Shawn

Armstrong

After the Rangers took a one-run lead in the top of the ninth, Phil Maton recorded the first out in the bottom of the inning and gave up a base hit before Armstrong was called on to close things out. He worked around another hit, striking out two batters to preserve the win and convert his ninth save of the season.

It looked like the Rangers would give Shawn Armstrong a chance for a two-inning save today, but after retiring four in a row, he walked Isaac Collins with one out in the ninth. Maton entered then and retired Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio for his first save since Aug. 5. Armstrong remains the favorite for saves in Texas.

The 34-year-old hurler was called upon by manager Bruce Bochy to protect a 5-3 advantage in the ninth. He served up a one-out, solo homer to Jake Bauers that pulled the Brewers to within a run and then allowed a two-out single to Jackson Chourio, but Armstrong got Christian Yelich to line out to center field to squash that rally and end the game. For the time being, Armstrong looks like the favorite for save chances in the Rangers’ bullpen.

With one on, Armstrong struck out Jose Altuve on three pitches to end the eighth. He then pulled off a perfect 10-pitch ninth. He’s clearly Bruce Bochy’s favorite reliever at the moment, making him potentially useful in mixed leagues.

Chris Martin got the win after turning in a scoreless ninth. Armstrong has now earned the Rangers’ last three saves, making him the guy in the pen worth rostering at the moment.

It’s the fifth save of the season for Armstrong, and his last two have been multi-inning efforts. The 34-year-old walked one, didn’t strike anyone out, and didn’t allow a hit. Armstrong has also picked up the last two saves for the Rangers, and it seems like he’s going to get the bulk of the chances down the stretch for Texas.

Armstrong had to clean up the mess made by Robert Garcia, but he was able to do just that to pick up his third save of the season. He’s been solid as a late-inning option with a 3.13 ERA, but it’s hard to imagine he’s going to get more than a handful of save chances in 2025.

That’s certainly more than the Rangers were expecting from Armstrong, who had topped out at two innings previously this season and hadn’t struck out more than three. He’s pitched 11 1/3 scoreless innings in his last 10 appearances, lowering his ERA from 4.82 to 3.00. He might make another spot start next weekend, but he’s going to be in the pen for the most part going forward.

With Luke Jackson (hand) and Chris Martin (elbow) sidelined, the Rangers once again turned to Armstrong with a one-run lead to protect in the ninth inning. He made things a bit interesting by issuing a two-out walk to Victor Caratini, but he fought back to get Zach Dezenzo top pop out to second base to end it. Armstrong has proven that he’s capable of handling save situations for the Rangers, so look for him to continue to get his name called while Jackson and Martin are shelved.

Martin will attempt to play catch prior to Wednesday’s showdown against the Rockies and remains on the club’s lineup card. He’s obviously unavailable to pitch for at least a couple days, but it sounds like there’s a realistic chance he avoids a trip to the injured list. With Luke Jackson (hand) also hurt, it’ll likely be some combination of Robert Garcia, Jacob Webb or Shawn Armstrong getting the call in a save situation for the next few days.