Woodward’s first game as Rangers manager starts with Choo debate, ends with busy bullpen
Opening Day is celebrated each year by baseball fans and players and teams, but really the good vibes are fleeting for 50 percent of them.
Half the 30 MLB teams must lose their first game each season. That pregame optimism can sail out the ballpark pretty quickly, for those who can get in the ballpark.
In the Texas Rangers’ case, optimism headed for the exits in the fifth inning.
Here’s some Rangers Reaction from a season-opening 12-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
1. For those wanting to get a glance at the Rangers’ pitching staff Thursday, manager Chris Woodward certainly obliged. So much so that the grass between the home dugout and the mound might need to be replaced.
Seven pitchers on the 13-man staff made an appearance, and six of the eight members of the bullpen. Only closer Jose Leclerc and fellow right-hander Chris Martin were idle for the opener.
Mike Minor was first, and the left-hander never seemed to be the same after Javier Baez connected with two outs in fourth inning on an 0-2 pitch even though the Rangers were still ahead 2-1 after four innings.
Minor went to his knee in apparent disbelief. He looked back at catcher Jeff Mathis for some kind of reassurance after Baez deposited a slider about 400 feet away.
The pitch was around knee-high and off the plate outside, and Baez’s swing certainly didn’t look like one that would produce a home run. Minor knew off the sound of that bat it was a homer, but was still surprised.
Minor caught the next batter, Willson Contreras, looking to end the innings, cut the Cubs opened their fifth hit batsman, single, infield single, doubt to score two runs. Minor recovered to retire Albert Almora Jr. and Kris Bryant, though Bryant’s grounder to short brought another run in.
A walk to Anthony Rizzo, though, ended Minor’s day at 75 pitches. Jesse Chavez entered, and Baez hit the first pitch for a three-run homer and a 7-2 lead.
Woodward wasn’t shy about going to the bullpen, in part because the Rangers are off Friday, which is really strange. Two relievers made their MLB debuts.
Kyle Bird was summoned to face Anthony Rizzo with the bases loaded and two outs for his MLB debut, and he issued a four-pitch walk to force in a run. Kyle Dowdy allowed the first three batters he faced to reach in the seventh, but escaped by allowing only one run.
He allowed two more in the eighth on Bryant’s home run.
Connor Sadzeck, riding the waiver wire, was probably at home somewhere thinking, “I could have done that.” For what it’s worth, general manager Jon Daniels expects that a trade will be worked out for Sadzeck.
Don’t expect Justin Verlander to come in return.
2. The day started with Shin-Soo Choo expressing his frustration with not being in the Opening Day lineup, and it’s hard to blame him.
He was the Rangers’ best player last season, their only All-Star, and is a respected veteran leaders, and his reward was the bench to open his sixth season with the Rangers and the 15th of his career.
Woodward explained his reasoning, and it makes sense. The Rangers aren’t expected to see many left-handed pitchers the first three weeks, and he wants the right-handed hitters to get some playing time.
Hunter Pence certainly was a worthy choice, especially considering his Arlington connections, but that wasn’t the main factor for Woodward’s decision.
Mostly, he want the message he relayed in spring, that it will take all 25 players to make the season a success, to change on the first day of the regular season.
Regardless, Choo should have been in there, even against lefty Jon Lester. Opening Day is just one game on the 162-game schedule, but sitting Choo is bad messaging.
Sit him Sunday? Fine. Sit him against 50 percent of lefty pitchers this season? That might happen, actually, to the Rangers’ highest-paid player.
But just not the opener.
3. The good news is that Elvis Andrus collected hits in his first three at-bats, but even that might be deemed bad news by some.
“Baby Shark” now has shelf life.
Andrus went single, two-run homer, single as he tries to rebound from a lousy 2018 that was marred by a broken arm two weeks into the season. He had a terrific spring, batting .469 in Cactus League play and .432 overall.
Of course, to say Andrus is back to his 2017 form is way too premature, but his spring plus the opener at least suggest he is trending that way. If so, the Rangers have a steady presence in the middle of their lineup.
If not, well, at least he’s healthy and showing that he will be better than he was after returning last season.
“Yeah, my strength is back,” Andrus said. “Last year I thought it would be the same thing and not at all. It took me a while to actually feel normal again. I worked a lot in the off-season to get back 100 percent, get my strength back. I went to spring training feeling amazing, and now I’m just normal.”
This story was originally published March 28, 2019 at 7:22 PM.
