Right-hander Kumar Rocker will face the team he defeated for his first major league win earlier this season when the Texas Rangers continue their four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Rocker (3-4, 5.80 ERA), the third overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt, helped pitch the Rangers to a 5-3 victory over the Angels on April 17 in Arlington, Texas, to notch his first career win. The 25-year-old allowed three runs on five hits over seven innings while striking out eight and not walking a batter.
The hard-throwing 6-foot-5, 245-pound Rocker, the son of Tennessee Titans defensive line coach and College Football Hall of Famer Tracy Rocker, has allowed two runs or less in each of his last four starts. He garnered a no-decision in his most recent outing on Friday at San Diego, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four over 5 1/3 innings in his team’s 3-2, 10-inning loss.
Los Angeles will counter on Wednesday with veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks (5-6, 4.68 ERA), who is 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in two career starts against Texas.
The Angels, who won the series opener 6-5 Monday on Nolan Schanuel’s walk-off, bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth, have dropped four of their last five games, including an ugly 13-1 defeat Tuesday.
Los Angeles starter Jose Soriano, who opened the game with three no-hit innings and struck out the side in the third, struggled badly with his command during a five-run fourth for the Rangers, walking the bases loaded before yielding back-to-back, two-run doubles to Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter. Jake Burger, who went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs, then added an RBI single.
Texas broke the game open with four more runs off reliever Sam Aldegheri in a fifth inning that featured three more walks, including one to Carter with the bases loaded, and a two-run single by Burger.
The Rangers finished with nine walks in the contest, including eight in the first five innings, and forced Angel pitchers to throw 146 pitches over the first six innings.
“Yeah, saw a lot of pitches,” Burger said after his fourth three-hit game of the season. “I think we did a good job, talked about just trying to find our pitch. It was a great team effort tonight. It’s a lot of fun when we do that.”
“We really needed a game like this,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “Our guys did a really good job against a tough pitcher. We got the walks, but Langford got the big hit there to get us going. It just got contagious after that.”
Soriano matched his career high with five walks.
“It’s baseball,” Soriano told reporters through an interpreter afterward. “It’s part of the game. There are a lot of hitters that struggle, a lot of pitchers that struggle. Just fight through, fight through, and then keep your mind straight and positive.”
Nathan Eovaldi (6-3), making his third start after missing a month with a triceps injury, gave up just an unearned run and five hits over six innings while striking out six. Corey Seager, Burger and Langford each homered, the latter two coming off position player Kevin Newman, who pitched the final three innings.
“This staff has been incredible for us,” Burger said after Eovaldi lowered his ERA to 1.62. “We feel we have to pick up the slack offensively. It’s a really good ballclub. Hopefully, we build off this one and keep it going.”
-Field Level Media
