ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers scored 2 of their 3 runs Tuesday night on sacrifice flies by Elias Díaz and Wyatt Langford in the fourth inning. They did not score after that and lost 6-3 to the New York Mets at Globe Life Field.
Brandon Nimmo led off the fourth with a single, and Sean Manaea hit two batters in the inning. The sacrifice flies put Texas ahead 3-2. Manaea (6-7) worked 6 innings and allowed 3 hits and 2 earned runs, with 9 strikeouts.
“I do feel like there was a couple really good at-bats… and unfortunately it was some sac flies,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “Even though the run scored, man, Díaz hit that ball really well, got to the track. Wyatt Langford smoked that ball right to the track. Duran smoked that ball, right, I mean, I felt like they took some quality at-bats. It wasn’t like some check swings and back to the pitcher.”
“But we did strike out probably too many times, and that was the unfortunate part,” Schumaker continued. “But I do feel like there was some good at-bats with the runners in scoring position. We just didn’t get a crooked number. We got a couple runs, just didn’t get the crooked number.”
Josh Jung Doubles In The Third
The first Texas run came in the third inning, when Josh Jung hit an RBI double to tie it 1-1. The Rangers activated Jung from the 10-day injured list Sept. 12 after a left calf strain. He hit .294/.361/.441 with 9 home runs, 23 doubles, and 35 RBI over 92 games before the injury.
Nimmo finished with 2 hits. Ezequiel Duran, whose at-bat Schumaker singled out, scored on Langford’s sacrifice fly. Kodai Senga pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Skip Schumaker Points To The Arizona And Boston Series
Texas gained four games on the Houston Astros in the American League West from Sept. 12 through Monday. That run included series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays.
“I think they have stepped up in the last couple series,” Schumaker explained. “I mean, the Arizona series they stepped up. Against Boston they stepped up. Last series they stepped up. And, again, we had chances to put up crooked numbers with different guys up.”
“And I really do think they put good swings at times to put the crooked number up,” Schumaker continued. “We just got the sac fly instead. And again, I’ll take the run scored. Going to Evo with the lead, I’ll take that. We just couldn’t hold it.”
The Mets scored 3 runs off Nathan Eovaldi in the sixth and added 1 in the seventh. Texas (78-79) is tied with Houston for first place, and the Astros own the tiebreaker. The Rangers and Mets play again Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. CT.
