Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung watched from the stands Monday as his younger brother, Jace, helped the Detroit Tigers defeat the host Chicago White Sox.
“It was just pretty cool to be able to support him, be in the stands, watch him do his thing and just be a proud brother,” Josh Jung said.
Josh Jung will have to wait to get his own licks against struggling Chicago. The series opener between the visiting Rangers and the White Sox on Tuesday was suspended by rain after only four pitches and will be made up as part of a two-game day on Wednesday.
It isn’t officially listed as a “doubleheader” because the first game is the conclusion of a contest that will go in the books as having been played on Tuesday.
Chicago must win 12 of its remaining 30 games to avoid tying the 1962 New York Mets’ modern major league record for most losses in a season (120).
Right-hander Chris Flexen, no stranger to dubious major league distinctions, will look to help the White Sox stop a four-game slide in Game 1.
Although Flexen (2-12, 5.34 ERA) delivered a quality start with six innings of two-run ball against Detroit on Friday, Chicago lost a game he started for the 19th straight time. That set a single-season major league record while matching an overall record set by Chris Capuano of the Milwaukee Brewers from 2007-10.
“Continue to battle,” Flexen said. “That’s all you can do. Strive to get better. Each week, (I) try to work on stuff. Try not to think about that in the long run, put up some quality starts and give us a chance to win. Try to be competitive every time out.”
Flexen lost his July 24 start at Texas after yielding three runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, including a Corey Seager solo home run in the first inning. He is 6-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 13 career appearances (eight starts) against the Rangers covering 53 1/3 innings.
Texas lefty Andrew Heaney, who was set to start Tuesday, will get the call in the opener on Wednesday. Heaney (4-13, 4.04 ERA) is coming off a no-decision against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 21, when he spaced five hits in five shutout innings with one walk, one hit batter and eight strikeouts.
Heaney is 5-1 with a 4.56 ERA in nine career starts against the White Sox with 60 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings.
Rangers rookie right-hander Jack Leiter, recently added to the team’s taxi squad from Triple-A Round Rock, will start Game 2.
Leiter (0-1, 16.39 ERA) hasn’t pitched in the majors since a May 14 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, when he allowed six runs and three hits in 1 2/3 innings. Leiter walked three and hit two batters in the shortest of his three career starts.
The White Sox will counter with a bullpen game. They figured to need their relief corps even if Tuesday’s contest was completed. Ace left-hander Garrett Crochet hasn’t pitched into the fifth inning in eight straight starts as the organization monitors his workload.
Crochet had a 2-2 count on Rangers leadoff man Marcus Semien before play was halted.
–Field Level Media
