Late-inning heroics have highlighted the first two games of a three-game set between the Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, this weekend.
On Saturday, it was the Rangers who celebrated a 3-2 walk-off victory on Adolis Garcia’s home run in the ninth inning.
In the series opener on Friday, it was the Nationals who claimed a 2-1 victory on Josh Bell’s game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning.
The rubber match is set for Sunday, and it will close the Nationals’ first series with the Rangers in Arlington since 2005.
Glenn Otto (4-2, 4.24 ERA) will get the start for the Rangers, and rookie Jackson Tetreault (1-1, 5.73) will throw for the Nationals in a matchup of right-handers.
Rangers catcher Jonah Heim didn’t start on Saturday but entered the game in the ninth inning. The team is pushing for Heim to be an All-Star.
The left-handed-hitting catcher, who will turn 27 on Monday, is hitting .244 with nine home runs and a .458 slugging percentage.
“It’s definitely a thought,” Heim told Rangers’ radio pregame about possibly being an All-Star. “I don’t know if I deserve the All-Star Game, honestly, at this point. I mean, there’s a lot of other guys, like I said, who are having some really good years and are putting up better numbers.
“I feel like that’s what the All-Star Game should be about. It’s guys who are putting up the best numbers in the year. They should be honored in that way. If the fans vote me in, that’s awesome.”
The Rangers will welcome Otto back to the rotation. He will make his first MLB appearance since June 4; he’s been on the COVID-19 injured list since June 10.
Before landing on the IL, Otto had pitched well in his four starts since being tagged for eight runs in four innings in a May 14 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
In his past four starts, he is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 22 innings.
For Washington, Tetreault will make his third big league start. He was Washington’s seventh-round pick from the State College of Florida in 2017.
Tetreault’s big league career got off to a shaky start, as he was rocked for seven earned runs in four innings in a loss to the Atlanta Braves in his debut on June 14. But he bounced back on June 19, picking up his first MLB win, beating the Philadelphia Phillies. In seven innings, he allowed three unearned runs on six hits.
Tetreault has struck out just four in his two starts, a span of 11 innings.
For Bell, this series is a homecoming for the Texas native. The slugger attended Dallas Jesuit High School, and this weekend, he’s been able to spend time with family members and friends.
Bell is 4-for-7 in the series, with a triple, double and an RBI.
“Being able to do this in front of (family and friends) makes it all the more special,” Bell said.
— Field Level Media