DENVER -- “A four-run lead here doesn't mean [crap],” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said ahead of his club’s series opener against the Rockies at Coors Field on Monday afternoon.
Of course, he was referring to the notorious offensive production in the Mile High City. This park can get into guys’ heads. And honestly, at Coors, no lead really means much of anything. Anything can happen.
As rain began pouring down in Wednesday's series finale, the Rangers poured on the baserunners. Down to their final two outs, the Texas hitters battled to set the table for Josh Jung, who knocked a game-winning RBI single through the left side of the infield.
“These guys fought,” Schumaker said. “They don't give up. We knew that from, gosh, the first series on. It's continuing to happen. You never know what happens in Coors Field. And this was really good series win.”
Here’s a breakdown of Texas' ninth inning that ultimately led to a 5-4 win over the Rockies.
Danny Jansen pinch-hits for Evan Carter, Rangers lose the DH
Facing lefty Brennan Bernardino with the Rangers down, 4-3, Jansen -- the last hitter on Texas' bench -- pinch hit for Carter, who is 1-for-25 against left-handed pitchers this season.
“You worry about defense after you tie or win the game,” Schumaker said. “We were trying to figure out exactly our best chance to tie the game initially, which meant losing the DH. …You go through a bunch of scenarios before the game, and that is not one of them. I was trying to figure out who to lead off in the ninth inning. Obviously, Danny faced [Bernardino] the other night. I thought our best chance was potentially to get him on base.”
Joc Pederson (who pinch-hit for Andrew McCutchen in the seventh), Justin Foscue and Alejandro Osuna (who entered as a pinch-runner for an injured Brandon Nimmo in the fifth) come to the plate
After Jansen struck out to open the frame, Pederson fouled off a 2-2 pitch, but home-plate umpire Jim Wolf called Rockies catcher Brett Sullivan for catcher's interference when Pederson's bat hit Sullivan's glove. That put Pederson at first, where he was promptly singled over to second by Foscue. Osuna followed with a single of his own.
“Joc gets catcher's interference, that starts it before Foscue had a great at-bat,” Jung said. “It's really easy right there to get big and roll over a sinker in a double play, and he shoots it to right. That was incredible. Then Osuna, just putting it in play, creating havoc, perfect placement. That set the table right there. Anything can happen at that point.”
Jung comes to the plate with one out and the bases loaded
Two pitches into Jung's ensuing at-bat, a passed ball by Sullivan allowed Pederson to score from third. Jung then singled home Foscue to give Texas the lead and prove Schumaker correct that, indeed, no lead is safe at Coors Field.
“Everyone's working hard, everyone cares and, when they get their opportunity, they're fighting and clawing and doing everything they can, having good at-bats and getting results,” Jung said. “That's what you need, especially when your big boys [Seager and Langford] go down. You're gonna have to have guys step up, and anybody can do it on any given night. Tonight was all 13 guys having resilient bats, regardless of the outcome. It was huge.”
Jacob Latz comes out for a second inning, Pederson heads to right field
The rain was steadily coming down and the Rangers had Cole Winn warming in the bullpen as Jacob Latz -- who is the closer in all but name -- completed the eighth. But Latz wanted the ninth, as well, to finish the game.
“I was debating back and forth on whether to send him back out, because of the weather, the rain, sitting, the pitch count, all of that,” Schumaker explained. “Latz convinced me that it was his ball and his game. So, after a brief conversation -- more him talking than me -- he went back out.”
One small hiccup was that Pederson was going to have to go to right field when the Rangers lost the DH earlier. Pederson had only appeared in two games as an outfielder during his Texas tenure entering the day.
But Schumaker couldn’t worry about that until they took the lead. So of course, with rain falling down, Pederson successfully caught the first out of the ninth inning, a high fly ball off the bat of Kyle Karros.
“It was perfect,” Latz said. “We've been fighting all year. It hasn't gone our way, the earliest part. I feel like the last couple [series] have started to turn our way. It was good to see that some of those find a hole, and then keep the lead where it was.
“It was a good series win. Leaving this place with these conditions, everything is pretty good.”