Jordan Lyles made his Texas Rangers debut yesterday. Ironically, the pitcher on the mound for the Giants was Drew Smyly, last year’s version of him, another in a series of Jon Daniels Dollar General bargain bin pitchers.

Lyles was trying to show that his impressive run with the Brewers at the end of 2019, when he went 7-1 with a 2.45 ERA, wasn’t a fluke. He was trying to show that the guy with the career .511 ERA had, after nine seasons, figured it out.

After being handed a 2-0 lead after one half of an inning, Lyles walked out to the mound in San Francisco for the first time in a Rangers uniform. And he kept walking. And walking. And walking. He walked five Giants hitters in four innings.

He walked the Giants lead-off hitter. Then, in typical Rangers fashion, got a couple quick outs. Then he walked another Giants hitter. That usually leads to trouble. This time, it led to two runs.

He was back at it in the third. Walking the lead-off hitter again. Then the next guy. To prove it wasn’t a fluke, he threw a wild pitch to move each runner up ninety-feet. When the third inning was over, two more Giants had crossed the plate. 

For good measure, he walked the lead-off runner in the fourth inning too.

When all was said and done, he lasted just four innings, walking five, giving up three hits and four earned runs.

In total, the Rangers gave up eleven walks to the Giants. 

It was another ugly game for the Rangers. This last sentence might just end up being copied and pasted the rest of season.

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TODAY’S GAME:

Kolby Allard vs. TBD

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