The Cincinnati Reds handed the Texas Rangers a 4-3 loss at Goodyear Ballpark on Saturday in spring training play. Despite Alejandro Osuna's 3-for-4 effort at the plate, the Rangers could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Austin Gomber turned in a solid outing, working 4.1 innings of 1-run ball with two strikeouts. Both clubs finished with 9 hits apiece in a closely contested battle. The loss is a minor bump as the Rangers continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Alejandro Osuna was the standout at the plate, going 3-for-4. His consistent contact set the tone for the lineup. The Rangers will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Rafe Perich added to the attack, going 1-for-2 with an RBI, Mark Canha provided support, going 1-for-3, and Tyler Wade also contributed, going 1-for-4. The Rangers showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Michael Toglia led the Reds offense with a 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI day. Jose Trevino also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and an RBI. Carlos Jorge added a 1-for-1 with a triple and an RBI effort as well. The Reds offense proved to be too much for the Rangers pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Austin Gomber got the start, turning in a quality outing, working 4.1 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 73 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 3.2 innings of work, allowing 3 earned runs while striking out two. The Rangers continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting. Darren McCaughan recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Tyler Alexander stood out with 3.1 innings of 3-run work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
The Rangers struck first, plating a run in the second inning. The Rangers tacked on a run in the fourth. Reds countered with a run in the fourth. The Rangers struck back with a run in the sixth. Reds answered with three runs in the eighth. Both teams finished with 9 hits apiece, with 4 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 4,034 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Rangers will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.