Texas Rangers' top prospect Joey Gallo was promoted on Monday after the team placed Adrian Beltre on the 15-day DL with a sprained thumb. His MLB debut came on Tuesday and he did not disappoint.
The youngster was tasked with facing established veteran starter Jeff Samardzija in his first major league game.
Gallo got the start at third base last night and helped Texas off on the right foot in the bottom of the first inning. The 21-year-old ripped a two-run single past first baseman Adam LaRoche that scored Prince Fielder and Mitch Moreland, putting the Rangers up 2-0. Gallo then scored later in the inning when Leonys Martin singled to right field.
The Rangers were already up 4-0 after the first inning.
Chicago got two of those runs back in the top of the third when Adam Eaton smacked a two-run home run to right field off of Colby Lewis, but Gallo came up in the bottom half of the inning and further extended the Rangers' lead. After shortstop Elvis Andrus walked, Gallo blasted a two-run home run to right field and put the Rangers up 6-2.
The third baseman doubled in the fifth inning, struck out in the sixth and walked in the eighth to finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, one home run and four RBIs in his MLB debut. He finished a triple shy of the cycle and the Rangers ended up winning 15-2 after scoring four runs in the sixth and four runs in the eighth.
"I definitely did not think this was going to happen the first game," Gallo said, via The Associated Press. "I was just going to be happy to get on base the first game, so I definitely overachieved my goals there."
General manager Jon Daniels said earlier this week Gallo's promotion would be a short-term one, but the youngster could make a case to remain in the MLB despite playing only his first game about Double-A last night. Gallo was batting .314/.425/.636 with 21 runs scored, 9 home runs and 31 RBIs in 34 games with Double-A Frisco this season before getting the call.
There were concerns about Gallo's high strikeout rate and contact issues in previous seasons, but the Rangers wanted to see him in action at the MLB level anyway. He's been among the top power hitters in the minors over the past few years (22 home runs in 2012, 40 in 2013 and 42 in 2014) and that's what Texas is excited about.
The club is seemingly confident Gallo is developing and getting beyond these weaknesses, and he showed that on Tuesday night.