Rangers 10, Rockies 0
- The Rangers, they are on a run-scoring bonanza.
- They Rangers have now scored at least 6 runs in their last three games, and in 5 of their last 7 games.
- However, the offense has to wait, because the story of the game has to be Kumar Rocker, right?
- Coming into this game, Rocker had allowed 18 runs on the season. 10 of those scored in the first inning. The Rangers decided, well, what if we don’t use Kumar Rocker in the first inning?
- So the Opener, which was in vogue in the late-teens, but whose use seems to have waned around MLB of late, got dusted off by Skip Schumaker and put on display Tuesday evening.
- Tyler Alexander was the official starter and faced four batters in a scoreless first, setting up Kumar Rocker to come into the game in the second inning and face the #5 batters in the Rockies’ lineup.
- Rocker did not get off to the greatest of starts in the second. Ezequiel Tovar smoked a line drive that was tracked down in deep left center, and then Troy Johnston and Tyler (Brother of Cody) Freeman each singled. Second inning Rocker looked a lot like first inning Rocker.
- Rocker then struck out Jake McCarthy swinging and Edouard Julien on a 4-3 ground out to end the inning, and end the best scoring chance the Rockies had all game. Colorado didn’t get another batter past first base.
- Rocker faced 28 batters in the game. Of the final 25 batters, he gave up a hit to one of them, walked three, and retired the other 21.
- It was, without question, the best outing of Rocker’s career, and an outing that reminded us why we were so hyped about Kumar Rocker heading into the 2025 season.
- Out of 103 pitches, Rocker threw his slider 44 times, generating 21 swings and 12 whiffs. Rocker had 19 swings and misses overall, easily the most he’s had in a game this season.
- The theory behind using an opener is that most starting pitchers are going to end up going through a lineup roughly two-and-a-half times. Using a starter in a traditional role, the top of the lineup — the opponent’s best hitters — will be the ones that a starter will have to face three times. With an opener, your starter gets the third time through the order penalty against the weaker hitters in the lineup, rather than the top of the lineup.
- In Rocker’s case, the third time through the order penalty wasn’t an issue — he faced 28 batters in the game. But coming into the game in the second inning, he was able to work out whatever kinks he was dealing with against the bottom of the order, rather than the top of the order.
- For the season, Rocker has an 11.25 ERA in the first inning, and a 1.95 ERA from the second inning on.
- I am willing to bet the Rangers go with an opener the next time Rocker is scheduled to pitch.
- The Rockies also went with an opener, but it didn’t go so well for them. When Sammy Peralta, who started for Colorado, left the game, the bases were loaded with two outs in the first and a pair of runs in.
- Things didn’t go a whole lot better for Tanner Gordon, who was the pseudo-starter/bulk guy for the Rockies. He got a groundout to get out of the first and leave the bases loaded — and there was grumbling about the Rangers getting only two runs in, and how this would cost them later in the game, especially with Rocker pitching — but he ultimately gave up 7 runs in 6.1 innings of work.
- Weird thing — in those 6.1 innings, Gordon faced 31 batters, but he only used 81 pitches. The Rangers weren’t up there working the count and wearing him down. Gordon was throwing strikes — he walked just one of those 31 batters — and the Rangers were hammering them.
- Texas had 16 hits in all, plus 6 walks and a hit batter, so maybe they should have scored more than 10 runs. They were 8 for 17 with runners in scoring position, though, so can’t complain there.
- Brandon Nimmo, who has been slumping lately, had a big game, going 3 for 4 with his first home run since April 17, earning a much deserved inning-plus off, with Sam Haggerty taking his place in the field in the eighth.
- In the 25 games since that home run in April, Nimmo had been slashing .219/.296/.281. Tuesday’s game raised his season OPS by 36 points, to 775 on the year.
- Ezequiel Duran had three more hits, including a pair of doubles. He’s now slashing .298/.358/.476 in one of the more (pleasantly) surprising developments of 2026.
- In fact, every starter got a hit in the game, except Alejandro Osuna, who was 0 for 4 with did draw a walk, and Andrew McCutchen, who led off the game with a walk and was pinch hit for in the second.
- Joc Pederson, who hit for McCutchen, had four hits, which, per the broadcast, was the most hits in a game in Rangers history for a player who did not start the game.
- Speaking of which…it ended up not mattering, due to it being a blowout. However, Skip Schumaker having McCutchen lead off, and then hitting for him with one out in the second, seems questionable to me.
- You knew that the Rockies were going to start the game with Peralta, a lefty, as the opener, and then go with the righthanded Tanner Gordon as the bulk guy. That’s why Alejandro Osuna and Evan Carter started, but were batting seventh and ninth, respectively.
- So why not start Pederson and hit him towards the bottom of the order as well? Why are you burning one of your four bench guys — and your top righthanded bench bat — for one plate appearance at the beginning of the game, setting yourself to Pederson potentially having to face a lefty in a key situation late in the game?
- The counter-argument is that the first batter of any inning is the most important batter of the inning, that you want to get to Peralta and get an early lead for Alexander and Rocker, and so having McCutchen’s one at bat being him leading off the first inning is no different than using a good reliever as an opener. And it worked, as McCutchen drew a walk to start the game and ended up scoring on Duran’s bases loaded double.
- But its a decision that I found curious.
- Texas remains a game behind the A’s in the West, due to their winning on Tuesday.
- However, Texas is now a game up on Seattle, who lost to the ChiSox 2-1 due to allowing a pair of runs in the top of the ninth. That’s gotta sting.
- Tyler Alexander hit 92.0 mph with his fastball. Kumar Rocker’s sinker topped out at 94.7 mph, averaging 93.4 mph. Jalen Beeks’ fastball reached 91.8 mph.
- Jake Burger had a 109.4 mph ground out. Alejandro Osuna had a 107.7 mph ground out. Brandon Nimmo had a 107.7 mph single and a 104.6 mph home run. Justin Foscue had a 106.9 mph double. Ezequiel Duran had a 106.4 mph single, a 105.4 mph fly out, and a 104.3 mph double. Joc Pederson had a 105.5 mph single and a 100.5 mph ground out. Josh Jung had a 105.4 mph fly out and a 103.0 mph fly out. Danny Jansen had a 101.5 mph double and a 101.2 mph line out.
- Now for another win on Wednesday to take the series and head into the off day on a (Rocky Mountain) high note.
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