Choo's gaffe costly to Rangers in loss to Padres
The Texas Rangers haven't had much margin for error throughout the first half of the season.
It's only fitting then that they head to the All-Star break after a 2-1 loss when one play proved to be huge and put a fitting end to a dismal homestand.
Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo's mental gaffe on a ball that ricocheted off Mitch Moreland's glove in the second inning resulted in a triple for Will Venable and opened the door for the only run Tyson Ross would need.
With the Texas also scuffling against San Diego starter Tyson Ross, gift runs are tough to make up for. The Rangers couldn't and now they enter a four-day break losers of seven of eight in a homestand and 42-46 on the season.
Venable hit a one-out liner that bounced off Moreland's glove and into shallow right center. Choo didn't break on the ball, forcing Rougned Odor to run out from second to make the play as Choo jogged in. By the time Odor got the ball back into the infield Venable was on third.
Will Middlebrooks followed with a slow grounder to second that Odor threw late home on as Venable crossed the plate.
The Choo play was difficult for Texas manager Jeff Banister to take.
"The play in right field that led to the first run was obviously tough," Banister said. "It was tough to see and tough to be part of, allow a runner to go all the way to third base on a ball that barely gets to the outfield. Fundamentally our thought process is any time a ball's in play we go hard, we go after the baseball. That should be our mindset and we didn't."
Choo took the blame for it too.
"I saw Odor's reaction and I thought the ball was close to him," Choo said. "The first thing is the outfielder is more responsible. I have to get it. Probably I gave up too early. That really changed the game today. Yovani did a great job today. I gave up too early."
Texas starter Yovani Gallardo pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed just the one run. The Padres added what turned out to be a much-needed run in the seventh off Keone Kela.
The Rangers rallied in the ninth in an effort to win for just the second time in the last 11 games at Globe Life Park. Rougned Odor's RBI single with two outs cut the lead in half and Elvis Andrus moved Odor to second with a single. But San Diego closer Craig Kimbrel struck out Leonys Martin to end the game on a day when the Rangers managed just five hits.
"It was rough," said Gallardo, who walked four and struck out three. "To lose the last game of the first half I think it was tough. That's pretty much all I can say. I felt better as the game went on. I was getting ahead of guys it was just a matter of putting guys away."
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