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On April 18th, 2023, the Texas Rangers faced off against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in what was expected to be a closely contested matchup. Both teams had started the season with mediocre records, with the Rangers at 6-7 and the Royals at 5-8, and were looking to gain some momentum.
The starting pitchers for the game were Kyle Gibson for the Rangers and Brad Keller for the Royals. Gibson had been solid in his first three starts of the season, allowing just five runs in 19 innings pitched. Keller, on the other hand, had struggled, allowing 10 runs in 13 innings pitched.
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The game began with both pitchers looking sharp, as they retired the first three batters they faced. In the top of the second inning, the Rangers broke through for a run. A leadoff single from Nathaniel Lowe and a double from Nick Solak put runners on second and third with nobody out. A sacrifice fly from Adolis Garcia brought home Lowe, giving the Rangers an early 1-0 lead.
Gibson continued to dominate the Royals’ lineup, not allowing a hit until the bottom of the fourth inning when Carlos Santana singled to left field. However, Gibson was able to work out of trouble and keep the score at 1-0.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Rangers added to their lead. A leadoff single from Jonah Heim and a walk to Charlie Culberson put runners on first and second with nobody out. A sacrifice bunt from Gibson moved the runners up a base, and a groundout from Isiah Kiner-Falefa brought home Heim, making the score 2-0 in favor of the Rangers.
The Royals finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a leadoff single from Salvador Perez, Andrew Benintendi hit a two-run home run to right field, tying the game at 2-2.
Keller was pulled after six innings, having allowed two runs on four hits while striking out five batters. He was replaced by reliever Kyle Zimmer, who pitched a scoreless seventh inning to keep the game tied.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Rangers retook the lead. A leadoff double from Solak and a single from Garcia put runners on first and third with nobody out. A sacrifice fly from Willie Calhoun brought home Solak, making the score 3-2 in favor of the Rangers.
Gibson was pulled after seven innings, having allowed two runs on three hits while striking out eight batters. He was replaced by reliever Josh Sborz, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning to keep the Rangers ahead.
In the top of the ninth inning, the Rangers added an insurance run. A leadoff double from Lowe and a single from Solak put runners on first and third with nobody out. A sacrifice fly from Garcia brought home Lowe, making the score 4-2 in favor of the Rangers.
The Royals tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning, putting runners on first and second with two outs. But Sborz was able to work out of trouble, getting a groundout from Michael Taylor to secure the victory for the Rangers by a score of 4-2.
The Rangers’ offense was led by Solak, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, while Garcia went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Gibson’s dominant performance on the mound was the key to the Rangers’ victory, as he was able to shut down the Royals’ lineup for most of the game.
