On Monday, there was a different type of next man up. Associate manager Will Venable found out on Sunday night that he would be the acting manager for the Rangers’ series-opening matchup with the Tigers the following day.
Rangers skipper Bruce Bochy could not manage the game due to a “scheduled personal matter,” so Venable, the associate manager, stepped up to the metaphorical plate.
So, how was Venable’s first game as acting manager? Pretty easy to guess his response as the Rangers fell, 2-1, to the Tigers at Globe Life Field, opening the three-game set:
“Not good,” he said with a chuckle following the loss. “It was a tough one. The guys were battling out there, and we just ran up against a catcher that put some good swings on it, and we just had a couple of missed opportunities offensively.”
Even as the Rangers came off a series win in Miami this weekend, Venable inherited the same struggles that Bochy has had for the last month.
