Memories can be powerful. Almost a decade ago, Andrew Heaney, a first-round pick by the Miami Marlins, made his MLB debut at loanDepot Park, going six innings and allowing one run, but still ended up with a loss. Fast forward to Sunday, Heaney was back at the same park, but this time, things were different.
Despite the Marlins’ continued struggle to score, the Rangers broke their habit of poor run support for Heaney, giving him an early multi-run lead, which he capitalized on for a 6-0 win against his former team.
“This was the best I’ve felt in a long time mechanically,” Heaney said, earning his first win as a starter this season with six shutout innings. “Everything felt good mechanically and physically. I was really confident in every pitch I threw. It was a really enjoyable day to pitch.”
The Rangers enjoyed a weekend in Miami, including family time around Key Biscayne. They followed up a slow start to the series with back-to-back shutouts, including a 7-0 win on Saturday. This marked the first time the Rangers scored more than five runs in consecutive games since early April and their first consecutive shutouts since 2016.
The Rangers quickly took a three-run lead in the first inning on four consecutive singles. Robbie Grossman and Adolis García, who was breaking out of a slump, each contributed RBIs, with García later hitting a home run.
Heaney, starting against the team that drafted him for the first time at loanDepot, received more run support than in any of his previous six starts. The Rangers had only provided 16 runs over Heaney’s 10 starts this season, placing him near the bottom in run support among MLB starters. However, Heaney didn’t let the lack of support affect his mindset.
“I’ve been horrible at shutdown innings this year,” Heaney admitted. “I love when the offense scores three runs in the first inning; I appreciate it. But I need to do my part and not give up runs.”
Manager Bruce Bochy acknowledged that early run support allows pitchers to be more aggressive. For Heaney, who struggles with walks, this is crucial as it keeps pitch counts low and innings manageable.
“When you have a lead, you know one pitch can’t beat you,” Bochy said. “It allows you to attack. With a cushion to work with, Heaney looked much more aggressive.”
Heaney, who last pitched in relief on Tuesday, had an effective changeup, making him a legitimate three-pitch pitcher. This effectiveness allowed him to mix his changeup with his fastball and slider, throwing the changeup 23 times on Sunday, up from his season average.
Earlier this year, Heaney had a reset moment after a rough outing against Atlanta, followed by four walk-free starts. Although his command wavered in late May, a reset with two bullpen outings between his last start and Sunday’s game helped him find his form again.