Struggles again Monday Smith (1-5) blew a save and took the loss against the Diamondbacks on Monday, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits and one walk over two-thirds of an inning. Impact There may be some noise around the fact that Texas manager Bruce Bochy elected to go to Aroldis Chapman rather than Smith with the Rangers up 1-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, though Chapman was unable to seal the deal. When the Rangers took a two-run lead in the top of the 11th, Smith got his save opportunity after all, but he also blew it, allowing back-to-back two-out doubles to allow three runs to cross the plate. It's been a rough stretch of late for the veteran reliever, as he's posted a 15.19 ERA, 2.25 WHIP and two blown saves over his past seven outings. Chapman, by contrast, has allowed just one run while registering a 19:3 K:BB over 10 innings through 10 innings in August, so Monday's developments may be more than just a one-game thing, though there's been no official word of Smith moving out of the closer role.
AUGUST 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE