The much-maligned bullpen of the Texas Rangers came through when it counted the most as they defeated the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 in Game 1 of the 2023 American League Division Series at Camden Yards.
Dane Dunning, Will Smith, Josh Sborz, Aroldis Chapman and Jose Leclerc provided 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief after starter Andrew Heaney lasted just 3 2/3 innings.
"The bullpen did a great job", said manager Bruce Bochy. "Got bumpy, but found a way to get through it."
Josh Jung homered and made a sensational play in the field to start a critical double play as Texas remains undefeated in the playoffs at 3-0 after sweeping Tampa Bay in the Wild Card Series.
Dunning went two innings to pick up the win, allowing a run in the sixth.
Sborz was erratic when he entered in the bottom of the seventh, throwing seven straight balls but pitched around that leadoff walk to preserve Texas' one-run lead.
The Rangers led the American League West for 160 days but lost the division title on the final day of the season to in-state rivals Houston largely due to the bullpen but they've allowed just three runs in three games against the Rays and Orioles.
Early offense, timely bullpen work lead Texas to third straight playoff win
Adolis Garcia and Evan Carter hit back-to-back doubles to put Texas in front 1-0 in the fourth and Jonah Heim added a run-scoring single to double the lead.
Carter became the youngest player (21) in major league history with four extra-base hits in his first three postseason games.
"Ever since he's gotten here, he's just been a dude", Jung said of Carter. "To be 21 years old coming in and be stone cold at the plate --- I've never seen someone come up here and not chase pitches around the zone."
Ryan Mountcastle cut the Rangers lead to 2-1 with an RBI double before Heaney, who gave up a run and two hits in his 3 2/3 innings of work, was pulled for Dunning.
Texas held a 3-2 lead when Sborz came on and issued a leadoff walk to Aaron Hicks on four pitches and battled back from a 3-0 count to retire Adam Frazier on a flyball.
Sborz then struck out Cedric Mullins and pinch-hitter Ryan O'Hearn to end the inning.
Chapman came on in the eighth and after issuing consecutive walks, he watched as Jung ranged to his right and snared a high bouncer by Anthony Santander, who homered in the sixth, on a short hop to start a 5-4-3 double play.
With a runner on third, Chapman struck out Mountcastle to end the threat.
Gunnar Henderson singled off of Leclerc to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Heim threw Henderson out as he tried to steal second and Baltimore never got another runner on base.
"A little miscommunication there", said Orioles manager Brandon Hyde on the decision by Henderson to try and steal second.
Hyde would go on to say "I think we respond fine. We just need to get some early runs. Even the last week or so of the season, just had a tough time kind of scoring early. It takes a lot of pressure off a lot of people, on the mound and on themselves, if we can try to get a few runs across early."
Montgomery looks to put Rangers up 2-0
Texas sends lefthander Jordan Montgomery to the mound for Game 2 after he pitched seven shutout innings in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against Tampa Bay.
Rookie Grayson Rodriguez, who had a 2.58 ERA after the All-Star break, gets the call for Baltimore.