In his first start back from the injured list, Texas Rangers right-hander Jon Gray struggled with his command rather than his pitch count. The Rangers’ manager, Bruce Bochy, had aimed for Gray to throw around 60 pitches during Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, but the problem lay in Gray’s pitch placement.
Gray’s outing was a rough one, as he gave up six earned runs on six hits and two walks over two innings. He was pulled from the game before recording an out in the third inning, with rookie left-hander Walter Pennington taking over in what turned out to be a 13-5 loss for the Rangers.
“His stuff was good,” said Bochy. “It’s just the command was the issue with him more than anything.”
The 32-year-old pitcher allowed an unearned run in the first inning due to a fielding error by first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, which allowed Cleveland’s Andrés Giménez to reach base. Giménez later scored on a groundout by Josh Naylor, tying the game at 1-1.
Things deteriorated further in the second inning. Cleveland’s Jhonkensy Noel led off with a single, and after a groundout and a strikeout, Gray issued a five-pitch walk to No. 9 hitter Brayan Rocchio. This set the stage for a two-run double by leadoff hitter Steven Kwan. Giménez then hit a high fastball into center field, driving in Kwan and extending Cleveland’s lead to 4-1.
In the third inning, Gray struggled again, allowing the first three batters to reach base on a walk (Naylor), a double (Will Brennan), and a three-run home run (Noel). This sequence led to his removal after just 53 pitches. Pennington followed with three innings of relief, allowing two runs (one earned). Later, right-hander Grant Anderson gave up three home runs to left-handed hitters Josh Naylor, Bo Naylor, and José Ramírez, increasing Cleveland’s lead to 10-1.
“I felt good the first few innings,” Gray reflected. “I think I lost a little gas in the last couple of hitters. The first few innings look horrible if you look at the results, but a lot of the swings were uncomfortable, and they really found a lot of holes.”
This was Gray’s first start since July 23 against the Chicago White Sox. He had been removed from a July 28 game against the Toronto Blue Jays during warmups due to a right groin strain and was subsequently placed on the injured list. Gray was activated on Tuesday and pitched two innings of one-run relief against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Looking ahead, Gray is hoping to see an increase in his velocity. His fastball averaged 95 mph on Saturday, peaking at 96.4 mph. “I’m looking for the velo to get a little better,” Gray noted. “I know it’s gotten better, but I’d like to see it come a little higher.”
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