The Milwaukee Brewers handed the Texas Rangers a 11-4 loss at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Friday in spring training play. Despite Ezequiel Duran's 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI effort at the plate, the Rangers could not overcome a sizable deficit. Jacob Latz worked 3.0 innings on the mound, allowing 7 earned runs on 8 hits. The Brewers out-hit the Rangers 9-8 on the day. 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
Ezequiel Duran was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Rangers will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Mark Canha also contributed, going 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI, Alejandro Osuna chipped in, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Tyler Wade added to the attack, going 2-for-3. The Rangers showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Christian Yelich led the Brewers offense with a 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI day. Gary Sánchez also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. Luis Rengifo added a 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI effort as well. The Brewers offense proved to be too much for the Rangers pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Jacob Latz took the loss after running into trouble, working 3.0 innings while allowing 7 earned runs on 8 hits with five strikeouts. He threw 67 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 3.6 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out 11. 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.
Among the relievers, Robert Garcia stood out with 1.2 innings of scoreless work, striking out three. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Brewers got on the board first with a run in the first inning. Brewers plated three runs in the second. The Rangers answered with a run in the third. Brewers responded with seven runs in the third. The Rangers countered with three runs in the fourth. The Brewers were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Brewers out-hit the Rangers 9-8, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 6,522 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.