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New York Mets at Texas Rangers

By JR·2 min read
New York MetsNYM(73-85)
Texas RangersTEX(78-80)
AT
1:35 PM CT

TLDR: Texas is 78-80 and somehow tied for first in the AL West with 4 games left. Standing in the way Thursday afternoon is a last-place Mets team that has won the first 2 in Arlington and doesn't look like it cares about anybody's race.

THU SEP 24, 1:35 PM
Spread
WIN
Total
Mets
(73-85)
WWLWW
Rangers
(78-80)
LLLWW

The Mets, in last place at 73-85, have won the first 2 of the set in Arlington, and the 78-80 Rangers are tied with Houston for the AL West lead with 4 to play and no tiebreaker. Rookie lefty Zac Thornton faces Kumar Rocker in a day game, and the matchup comes down to whether a Texas offense that has scored 7 runs in 3 losses can wake up, and whether a bullpen that used its closer in the 7th Wednesday can hold a lead.

Mets
  • Won 4 of 5, first 2 in this series
  • Thornton: 6 innings, 2 runs vs Phillies last start
  • Semien and Baty came up big late Wednesday
  • Nothing to play for at 73-85
  • Bullpen down Duarte and Stock this week
  • Rotation thinned with Scott to the IL
Rangers
  • Tied for AL West lead with 4 left
  • Houston lost Wednesday, the door is open
  • Beat Toronto 7-1 and 6-2 before this skid
  • Lost 3 straight, 7 runs total
  • Latz used in the 7th Wednesday
  • Rocker only went 4.1 innings last start

The Rangers hand the ball to Kumar Rocker (5-11, 4.47) for the 1:35 PM CT finale, and the Mets counter with rookie lefty Zac Thornton (5-5, 3.40). Thornton has been one of the steadier arms on a bad team, and gave up 2 runs over 6 innings against the Phillies last time out. Rocker's line against Toronto looked fine on paper, 1 earned run, but Texas only got 4.1 innings and 76 pitches out of it. With the bullpen already stretched, the Rangers need more length than that on Thursday.

Zac Thornton
Zac Thornton
(5-5)·3.40 ERA
Sep 18 vs Phillies
W
6.0IP
2ER
4K
1BB
87P
09/24 Lineup
Kumar Rocker
Kumar Rocker
(5-11)·4.47 ERA
Sep 18 vs Blue Jays
ND
4.1IP
1ER
2K
2BB
76P
09/24 Lineup

There's a trade subplot all over this series. Marcus Semien, dealt to New York last November in the deal that brought Brandon Nimmo to Texas, hit the tiebreaking homer in the 8th on Wednesday against his old club, and Brett Baty buried it with a pinch-hit grand slam in the 9th. The Mets have won both games in Texas since Andy Green went from interim to full-time manager on Tuesday. The Rangers are playing without Joc Pederson (hand), so it's a thinner lineup trying to catch up to a Mets team that has nothing to lose. The books still have Texas as a modest home favorite.

Here's what's on the line. Houston dropped a 6-5 decision in 10 innings at Seattle on Wednesday, which left the Rangers tied with the Astros for the division lead. Both teams have 4 games left, and Houston owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, so a tie at the finish isn't enough for Texas. The Rangers have to finish ahead, and dropping a day game to a 73-85 club makes that harder.

New York Mets
(73-85)
09/23W@Rangers7-2
09/22W@Rangers6-3
09/20LvsPhillies2-7
09/19WvsPhillies10-3
09/18WvsPhillies6-3
Texas Rangers
(78-80)
09/23LvsMets2-7
09/22LvsMets3-6
09/20LvsBlue Jays2-7
09/19WvsBlue Jays6-2
09/18WvsBlue Jays7-1

The worry in Arlington is the bats. Texas has lost 3 straight and scored 7 runs total across those games (2, 3 and 2). The Rangers had just put up 7 and 6 against Toronto before that, so the lineup can get hot, but it hasn't in a while. Things got bad enough Wednesday that Bruce Bochy's replacement... rather, the Rangers' staff, brought All-Star closer Jacob Latz in with 2 on and 1 out in the 7th, his first appearance before the 8th since April 12. That's how urgent a September division race is, and it's also how a bullpen ends up thin for a day game the next afternoon.

New York Mets
(7)
  • 7-Day ILJared Young (1B) — The Mets placed Young on the 7-day concussion injured list Friday.09/18
  • 15-Day-ILChristian Scott (SP) — The Mets placed Scott on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with left knee inflammation.09/22
  • 15-Day-ILDaniel Duarte (RP) — The Mets placed Duarte on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left hamstring strain.09/16
  • 15-Day-ILRobert Stock (RP) — The Mets placed Stock on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with numbness in his fingers.09/16
  • 60-Day-ILJorge Polanco (DH) — The Mets transferred Polanco (ankle) to the 60-day injured list Friday.08/28
  • 60-Day-ILReed Garrett (RP) — The Mets placed Garrett (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILTylor Megill (SP) — The Mets placed Megill (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08
Texas Rangers
(9)
  • 10-Day-ILJoc Pederson (DH) — Texas placed Pederson (hand) on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Sept. 19.09/22
  • 10-Day-ILKyle Higashioka (C) — Higashioka (forearm) served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-5 for Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.09/05
  • 15-Day-ILMichel Otanez (RP) — The Rangers placed Otanez on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a viral illness, retroactive to Friday.09/19
  • 60-Day-ILCal Quantrill (RP) — The Rangers placed Quantrill (lat) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.09/22
  • 60-Day-ILJack Leiter (SP) — Leiter (ankle/biceps) threw a bullpen session at Globe Life Field on Sunday.09/22
  • 60-Day-ILCole Winn (RP) — The Rangers transferred Winn (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Friday.09/18
  • 60-Day-ILCarter Baumler (RP) — Baumler (intercostal) will begin a rehab assignment for Triple-A Round Rock this week.08/31
  • 60-Day-ILJose Corniell (RP) — The Rangers placed Corniell on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with an elbow injury.07/30
  • 60-Day-ILJalen Beeks (RP) — The Rangers transferred Beeks (forearm) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.07/21

The Mets aren't healthy either. Christian Scott went on the 15-day IL Tuesday with knee inflammation, and Jared Young, Daniel Duarte and Robert Stock have all gone down within the last week. None of that affects Thornton, though, and New York has 4-1 form and won 2 straight in this building. Texas is the team with something to play for, and the Mets have been the better team all week.

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