Martin Perez
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Martin Perez, left, is checked on by head athletic trainer Matt Lucero, center, and manager Chris Woodward, right, after Perez was hit in the lower right leg by a ball on a hit by Tampa Bay Rays' Taylor Walls in the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. Perez continued playing in the game. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Martin Perez shakes off liner in victory over Tampa Bay Rays

Martin Perez continued his strong month of May Tuesday night with seven scoreless innings, helping the Rangers secure another win over the Rays.

Martin Perez would not give in

Rangers pitcher Martin Perez retired 16 batters in a row after taking a liner to the shin early in the game. Perez is in his second stint with the Rangers after they signed him onto the team after three seasons away from the organization. He extended the longest active streak in the majors without allowing a home run in 66.1 innings.

In a post-game interview, in regards to the liner, he said he going to leave the game. He said, “I’m gonna go out there and do my best because I think we need this game.”

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Perez finished the month with a 0.64 ERA, which becomes the franchise record for ERA in the month of May. He only gave up 3 runs across the entire month. This is also the best for any American League pitcher with at least 40 innings since Johan Santana in 2004.

Other Strong Performers

John King pitched a perfect eighth inning. Joe Barlow pitched a perfect ninth inning. The Rangers then retired the rest of the 22 batters.

Corey Seager, who has five doubles and 11 home runs, scored a home run for Texas’ first hit in the fourth inning. Two batters later, Adolis Garcia then added a two-run shot for the Rangers.

Going into Game 3

The Rangers finished their first winning month since June 2019, they finished May with a 17-10 record. Monday night in Game 1, the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-5. After Rays fans were hoping for a redemption game, the Rangers defeated the Rays once again with a score of 3-0. Texas is now up 2-0 in the series. Overall, the Rangers are hot at home with a six-game winning streak in Arlington.

The teams are scheduled to match up again Wednesday night where Jeffery Springs and Jon Gray are expected to battle it out on the mound.

As the series continues, the Rangers will try to defend their streak, while the Rays try to redeem themselves in Game 3.

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