Rougned Odor rips Rangers to extra-inning walk-off win
Rougned Odor homered with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Texas Rangers over the Detroit Tigers with a walk-off win Saturday night at Globe Life Park.
Odor, who was 2 for 3, was hit in the back with a 93 mph fastball in the sixth inning by Tigers’ starter Matthew Boyd.
Odor and Boyd shared glares as Odor was escorted down the first-base line by home plate umpire Eric Cooper.
In his game-winning at-bat, the Tigers were convinced that Odor went around on what would have been Strike 3.
“He swung at the ball. His bat was all the way out in front of home plate,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “The home-plate umpire didn’t call it. He checked, and obviously it’s a missed call. It’s plain as day. It’s just what it is. Everybody’s human in it, and we understand that. But that’s pretty disappointing right there. Two guys had a chance to get that call right and didn’t get it.”
It’s the fifth walk-off win for Texas this season.
It’s the second-career walk-off homer for Odor and his fifth game-ending RBI. The last time the Rangers won with a walk-off homer was Shin-Soo Choo May 26, 2018 against the Royals.
The Rangers rallied twice from deficits. Detroit led 2-0 after the first inning on Miguel Cabrera’s two-run homer against Adrian Sampson.
After the Rangers tied it with runs in the third and fourth, the Tigers scored two more in the fifth with two outs and no one on base. Harold Castro’s two-run single put Detroit up 4-2.
Texas rallied again to tie it with two runs in the seventh. An error on Jose Trevino fly ball to right field started the rally. Trevino reached second on the play and scored on Delino DeShields’ double. DeShields later scored just ahead of the throw on a sacrifice fly to right by Elvis Andrus.
Andrus nearly won it for Texas in the bottom of the ninth. With Shin-Soo Choo on second base with two outs, Andrus ripped a line drive up the middle but second baseman Gordon Beckham made a diving catch to his right to end the inning.
Welcome, Nate Jones
Right-hander Nate Jones, who the Rangers acquired two days ago in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, was in the clubhouse before Saturday’s game. Jones is recovering from surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon. He’s still two months from throwing since his May 13 surgery.
The Rangers will have to decided whether they want to pick up his $5.15 million option for 2020 at the conclusion of the World Series.
“I’m just thankful for the opportunity,” Jones said. “It’s not every day somebody gets traded when they are injured. We always look at it as a new chapter in life, a new journey. We are going to make the most of it, give them as much information as they want on me so they can make that decision. It not only affects them but it affects me too.”
Jones, who turns 34 in January, will do much of his rehab back in Chicago but start throwing in Arizona in September.
Manager Chris Woodward is intrigued by Jones’ unorthodox delivery.
“I know he’s got a really good arm,” he said. “Everything I’ve heard from people in Chicago, from players and staff, say he’s just phenomenal, an unbelievable character guy. As far as pitching, he’s got a pretty electric arm.”
This story was originally published August 3, 2019 at 11:37 PM.
