ARLINGTON -- MacKenzie Gore wanted the ball. It was as simple as that.
When ace Jacob deGrom’s final start of the first half of the season had to be delayed due to a mild left glute strain, the Rangers were facing a potential bullpen game against the in-state-rival Astros in the series finale.
Instead of challenging an already overworked bullpen in an important game, Gore stepped up on short rest and offered to start.
“He came in and said, ‘I want the ball. I'm ready,’” manager Skip Schumaker said. “That was the conversation. Obviously, I can't just say yes. There's some people that I have to make sure that it’s OK that I do give him the ball today. But everyone felt good about his health. As long as that all checked out, we were good to go.
“He's an unbelievable teammate, competitor. He always wants the ball. He's a 10 out of 10 competitor, and I think after the last start too, I think he really wants this start to go into the second half in a positive direction.”
Gore ultimately allowed one run -- a Jose Altuve solo shot -- in four strong innings to put the Rangers pitching staff on his back and set up Brandon Nimmo to hit a walk-off single in a 6-5 win over the Astros.
The Rangers now go into the break at 49-47, with a 1 1/2-game lead in the American League West.
“[Gore] was maybe the unsung hero out there today,” Nimmo said. “He was extremely important for us.”
The Rangers led 4-1 before the Astros stormed back to tie the game, 4-4, in the seventh inning. The cross-state rivals took the lead in the eighth with a solo homer from Cam Smith. But for the third time this homestand, the Rangers offense found a second life, this time with Kyle Higashioka re-tying the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth to set up the ninth-inning walk-off.
“So many good things happened today, and it starts with MacKenzie Gore,” Schumaker said postgame. “There's no way we get through this game without MacKenzie Gore doing what he did today. … He was on fumes towards the end. He did what he needed to do to help our team win. It was incredibly impressive what he did out there. And the offense stepped up. They stepped up all series. It was just fight after fight.”
Four days ago, Gore allowed a season-high seven runs in five innings in what would have been his final start of the first half. Now, he doesn’t have to sit with that one going into the break. Both he and the Rangers as a whole can finish the first half on a positive note.
“They brought me here to help this team win,” Gore said. “That's just what it is. I want to win. I've always wanted to win. We're in first place right now, and I've kind of got an opportunity to win. Whatever I can do to help this team is what I'm going to try to do.
“I know it wasn’t perfect for me. You could argue for all of us, but at the end of the day, we're going into the break in first place. I wouldn't complain about being in first place. We're going to enjoy it, play our best baseball when we get back out here, and it should be a fun second half.”
This isn’t the first time Gore has attempted to step up in this way. On Opening Weekend, when deGrom had to be scratched against the Phillies due to neck stiffness, Gore offered to pitch that day, but Schumaker wouldn’t allow him.
Just two weeks ago, when Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his start against the Padres, Gore took the ball and delivered a quality start in a Rangers’ 6-4 loss.
“[Gore’s] been great,” deGrom said. “He wants the ball. Obviously I feel bad not being able to go or whatever and getting scratched from this start, but you know Mac wants to step in any way he can. It says a lot about the competitor he is. … he wants the ball. He’s gonna take it. It’s cool to see.”
Schumaker said Nathan Eovaldi also offered to start in deGrom’s spot on Sunday.
Nimmo said that both of those guys volunteering shows what kind of “high character” players they have in this clubhouse. That’s part of the culture that Schumaker has worked to cultivate in his short time at the helm.
“I think these guys are doing whatever they can that day to help us win,” Schumaker said. “Anything less than that, we don't put up with it. I think that's becoming the culture in there. It takes time to establish an identity and a culture, especially with a new manager, a couple new guys on the staff, and new players. I think that it starts and ends with those leaders in the clubhouse and giving everything they have, like MacKenzie just did.”