Texas Rangers survive bruising battle against Kansas City Royals in 10

The Texas Rangers scored six runs while the Kansas City Royals scored four runs in ten innings.

Remember the second game of the season when the Rangers literally dropped the ball multiple times in Philadelphia and turned what looked like an easy victory into an extra innings game that they eventually did hold on to win? It might be difficult to recall because it was all the way back in March.

I bring that game up because it was, remarkably, the only other time that the Rangers played extra innings this season before tonight’s game. But getting from entering the game adverse to free baseball to the final score was an adventure in and of itself, to say the least.

Here’s just a smattering of the obscene things that happened in this one:

Designated hitter Joc Pederson left the game after injuring himself drawing walk.

Tonight’s Kansas City starting pitcher Seth Lugo was forced to leave tonight’s game after 3.1 innings because he took a 106 MPH comebacker directly off his forehead off the bat of former teammate Brandon Nimmo.

The Rangers lost a replay on a play at the plate in a game that went to extras that the players involved (including Kansas City catcher Sal Perez) seemed pretty certain would go Texas’ way all because maybe there wasn’t a single camera angle that showed anything useful.

The Royals scored a run apiece in two separate innings that materialized via hits that all came after there were two outs. The Rangers probably haven’t accomplished that twice all season.

Both teams struggled with runners on base ultimately. The Rangers went 3-for-10 with RISP and left 14 runners on base, including several wasted bases loaded opportunities. The Royals, meanwhile, went 4-for-13 with RISP and left 13 on base.

The teams combined to use 13 pitchers with five from Texas and a whopping eight from Kansas City after Lugo was forced to exit.

The go-ahead run was scored when Elias Diaz doubled in Texas’ Manfred Man despite him only being in the game because tonight’s starting catcher Kyle Higashioka was lifted for a pinch runner. Texas’ insurance run scored via a bases loaded walk. The Royals then loaded the bases in their half of the tenth with zero outs but then borrowed a page from the Rangers and didn’t score.

Anyway, like back on March 28, despite some hellish baseball the Rangers won. They’re now 2-0 in extra innings games.

Player of the Game: Former Royal and No. 9 hitter Nicky Lopez doubled, singled in a run, drew a tenth inning walk, and was hit by a pitch to ignite another bases loaded opportunity in which the Rangers scored the tying run in the eighth.

Up Next: The Rangers and Royals finish off this series in a matinee affair tomorrow afternoon with RHP Kumar Rocker set to pitch in the finale for Texas opposite RHP Michael Wacha for KC.

Thursday’s finale matchup from Kauffman Stadium is scheduled for 1:10 pm CDT and you can catch it on the Rangers Sports Network.