Bruce Bochy, manager of the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers, is emphasizing the need for consistency in his bullpen as the team gears up to face the Oakland Athletics in a three-game series at Arlington, Texas, starting Tuesday night.
During Monday night’s game against the Houston Astros, left-handed reliever Brock Burke faced a challenging situation in the fourth inning with two runners on base and two outs, and ultimately struggled, allowing three runs without recording an out as the Astros seized control of the game and eventually won 10-5.
Although Texas starter Andrew Heaney took the loss, Bochy acknowledged Burke’s importance in the bullpen despite recent struggles, emphasizing the need for improvement in hitting his spots against left-handed hitters.
In contrast, the Rangers received an outstanding relief performance from right-hander Jose Urena, who held the Astros scoreless over four innings while striking out four batters. Bochy praised Urena’s efficient pitching and ability to command all of his pitches effectively.
Looking ahead to Tuesday’s game, right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is scheduled to start for Texas. Eovaldi delivered a stellar performance in his last outing against the Tampa Bay Rays, tossing seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts.
He has a strong track record against the Athletics, boasting a 3-2 record with a 2.86 ERA over 11 career starts, including an impressive recent stretch of allowing just one run over his last 23 innings against Oakland.
On the other side, left-hander Alex Wood will take the mound for the Athletics. Wood aims to bounce back from his previous start, where he allowed three runs over five innings against the Boston Red Sox. Despite his recent struggles, Wood has had success against the Rangers in the past, holding a 2-0 record with a 2.67 ERA over five career appearances.
In addition, Oakland second baseman Zack Gelof delivered a standout performance in the Athletics’ recent win over the Detroit Tigers, going 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored, including his first home run of the season.
Gelof’s strong showing earned praise from Oakland manager Mark Kotsay, who highlighted Gelof’s contributions both at the plate and defensively.
