Tuesday Newsletter time: Texas Rangers offense sets record, but biggest story was Taylor Hearn
The left-hander tossed two scoreless innings in his Cactus League debut before the bats broke out.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — More than $500 million of offseason acquisitions were not in the Texas Rangers’ lineup Monday afternoon.
Corey Seager ($325 million), Marcus Semien ($175 million) and Kole Calhoun ($5.2 million) all played Sunday in an intrasquad game on the “off” day and didn’t have to travel Monday to Goodyear Ballpark.
The Rangers didn’t miss them in a 25-12 victory over Cleveland. The 25 runs are a Cactus League record for the Rangers, who moved from Florida to Arizona in 2003, and the most runs in any MLB spring game since at least 2006.
Willie Calhoun went 4 for 4 with two doubles and three RBIs, and Bubba Thompson and Joe McCarthy had three hits apiece. Thompson, Brad Miller, Josh Smith, Davis Wendzel and Jonathan Ornelas connected for home runs.
Smith’s first Cactus League homer was a three-run shot during the Rangers’ nine-run third inning. Miller also homered in the third as the Rangers sent 14 batters to the plate.
McCarthy drove in four runs, while Calhoun, Miller, Smith and Wendzel drove in three apiece. Thompson, who also had two doubles, drove in two.
"I love the discipline we had in the zone, out of the zone, we really, really discovered what pitches we want to swing at,” manager Chris Woodward said.
Woodward has said for three weeks that the players who were in minor-league camp during the lockout would be far ahead of pitchers and hitters in big-league camp. Smith, Thompson, McCarthy and Wendzel proved Woodward right against the Guardians.
“These guys have everything that you're looking for,” Woodward sadi. “Obviously, they're very talented but with the proper path, with the proper game plan, and they can they can execute the game plan.”
Hearn’s strong outing
Though Woodward has essentially anointed him as a starter, left-hander Taylor Hearn is preparing this spring as if he must win a spot in the season-opening rotation.
It sure didn’t seem like Hearn was just getting his work in over two innings in his Cactus League debut. He allowed only one hit and struck out three, and was so efficient that he had to throw 10 more pitches in the bullpen to reach his pitch count.
“Overall, everything felt good,” Hearn said. “Pitches were good, command was fair to me. Yeah, so really good.”
Woodward liked how Hearn improved in his second inning despite having an extended break as the Rangers scored five runs. Woodward also saw some 97s from Hearn on the radar gun, with command of all his pitches, and some presence on the mound.
“That was really, really encouraging,” he said. “It's the same Taylor that I saw towards the back end of last year.”
The rotation has four spots locked up — lefties Hearn and Martin Perez, and right-handers Jon Gray and Dane Dunning. Kohei Arihara, a candidate to eat innings this season, followed Hearn and was knocked around in his first inning.
Cleveland got him for five runs in the third before he made an adjustment and returned for a scoreless fourth.
Moved out
The condensed spring has screwed up a lot of camp-specific things, and one of the highest on the list is that candidates for internal invites either didn’t get invited or were invited but didn’t get to stay long.
The latter was the case Monday for six players who were assigned to minor-league camp — first baseman Blaine Crim, infielder Justin Foscue, catcher David Garcia, left fielder Dustin Harris, outfielder Steele Walker and left-hander Jake Latz.
Three 40-man players were optioned to minor-league camp — catcher Sam Huff and infielder Sherten Apostel to Triple A, and right-hander Ricky Vanasco to Double A.
They were all destined for this outcome and would have already been moved out had this been a normal spring. But they would have received much more time in the big-league clubhouse.
If there is a soft landing for them, it’s that they were evaluated from the top of the organization down during the minor-league mini-camp and spring training.
Doggy video!
Brilliant, determined and then lazy all in one video. Enjoy. See you Wednesday.
