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Joey Gallo keeps foot on cruise control; racks up another four-game sweep during the “MLB: The Show” tournament

Joey Gallo keeps foot on cruise control; racks up another four-game sweep during the “MLB: The Show” tournament

Sunday marked the fourth set of four games for Joey Gallo, and just like the previous three, it concluded with pure domination. Gallo’s Rangers entered the night the best offense of the tournament in regards to runs per game (6.33 runs/game). The task was to remain the top of the tournament and hold off the second seed Blake Snell. Sunday’s contests included a soft schedule on paper, but a little more complicated competition than anticipated. The four opponents had a combined record of 23-23 coming into Sunday, but game two featured an excellent matchup against a 9-3 Dwight Smith Jr. and his Baltimore Orioles. The other three players included Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals (5-7), Niko Goodrum of the Tigers (5-6), and David Dahl of the Rockies (4-7). See if you’ve heard this story before, Joey Gallo swept his competition Sunday allowing a total of four runs in four games.

Game 13: Cardinals (Matt Carpenter) at Rangers (Joey Gallo)

There was a slight delay in the game due to some connection issues, but the delay only lasted five minutes. Joey started with Mike MInor and looked a little rusty (the game lagged a little bit). Carpenter homered to begin the game with Paul Goldschmidt and racked up three hits to take a 1-0 lead. However, in typical Joey fashion, he answered quickly with two straight doubles from Danny Santana and surprise, Willie Calhoun to even the game at one. Joey retired the Cardinals in the second, and then Joey took the lead in the bottom of the second with a leadoff double and back-to-back flyouts to plate the go-ahead run. Carpenter got the leadoff man on but stranded him at first in another Jose Leclerc save in the final inning.

Game 14: Rangers (Joey Gallo) at Orioles (Dwight Smith Jr.)

Dwight Smith Jr. came off no-hitting David Dahl of the Rockies and has gone on record as being a good player at The Show. A second straight no-no went out the window with a leadoff single by Gallo to start the game. Gallo loaded the bases in the first inning with two hits and a walk, but Smith escaped the jam scoreless. In the second inning, Joey struck first on a two-run shot by Nick Solak. “[Solak] rakes,” Joey said during the stream. It’s a notion Rangers fans saw in person in 2019. After Santana doubled, Santander threw Danny out at the plate to keep it a 2-0 game. “I had to try it,” Gallo said after Santana was out at the plate. Once Joey got out of a two-on jam, the Rangers padded the lead with two extra-base hits and a game glitch. With a five-run lead, Luis Garcia came in to close the game, and Joey kept the train going with another victory.

Game 15: Tigers (Niko Goodrum) at Rangers (Joey Gallo)

Goodrum started the game with a one-out double, but couldn’t capitalize with a scoreless first. At the bottom of the inning, Joey Gallo ripped an opposite-field two-run homer as himself (8th of the tournament) to strike first again. Lance Lynn pitched a scoreless second inning while the Rangers cranked three more insurance runs. The fifth run included an RBI double by Shin-Soo Choo going in headfirst to second. Joey commented after the slide. “Look at Choo-Choo, 38-years-old going head first” Niko avoided the shutout with a leadoff double followed by a single to scratch a run. Joey was having issues in right field as himself throughout the game. “I may bench myself,” he said after the Miguel Cabrera’s double went over his head. However, Cabrera got thrown out in a rundown to end the game.

Game 16: Rangers (Joey Gallo) at Rockies (David Dahl)

The final game of the night goes to the mile-high altitude as the high power Rangers faced off against the Rockies (something that was scheduled to occur two weeks ago). David Dahl made a weather decision by putting rain at Coors Field for the matchup. “Bad weather game,” said Dahl’s text to Joey Gallo in the first inning. Things got chippy as Joey Gallo got thrown behind and then hit by a pitch. The home plate umpire issued warnings to both sides where Chris Woodward got hot. Once Joey took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Dahl answered with a solo home run, by himself, to even the game at one. At the top of the second, things got dicey again. Odor got hit by a pitch (no ejections happened) followed by a couple of hits to take a 3-1 lead. Jose Leclerc came into the bottom of the third after both players pitched scoreless innings. Dahl threatened by bringing the tying run into scoring position but again couldn’t convert.

It’s a quick turnaround, and a rare back-to-back for Joey Gallo as the next set of games begin Monday night. Joey’s next four come against Fernando Tatis Jr of the Padres (9-3), Lucas Giolitto of the White Sox (7-4), Jon Duplantier of the Diamondbacks (6-6), and Josh Hader of the Brewers (6-6). It’ll resemble a typical baseball night going back-to-back, but a difficult task against two division leaders and a combined record of 28-19. We all want normalcy, and what better way to celebrate normalcy than to watch a Rangers’ fan-favorite compete to the top in drama-filled games.

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Credentialed Media Staff Writer covering the Texas Rangers for Dallas Sports Fanatic | 2014 University of North Texas graduate with a Bachelor's in Radio, Television, and Film. I talk about things. Find me on the tweeter @aplinckTX

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