling a little bit fatigued, but still felt like he could go. And he provided two more innings after that.”
After Tuesday’s game, Schumaker said Gore’s fastball reached 94 to 96 mph in his final inning. Gore said he felt he had figured out how to deal with the spasms, Landry reported.
MacKenzie Gore’s Workload In His First Season With Texas Rangers
Tuesday was Gore’s 33rd start of the season. A start Sunday would be his 34th. He entered Tuesday 8-11 with a 4.67 ERA over 165 2/3 innings and did not factor in the decision against the Mets.
Texas acquired Gore from the Washington Nationals in January, a year after he made his first All-Star team. After the Boston start, Schumaker compared the spasms to what forced Gore out after one inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 18. Gore left that start with left lat tightness.
On Monday, Gore played catch at Globe Life Field and felt really good, Schumaker said before Tuesday’s start.
Left-hander Cody Bradford starts for Texas on Wednesday against Mets rookie right-hander Nolan McLean at 7:05 p.m. CT. The series ends Thursday at 1:35 p.m. CT, and the Rangers close the regular season with three games in Minnesota beginning Friday.
