Texas Rangers’ pitchers, among MLB’s best early on, have no Globe Life Field gripe
The season-opening home stand for the Texas Rangers ended with a bang, as Joey Gallo connected for a two-run homer in a five-run eighth inning that helped snap a three-game losing streak.
But the verdict has already been read: Globe Life Field is not going to yield many home runs, and the sentence recommended by many is that the outfield fences be moved in once the 60-game season ends.
The Rangers’ pitchers, though, probably want to be heard.
The pitching staff entered the opener of a three-game series Friday against the San Francisco Giants with the fourth-best ERA in MLB and the second-best in the American League.
The four starters who have pitched this season have allowed one earned run (and four unearned), giving the rotation a 0.39 ERA.
While the Rangers have hit only four home runs in five games at Globe Life Field, the pitchers have given up only two.
They have a case for keeping the new ballpark just the way it is.
“I don’t think you’re going to get complaints from our pitchers about how our ballpark plays,” manager Chris Woodward said. “No cheap homers. No cheap hits. There may be some more bloopers that fall in at times, just because our outfielders are going to have to play a little deeper.
“At best it’s fair. To center it’s a little big, but down the lines it’s hitter-friendly. If you hit it down the lines or dead right or dead left, it’s going to be a homer if you hit it right. Our pitchers love it.”
Left-hander Mike Minor was scheduled to start the opener Friday against the Giants, whose Oracle Park has traditionally favored pitchers. Right-hander Jordan Lyles is scheduled for Saturday and lefty Kolby Allard for Sunday.
Allard replaces two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, who tossed only one inning Sunday before leaving with a shoulder strain that could force him to miss the rest of the season.
The swap puts a dent in the Rangers’ rotation, which was considered one of the best in baseball before the season. The Rangers are confident that Allard, acquired last July in a trade with Atlanta, will pitch well.
“He is going to step in and help us out,” Minor said.
The Rangers are scheduled to play across the bay Tuesday through Thursday against the Oakland A’s, who play in baseball’s worst ballpark. However, it also has traditionally favored pitchers.
Of course, pitchers who don’t make quality pitches will surrender runs no matter how much the park factors weigh on their side. But they will also get away with a few more mistakes than they ordinarily would at Coors Field, Minute Maid Park and Yankee Stadium or would have at Globe Life Park.
“It’s like if you pitch at Yankee Stadium, a pop-up to right and you’re holding your breath,” Woodward said. “A pop-up at our ballpark, it’s an out. It’s relieving on the pitchers if they make pitches and get them off the barrel a little bit, they’re going to get guys out.”
Jonathan Hernandez experienced some good ballpark at Globe Life Field in the season opener, when Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story’s deep eighth-inning drive died at the wall. Just about everybody on both teams thought it was going to be a home run.
Arizona Diamondbacks lefty Madison Bumgarner got away with a mistake to Todd Frazier in the second inning on a deep drive that fell short in front of the left-field wall and to Scott Heineman in the fifth.
Frazier later connected for a homer and added two doubles, but thought he had homered in his first at-bat.
“I thought it had a really good shot,” he said. “I squared that ball up. It kept going. It was high enough, of course. Yeah, I did. I thought it had an opportunity, and he caught it at the wall.”
Rangers hitters are starting to get used to that. It’s a sinking feeling.
Rangers pitchers, though, aren’t complaining.
“I feel like it’s still a pitcher’s park,” Minor said. “It kind of flies a little bit down the lines, but in the gaps and in center, it doesn’t really go anywhere.”
