SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Rangers played a pair of games today, losing a 4-3 exhibition contest against the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Nashville and tying the Royals 3-3 in a Cactus League contest. After the start of the exhibition game was delayed 44 minutes by rain, Texas scored an unearned run off Nashville starter Taylor Hearn in the top of the 1st inning. A leadoff walk to Delino DeShields was followed by Nomar Mazara’s single that was bobbled by Willie Calhoun in left field, allowing both runners to advance. DeShields scored on Hunter Pence’s sacrifice fly. Hearn fanned the next 4 and 5 of the next 6 batters he faced as he issued just 2 hits and that unearned run with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 5.0 total innings. Nashville tied the game off starter Ariel Jurado in the second on Preston Beck single, Christian Lopes, walk, and a RBI ground rule double by Zack Granite.
Jurado, who is expected to open the season in the Nashville rotation, allowed 2 hits and a run with 3 walks and a strikeout in 3.2 innings. The Rangers went ahead on another unearned run in the 6th when Juremi Profar scored on a throwing error by second baseman Nolan Fontana. Preston Beck’s 2-run homer in the bottom of the 6th off Shawn Kelley gave Nashville its first lead of the game. The Sounds added a run in the bottom of the seventh off José Leclerc on a pair of walks and Ryan Dorow’s RBI single. Texas scored yet again on an unearned run in the ninth inning to provide the final margin. The attendance of 11,824 at First Tennessee Park marked the largest in Sounds franchise history at any facility.
In the Arizona spring finale in Surprise, Lance Lynn allowed 2 runs over 5.0 innings in his final tuneup outing ahead of the season-opening series against the Cubs. He retired 11 straight at one point, and 13 of his final 14 batters faced to end the outing. A Texas lineup consisting mostly of Rangers prospects gave the club a 3-2 lead heading into the 9th inning, including a go-ahead solo home run by Tyreque Reed in the 7th. Reliever Walker Weickel retired all 6 batters faced with 3 strikeouts, and Michael Matuella posted a perfect 8th inning. Anderson Tejeda posted 2 hits and an RBI while Bubba Thompson, Leody Taveras, and Chris Seise all doubled. The Royals forged a tie on Kort Peterson’s solo home run in the 9th. The game was played in a crisp 2 hours and 11 minutes.
The Rangers will be in Arlington on Monday night for the first of two exhibition games against the Cleveland Indians at Globe Life Park. The 7:05 p.m. CT contest on Monday has a scheduled pitching matchup of Edinson Vólquez (1-1, 5.40) against RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-1, 4.73).
From Rangers PR staff reports