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Rare Moment For Two Young Rangers Sluggers

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Rangers
By Stefan Stevenson | Last updated 6/28/23

ARLINGTON, Texas – How rare was it? The Texas Rangers hadn't done it in 22 years.

And it couldn't have come at a more crucial moment in Tuesday's 8-3 win.

Josh Jung and Leody Taveras were on the bench for an expected night off for Game 2 of the Rangers' four-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Both sluggers have been scuffling a bit at the plate of late and Rangers manager Bruce Bochy expressed his desire to give them a mental break after Monday night's loss.

But when the Tigers went to their bullpen for a left-hander leading 2-1 with two outs in the seventh, Bochy didn't hesitate to call on Jung and Taveras. And they delivered with a rare Rangers feat.

Jung, pinch-hitting for Travis Jankowski, tied the game with an RBI single. After an infield single by Ezequiel Duran, Taveras pinch-hit for Josh Smith and drove in Jung with a go-ahead RBI single to left.

They are the first two Rangers pinch-hitters to collect game-tying and go-ahead RBI in the same inning since July 7, 2001, at the San Diego Padres.

Andres Galarraga and Gabe Kapler each had RBI singles in the seventh inning in Texas' 4-3 win.

"A couple of big pinch-hits. Good for them. That's what we've been missing," Bochy said. "Kind of loosened things up, I think. We got a little contagious there, at-bats got better."

Bochy said using his bench was a no-brainer when the Tigers brought in lefty Chasen Shreve trying to hold a 2-1 lead with two outs, and a runner on second. Shreve quickly threw a wild pitch, allowing Adolis García to move up to third base before Jung's RBI single to right tied the game.

"They were off today but that doesn't mean they're off, obviously," Bochy said. "So they were ready to go. Both [are] young guys and it's not an easy job to pinch-hit in that situation, but what was impressive was there were two outs there with a lot of rallies. We had a lot of two-out hits."

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