Martin, Odor deliver to lift Rangers past Orioles
For all the struggles that Leonys Martin and Rougned Odor have gone through at times this season, their contributions in the Texas Rangers’ 2-0 victory Thursday night felt pretty darn good.
“It was an exciting moment for me and my team,” said Martin, who broke a scoreless tie with the Baltimore Orioles on a one-out RBI single in the ninth inning and scored two batters later as Odor singled him home.
Meanwhile, Yovani Gallardo extended one of the top pitching stretches in Rangers history, logging six shutout innings to push his scoreless streak to 29 1/3. That’s fourth best in club annals, an out ahead of Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins.
The streak has done something else: enhance Gallardo’s All-Star chances.
The general assumption has been that Prince Fielder would be the Rangers’ lone representative in the All-Star Game, and it would be a significant oversight if he isn’t added to the American League team.
But Gallardo has made a case to be picked, either Monday when the reserves are announced or possibly later next week if an All-Star needs to bow out.
“He’s pitched well enough to be an All-Star,” manager Jeff Banister said. “I think he should be in serious consideration.
“When you look at the string of innings that he’s put together and the body of work that he’s put together this year, there’s a good case for him being on that All-Star team.”
Gallardo hasn’t given much thought to his streak or the July 14 Midsummer Classic at Cincinnati. He’s just trying to get outs, and his ability to do so without allowing any runs over his past four starts has put him on the board.
It’s probably a safe bet that Dallas Keuchel (Houston), Chris Sale (Chicago), David Price (Detroit), Chris Archer (Tampa Bay), Sonny Gray (Oakland) and Felix Hernandez (Seattle) will make the club, but Gallardo isn’t far off that group.
He’s actually in it and a head above contenders such as Scott Kazmir (Oakland), Hector Santiago (Los Angeles), Wei-Yin Chen (Baltimore) and Corey Kluber (Cleveland).
His ERA is fourth in the league, and his 15 qualifying starts with three runs or fewer lead the league. He ranks in the top 10 in ground ball percentage, home runs per nine innings, opponents average, WAR for pitchers and adjusted ERA-plus, among others.
The numbers are worthy of his second All-Star appearance.
“It’s one of those things I really can’t control,” said Gallardo, who was an All-Star in 2010. “If it happens it happens. Being a ballplayer, that’s what you’re shooting for at some point in your career. If you go out there and take care of business, you’ll be there.”
He will have one more start before the All-Star break — but none before the teams are announced — and is 10 innings shy of Kenny Rogers’ club record of 39 straight scoreless innings.
Gallardo struggled to post six more against Baltimore, which threatened in the first and third only to strand runners at third base. Gallardo allowed only two hits and three walks, but he needed 94 pitches.
He said he couldn’t command his slider or his cut fastball, which has been his best pitch the past few outings. But he found a way, going to his curveball on occasion, to keep hitters off-balance and prevent runs from crossing the plate.
Gallardo is aware of the streak, but isn’t focused on it.
“It’s one of those things that I try to go out there and try not to give up runs every start,” he said. “Whenever you’re in a good stretch like this, you try to keep it going as long as you can. Today was a bit of a challenge, but we won.”
Thanks to Martin and Odor, but also Shin-Soo Choo and Elvis Andrus in the ninth as the Rangers played small ball, while Orioles manager Buck Showalter stayed away from left-handed closer Zach Britton.
Right-hander Chaz Roe walked the lefty-hitting Choo to open the inning, and Andrus bunted him to second. The lefty-hitting Martin lined a single through the middle and raced to second as Choo beat Adam Jones’ throw home.
Odor singled two batters later, but the hit by Martin — who had been 0 for 17 with runners in scoring position and 6 for 56 entering the at-bat — was a feel-good moment.
“Extremely gratifying,” Banister said. “Just a big hit for him in a big situation.”
Jeff Wilson, 817-390-7760
This story was originally published July 2, 2015 at 11:22 PM with the headline "Martin, Odor deliver to lift Rangers past Orioles."