Rangers Stat of the Day: July 2021
MLB.com is keeping track of a Stat of the Day for the Rangers this season, highlighting a unique, interesting or fun nugget from each game.
July 31: Rangers 5, Mariners 4 (10) -- Heim's switch-hit hacks
Switch-hitter Jonah Heim posted his first career walk-off home run and his first career multi-homer game in the win over Seattle, launching two two-run homers in the fifth and 10th innings. With his first long ball coming from the right side of the plate and the second coming from the left, he also became the sixth Ranger to hit homers from both sides in the same game (11th overall).
July 30: Mariners 9, Rangers 5 -- Adolis keeps mashing
Rangers rookie outfielder Adolis Garc¨Şa hit his 23rd home run of the season in the loss. That mark is the third most homers by a rookie in Rangers history, falling behind Pete Incaviglia (30 HR in 1986) and Mark Teixeira (26 HR in 2003). Garcia has six home runs and 13 RBIs in his last 17 games at Globe Life Field.
July 28: D-backs 3, Rangers 2 -- Kiner-Falefa extends streak
Rangers shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled in the eighth inning against the D-backs to extend his hitting streak to six games. His 11 hits since the All-Star Break lead the Rangers.
July 27: Rangers 5, D-backs 4 -- Gallo's lethal arm
Joey Gallo recorded two outfield assists to match his career high for a single game for the third time. He now has a career-high nine outfield assists this season, surpassing his previous best of eight done in both 2018 and 2019.
July 25: Astros 3, Rangers 1 -- Winless out of the break
Only four teams in MLB history have lost 10 or more games coming out of the All-Star break: The 1935 Braves (13), 2011 Mariners (12), 2004 D-backs (11) and the 1937 Senators (10). The 2021 Rangers joined that group following the loss to the Astros. Texas has now lost a season-high 12 games in a row. Since relocating to Arlington at the start of the 1972 season, the Rangers have only had two losing streaks longer than their current skid: 15 straight in Sept. 1972 (a franchise record) and 12 straight in April-May, 1982.
July 24: Astros 4, Rangers 1 -- Gibson's weird night
Kyle Gibson issued a career-high eight walks, which is the most in a single game by a Rangers pitcher since Colby Lewis on April 10, 2003. He still posted a quality start, allowing only two earned runs in six innings. It was the second quality start by a Rangers pitcher that included eight or more walks in the last 31 seasons, joining Chan Ho Park in 2002.
July 23: Astros 7, Rangers 3 -- Still searching for the lead
The Rangers have lost 10 straight games and haven't held a lead at any point since the first of those 10 losses, when they scored two runs in the first inning against the A's on July 10. Texas' streak of 86 consecutive innings without leading is the longest since the Braves had a 96-inning drought in April/May 1977.
July 22: Tigers 7, Rangers 5 -- Texas out-homered
During the Rangers' current nine-game losing streak, the club has been out-homered, 27-to-3. The 27 homers allowed match the most against the club in any nine-game span in Washington or Texas franchise history.
July 21: Tigers 4, Rangers 2 -- Walkless streak ends
Coming into this matchup, Texas hitters had no walks and 20 strikeouts in the first two games of the series. It was the first time in franchise history that a club had posted double-digit strikeouts and no walks in back-to-back games. In the Game 3 loss, Rangers hitters drew two walks from Nathaniel Lowe and one from Adolis Garc¨Şa.
July 20: Tigers 4, Rangers 1 -- Scoreless streak ends
The Rangers scored their first run in 27 innings in the fifth inning against the Tigers. By doing so, they avoided becoming the first team in club history and just the fourth team in the divisional era (since 1969) to be shut out in four straight games (2017 Royals, 1992 Cubs and '85 Braves).
July 19: Tigers 14, Rangers 0 -- Gallo's impressive assists
Joey Gallo's two outfield assists in the series opener matched his career high from July 22, 2018, against Cleveland. He's the first Texas outfielder with multiple outfield assists in a game since Ryan Rua on July 23, 2018, against Oakland (also two) the day after Gallo's first such feat.
July 18: Blue Jays 5, Rangers 0 (Game 1) & Blue Jays 10, Rangers 0 (Game 2) -- First DH shutout since Senators era
On Sunday, the Rangers were shut out on both ends of a doubleheader for the first time since coming to Texas in 1972. As the Washington Senators, this franchise was shut out twice in doubleheaders: first on April 13, 1969, in Baltimore; and then on May 23, 1971, in Detroit. It's worth noting that those games were nine innings apiece, as opposed to the seven-inning variety this time.
July 16: Blue Jays 10, Rangers 2 -- Lyles' long-ball woes
Jordan Lyles's primary woes this season are tied to the long ball, and it certainly stung him this time. Lyles allowed four homers to the Blue Jays, bringing his season total up to 21 (second in MLB). After allowing four home runs to the Astros back on June 16, Lyles is the first pitcher this season that has allowed four or more homers in multiple starts (14 other pitchers have done it once).
July 11: Athletics 4, Rangers 1 -- Dahl closes strong
David Dahl had an impressive final homestand to close out the first half. He matched his season high for hits with three singles vs. the A's, his second three-hit showing of the week, and he finished with a team-high seven hits on the six-game homestand. He's batting .348 over his past seven games.
July 10: A's 8, Rangers 4 -- Sluggers making history
After crushing back-to-back homers against the A's on Saturday, Adolis Garc¨Şa and Joey Gallo became just the fifth set of teammates to each hit 22 or more homers before the All-Star break. The last Texas twosome to do so was Juan Gonzalez (23) and Alex Rodriguez (22), in 2003.
July 9: Rangers 3, A's 2 -- Garc¨Şa's rookie record
Adolis Garc¨Şa hit a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning for his 15th go-ahead RBI of the season. He now has 61 RBIs on the campaign, passing David Murphy's club record (60 RBIs in 2008) for most by a rookie prior to the All-Star break in Rangers history. He's also just the 9th rookie in Major League history with at least 20 HR and 60 RBIs prior to the All-Star break. Beyond that, Garc¨Şa is the first Ranger -- rookie or otherwise -- with at least 60 RBIs before the break since Nelson Cruz had 69 RBIs before the break in 2013.
July 7: Tigers 5, Rangers 3 -- Gallo's HR-streaking history
After his two-homer day against the Tigers, Joey Gallo has 10 dingers in his last 10 games. HeĦŻs the first Ranger to hit 10 home runs in any 10-game span. That brought his season total to 23, which is his career best prior to the All-Star break.
July 6: Rangers 10, Tigers 5 -- Hicks joins exclusive club
Catcher John Hicks hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, his fourth dinger in four games since being called up. He is the first player in Rangers/Senators history to homer at least four times in his first four games with the franchise, and just the sixth Major League batter since 1901 to do so.
July 5: Tigers 7, Rangers 3: Back-to-back jacks
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Rangers slugger Joey Gallo and catcher Jonah Heim hit back-to-back home runs. It was the fourth time this season Texas players have hit back-to-back homers. Gallo passed fellow outfielder Adolis Garc¨Şa with a team-leading 21 long balls. He has eight homers in his past eight games.
July 4: Mariners 4, Rangers 1 -- Rangers have holiday edge vs. Mariners
This was the seventh meeting of the Rangers and Mariners on the Fourth of July. Texas is now 4-3 in those matchups and is 25-26 all-time on Independence Day.
July 3: Rangers 7, Mariners 3 -- Hicks off to fast start
Rangers catcher John Hicks hit two homers, giving him three in his first three games with Texas. He's just the second player in franchise history with three homers in his first three games with the team and first since the club relocated in 1972. Washington Senators catcher Don Leppert accomplished that feat in 1963.
July 2: Mariners 5, Rangers 4 (10) -- Gibson joins Guidry
Rangers ace Kyle Gibson lowered his ERA to 1.98 and allowed just one run. With the no-decision, he's 6-0 on the season. Gibson is the second AL or NL pitcher since 1913 -- when ERA became an official stat -- to be undefeated with sub-2.00 ERA over his first 16 starts of season. The Yankees' Ron Guidry was 12-0 with a 1.71 ERA through 16 starts in 1978.
July 1: Rangers 8, A's 3 -- Gallo on a tear
With a two-run home run on Thursday, Joey Gallo became the first Ranger to homer in five consecutive games since Mike Napoli did so in 2012. Additionally, Gallo joined Josh Hamilton (eight in 2012) as the only other Texas Ranger to hit seven or more home runs in a five-game stretch, although Frank Howard accomplished the feat in 1968 when the club was the Washington Senators.