The Texas Rangers came back to reality after Game 3 of the ALCS. After winning their first seven postseason games the Rangers headed home to Arlington and lost game three 8-5. The series is still led by Texas but is now at 2-1. For Game three, the Houston Astros proved to the baseball world who they are and that there is no sweeping the defending champions.
Scherzer’s Rough Outing
Game three was the 2023 postseason debut for Starting Pitcher Max Scherzer as he was sent to the season-ending injury list about a month and a half ago and was slated to miss the entire postseason. Max Scherzer is a 15-year MLB Veteran he is well known for his intensity and love for the game. Due to his aspirations, he was willing and able to ramp up the rehab process and get back to work with the Texas Rangers on the road to the pennant.
Although the highly anticipated return Scherzer’s mound performance went very similar to when he last saw the Houston order by going four innings letting up five hits and five runs. It was clear that Scherzer was fatigued after not pitching for an extended period of time and turning around to pitch a high-leverage post-season game. With no rehab stint, you usually have to depend on workload to get back into the shuffle just like Eovaldi did. It’s unsure if there is enough time for that, but if anybody can turn the curve it is Max Scherzer.
Josh Jung’s Suburb Night Spoiled
After going 1-30 in his past 30 at-bats, it is safe to say that Josh Jung was on his a-game last night after the rest of the Texas lineup was near to nonexistent against Houston’s Christian Javier. Jung was our only lifeline in the game as he went two for four with two home runs, making his presence felt on the opposite end. The Rangers got as close as 5-3 but then were squandered by the bottom of the bullpen as the Rangers have usually stuck to their three traditional bullpen times, due to the early deficit they were forced to go outside of the pecking order and pitch Will Smith and Chris Stratton who were both underwhelming last night as well as over a stretch of two months.
Josh Jung has been serving as the eighth spot in the batting order giving us well-needed at-bats in front of outfielder Leody Taveras. Not only has Jung been making his presence felt at the plate, but he has also been making an impact in the field as well as it is imminent through the baseball world that he was snubbed for Gold Glove honors, injured or not.
Looking Forward to Game 4
Game Four will be on October 19 and will be in Arlington, Texas at Globe Life Field. Andrew Heaney will be pitching for the Texas Rangers and Jose Urquidy will be pitching for the Houston Astros.
This will be Andrew Heaney’s second appearance in the playoffs as he went 3.2 innings while letting only one run in game one of the ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles. As it was for game one, it is likely that Dane Dunning will be out in tandem alongside Andrew Heaney as they were both key pieces in the starting rotation as the Rangers look for a series-defining victory in game four of the ALCS.
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