ARLINGTON, Texas – Last month, after a losing start in Baltimore, Rangers starting pitcher Glenn Otto chuckled as he came to a realization. He had started to show progress in not letting a bad inning turn into a worse one.
The reason: experience.
“Obviously this year I’ve been in more of those opportunities than I would’ve liked,” he said with a laugh.
Otto was in those type of innings multiple times on Monday, but like in Baltimore, he showed he’s been learning. Otto allowed six walks, a career-high, and two hits, but only surrendered one total run in six innings pitched in a 2-1 win over Oakland – the first win in the managerial career of interim Tony Beasley.
The one run Otto allowed was a solo home run off the bat of A’s shortstop Nick Allen.
Otto earned his fifth win of the season and his first since June 4. It also meant the Rangers have won three straight for the first time since June 11-13.
Otto, of course, got some help with the win. After Allen’s solo home run, Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien tied up with the game with a solo shot of his own. He now has 18 on the season.
Later on, in the bottom of the sixth, Leody Taveras hit a hard line drive that corralled by the indentation where dead center meets right center, allowing him to show off his speed and make it to third with a stand-up triple. Rookie Bubba Thompson brought Taveras home with a two-out RBI single two batters later, giving the Rangers the lead.
Brock Burke pitched two scoreless innings before Jonathan Hernández closed the door for his fourth save of the season.
The fact the Rangers only needed two runs to win is a little surprising, especially given the way the game started. Otto walked the first hitter he faced in four pitches. He walked the next on seven pitches, but a quick double play and a pop-out helped him escape the first unscathed.
Perhaps more surprising was Otto had two 1-2-3 innings, meaning he scattered the eight base runners over just four innings. The six walks was the most any Rangers starter has had all season.
But Otto didn’t let the base runners defeat him. That experience with tough situations, clearly, is being put to good use.
