Jacob

Latz

Latz was summoned with one out in the eighth inning with two runners on, tasked with getting the Rangers out of the jam and preserving a two-run lead. He induced a groundout and struck out the final batter before returning for the ninth and collecting two more strikeouts to complete a five-out save. The 30-year-old left-hander is up to 30 saves with a 2.00 ERA across 67 1/3 innings.

Latz gave up three doubles. The last of those was hit 390 feet to left center by Jordan Lawlar and would have been a game-tying homer in 13 ballparks. Latz, though, managed to strand Lawlar by striking out Tommy Troy and getting Gabriel Moreno to pop out after intentionally walking Ketel Marte.

The Rangers decided to use Jacob Latz in the eighth against the top of the Rays order today, and he protected a 7-6 lead then. The team then added an insurance run before Junis retired Liam Hicks, Chandler Simpson and Jonny DeLuca in the ninth. It’s Junis’s first save since June 21. He has just one blown save alongside his six saves and 17 holds this season.

The Rangers led 8-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, but after Trevor Williams faltered in his Texas debut, Latz was called on to earn the save and notched No. 28 on the year. He’s earned saves in seven of his last eight appearances.

Latz fanned one and got a couple of easy flyballs to end the game. It’s the first time in eight appearances this month that he went without walking a batter. Only the first of those appearances was a bad one, though. He’s pitched nine scoreless innings and collected six saves in his last seven outings.

Latz gave up a leadoff double to Christian Moore with a two-run lead, but he got out of it after intentionally walking Mike Trout with two outs and striking out Moisés Ballesteros to end the game. He’s pitched eight scoreless innings and earned five saves over his last six appearances.

The task became a bit easier for Latz after the Rangers tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning, giving him an extra run to work with. He did issue a one-out walk to Harry Ford, but nothing came of it as Latz struck out each of the other three hitters that he faced. The 30-year-old southpaw has now converted 25 of his first 28 save chances on the season while posting a minuscule 1.75 ERA and a 61/15 K/BB ratio across 57 innings of work. He has been an absolute gold mine for fantasy managers who picked him up early in the season.

Latz hadn’t pitched since Monday, so the Rangers asked him for six outs tonight, and he recorded them without incident. He did allow a hit in the eighth, but a caught stealing allowed him to face the minimum over the two innings. Since he did throw 36 pitches, he’ll probably be unavailable Sunday.

Latz shook off his first blown save in nearly two months in his most recent outing to finish this one off. He had some help though, as Christian Franklin laced a double down the line with two outs in the ninth and looked like it would score Leody Taveras from first base until a perfect relay from Brandon Nimmo to Nicky Lopez nailed him at the plate. That finished off his sixth six-out save of the season and he has a phenomenal 1.87 ERA.

Latz was summoned in the ninth inning with a two-run lead against the Giants on Tuesday. Oddly enough, it was the left-handed hitters that got to him. Latz gave up a base hit and walked a batter to put two runners on with one out. A wild pitch would put them in scoring position before Bryce Eldridge knocked a base hit to tie the game. Latz would retire the next two batters to get out of the inning with a tie. The Rangers would walk it off in the ninth, crediting Latz with a win despite his first blown save since May 13.