Mengden took the loss and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out two over 5.1 innings Thursday against the Rangers.
Mengden was a tough-luck loser Thursday as he seemingly out pitched his counterpart Martin Perez, but was tagged with the loss regardless. All of the damage against him came in the second inning, with the catalyst being when he was struck on his surgically repaired right foot on a liner off the bat of Rougned Odor. The following batter-- Ryan Rua-- dropped down a bunt, which Mengden fielded but then threw away. After the damage was done, he responded by retiring 12 consecutive batters before being lifted in the sixth inning after allowing a hit and a walk. He remains limited in value due to a lack of strikeouts, but Mengden has shown the ability to get outs in his first two starts of the season.