Pregame Baseball Nuggets: Rangers 8-Game Winning Streak, Perez On The Bump & More
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*The Rangers' 8-game win streak is tied for the longest in Major League Baseball this year with the Yankees, who won 8-in-a-row in early April. This is tied for the 7th longest win streak in Rangers' franchise history and the longest streak since they won 8-in-a-row in 2013.
*Underappreciated keys during this streak? Over the last 8 games, the Rangers have committed just 1 error, they've earned 3.9 BB/game, and issued just 1.6 BB/g.
*The Texas Rangers' starting rotation has a 3.35 ERA, BEST IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. Never would have guessed they'd hold that distinction on May 17.
*Just a random thought, but if I had to rank the Rangers' healthy centerfield options defensively, it would go: 1. Hoying 2. Rua 3. DeShields.
*The Rangers were the last team to record a sacrifice fly this season. Entering last night, only the Tigers (4) had fewer sacrifice flies on the season than Texas (5). Last night, however, the Rangers recorded 3 sacrifice flies. They joined the Phillies and Twins as the only teams with 3 sacrifice flies in a game this year. It was also the 27th time in franchise history the Rangers had recorded 3+ sacrifice flies in a game. The franchise record is 4, done four times, most recently on September 22, 2015.
*Nomar Mazara is riding a 7-game hitting streak during which he's hitting XX-XX
*Jared Hoying set a new career-high with 4 hits last night including his first MLB home run. His previous career-high was 2 hits.
*Hoying joins Delino DeShields, who also had 4 hits last night, and Carlos Gomez as the only Rangers with 4 hits in a game this year.
*With Seattle's LHP James Paxton on the DL, Martin Perez currently holds the title of second hardest-throwing left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball among those who are healthy. His average FB of 94.0 MPH is slightly slower than Chris Sale's 94.5 MPH average on his heater.
*LH hitters are batting .412 (14-for-34) vs. Perez this year, the highest BA allowed by any P vs. LHB out of 144 qualifiers. League average: .251. This is a bit odd considering he held lefties to a .176 BA last year, which ranked 3rd best in MLB out of 207 qualifiers. Perez is also getting ground balls at a rate way lower this year (46.6%) than last year (54.0%).
*Opposing hitters are batting .354 against Martin Perez's fastballs, 11th highest in MLB.
*Perez has allowed more than 4 runs in a start just once over his last 14 outings. During that stretch he's compiled a 3.99 ERA.
*Jonathan Lucroy has thrown out 9/22 would-be base stealers this year. His 40.9% caught stealing rate is well above the league average of 28.6%. WHERE HE RANKS
*Phillies SP, RHP Nick Pivetta, has allowed 5 HR in just 14.2 IP and is allowing opposing hitters to tee off to the tune of a .359 BA and 1.133 OPS. That OPS figure ranks 2nd highest among MLB pitchers with at least 3 starts in 2017.
*Tyson Ross is scheduled to throw 4 innings/approx. 65 pitches today in Arizona. He'll then join the team in Detroit.
