Losing two straight to the Cubs wasn't how I wanted to close the latest homestand, but perspective is needed for Rangers fans who walked away from the series in an angry state of mind.
Texas is still 14-8 in May.
It's been a good month so far.
Random Rangers observations from the weekend series:
• How much patience should the Rangers show Justin Smoak?
I love thinking about the rookie's ceiling, but he's been a hole in the lineup of late, going 6-for-47 in his last 15 games. Calling up Chris Davis, who's hitting well in Triple-A, seems a bit pointless and would impede Smoak's progress on the field. Smoak needs regular at-bats at the major league level. I just hope he breaks out of this thing soon.
• I'm excited to see the Rangers in live action again this upcoming week.
Texas will travel to Kansas City to take on the Royals on Tuesday and Wednesday, only a 45-minute drive for me. I'll be on hand, weather permitting, for Wednesday's day game at 1:10 p.m. The mound matchup is Scott Feldman vs. Luke Hochevar. I'm looking forward to it.
• I now have a full drawer dedicated to Rangers shirts.
Ridiculous, I know, but it looks pretty stellar. My shirt count for the drawer is 11, but it jumps to 13 when you include the pullover and the long-sleeve shirt that are in my closet. Awesome.
• Frank Francisco has been dominant lately.
The reliever struck out the side on Sunday, all swinging. He hasn't given up an earned run in eight straight appearances. In that time, he's struck out 12 and walked one. I like the idea of a rejuvenated Francisco combining with Neftali Feliz at the back of the bullpen.
• Speaking of the bullpen, I hope it doesn't get too worn out.
In particular, Feliz, Francisco, Darren Oliver, Chris Ray and Darren O'Day.
Oliver has been lights-out this year, with a 1.59 ERA and 24 punchouts to oppose only five walks. But he's our only left-handed reliever, so he's been called upon quite a bit. I don't have a huge problem with that because he's been effective. But he's also 39 years old. Hopefully, the addition of lefty Matt Harrison to the bullpen later in the week will alleviate Oliver's heavy workload a bit.
As for Ray, I can't complain about the 2.57 ERA. But the 11:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio is less than inspiring. I fear over-utilizing the guy since he's only two-plus years removed from Tommy John Surgery.
All in all, though, a good month of May. We need to regain some momentum this week in K.C.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Oh hey there again, offense
For the first month of the season, I wondered if the Rangers could get by and contend for the AL West title with the offense producing at a less-than-inspiring pace.
The offense still isn't quite where it needs to be, but Thursday's 13-7 victory over the Orioles made me think we're headed in the right direction.
Not exactly breaking news, but the lineup looks considerably better with a healthy Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz.
Manager Ron Washington has mixed up the batting order lately, switching around Kinsler and the streaky Josh Hamilton. Since May 17, Kinsler is batting in the No. 3 hole, while Hamilton has been inserted into the No. 5 spot.
Since the skipper made the move, Kinsler's gone 5-for-16 (.312) with a home run and five RBIs in a four-game span. He's batted in at least one run from the 3 spot in all four games.
Hamilton, since being moved to 5 in the order, has batted 6-for-13 (.461) with a home run and two RBIs in three games.
Texas has also won all four games since the switch, completing two-game sweeps of Anaheim and Baltimore. The Rangers are holding a four-game lead over Oakland in the West.
The move seems to be working.
Kinsler makes better contact and gets on base at a better rate than Hamilton, who has to be one of the streakiest hitters in baseball. Make no mistake, Hamilton's bat is needed for this team to contend, but it may make sense more in the 5 slot where he may see a few more pitches batting in between the red-hot Vlad Guerrero and Nelson Cruz.
I love the way the lineup looks after the shuffling:
1. Andrus
2. Young
3. Kinsler
4. Guerrero
5. Hamilton
6. Cruz
7. Smoak
8. Treanor
9. Borbon/Murphy
The first four bats in the lineup are consistent in putting baseballs in play. When Hamilton is on the right side of a streak, it's pretty darn fun to watch. Cruz continues to crush the ball and would probably lead the league in home runs and RBIs if he wasn't sidelined for the first two weeks of May with a hamstring injury. As is, the guy already has eight jacks, 30 RBIs, seven stolen bases and is hitting .330.
It's also worth noting that the Rangers are currently sporting a 17-7 home record, the best mark in baseball this season. The Cubs are in town for what should be an interesting interleague matchup this weekend. Let's hope the home winning streak continues.
The offense still isn't quite where it needs to be, but Thursday's 13-7 victory over the Orioles made me think we're headed in the right direction.
Not exactly breaking news, but the lineup looks considerably better with a healthy Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz.
Manager Ron Washington has mixed up the batting order lately, switching around Kinsler and the streaky Josh Hamilton. Since May 17, Kinsler is batting in the No. 3 hole, while Hamilton has been inserted into the No. 5 spot.
Since the skipper made the move, Kinsler's gone 5-for-16 (.312) with a home run and five RBIs in a four-game span. He's batted in at least one run from the 3 spot in all four games.
Hamilton, since being moved to 5 in the order, has batted 6-for-13 (.461) with a home run and two RBIs in three games.
Texas has also won all four games since the switch, completing two-game sweeps of Anaheim and Baltimore. The Rangers are holding a four-game lead over Oakland in the West.
The move seems to be working.
Kinsler makes better contact and gets on base at a better rate than Hamilton, who has to be one of the streakiest hitters in baseball. Make no mistake, Hamilton's bat is needed for this team to contend, but it may make sense more in the 5 slot where he may see a few more pitches batting in between the red-hot Vlad Guerrero and Nelson Cruz.
I love the way the lineup looks after the shuffling:
1. Andrus
2. Young
3. Kinsler
4. Guerrero
5. Hamilton
6. Cruz
7. Smoak
8. Treanor
9. Borbon/Murphy
The first four bats in the lineup are consistent in putting baseballs in play. When Hamilton is on the right side of a streak, it's pretty darn fun to watch. Cruz continues to crush the ball and would probably lead the league in home runs and RBIs if he wasn't sidelined for the first two weeks of May with a hamstring injury. As is, the guy already has eight jacks, 30 RBIs, seven stolen bases and is hitting .330.
It's also worth noting that the Rangers are currently sporting a 17-7 home record, the best mark in baseball this season. The Cubs are in town for what should be an interesting interleague matchup this weekend. Let's hope the home winning streak continues.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Return to Arlington a raging success
Arlington, Texas — What a night to make my return to Rangers Ballpark.
Derek Holland pitched a gem in his season debut. Texas crushed a season-high five home runs, and pounded out a season-high 17 hits.
Those elements added up to a 10-1 victory over Oakland on Wednesday and kept us in first place in the AL West.
We had good seats in section 325. It may sound weird, loving seats in the upper deck and all, but I actually prefer it in Arlington. There's no threat of foul balls, so you can relax while taking in the action. Our seats were behind home plate; the view was excellent. Didn't feel like we were disconnected from the field.
I've been sitting in the third deck for many years. My brother Dave and I used to sit in section 312, in between home plate and third base, regularly. The tickets are more affordable, and the action's just as good.
My fondest recollections from Wednesday:
• The stadium crew does a nice job of keeping the ballpark clean. The crew is also very friendly in welcoming you to the park, bidding farewell after the game and helping fans find their seats. It makes the experience more enjoyable.
• Before the George Bush Turnpike opened, it used to take us 45 minutes to get to the ballpark from my parents' house in Plano. I timed it on Wednesday: 35 minutes. The Bush turnpike has to be my favorite highway in Dallas.
• The new shirt that I sported to the game, a powder blue tee with the old-school logo, seemed to work out.
• Dollar hot dog night played a large role in getting 26,625 fans out on a Wednesday night. Not a huge turnout, but for mid-week, not bad. I did not take part in the food promotion (we ate Saltgrass before the game since it's so close to the ballpark on Interstate 30), but the cookies n cream ice cream in the sixth inning hit the spot. I washed out the Rangers helmet it came in and kept it. I'm a 5-year-old at heart.
• Holland's outing had me more excited than the five home runs, 17 hits and 10 runs scored. The dutch oven, as he's called, went six innings, allowing five hits, no runs and only one walk. He struck out seven. With Holland pitching like he did on Wednesday, it makes me think we might have the pitching rotation to win the West. C.J. Wilson is pitching like an All-Star and is second in the AL with a 1.48 ERA. Colby Lewis is second in the AL with 49 strikeouts in 45 innings. I expect Scott Feldman to improve as the season progresses. Rich Harden has been maddeningly inconsistent, but I'm starting to feel pretty good about four of the five arms in the rotation.
• OK, so the home run derby was pretty sweet. Especially when you're witnessing it live. I had a feeling we were going to light up Gio Gonzalez. In the first inning alone, all four batters that stepped to the plate hit the ball extremely hard. We're talkin' frozen ropes to the outfield that happened to be caught. Gonzalez lasted only four innings after throwing what had to be a plethora of beach balls. The back-to-back jacks by Josh Hamilton and Vlad Guerrero in the fifth inning had to be the most exciting aspects of the home run clinic. Justin Smoak, Max Ramirez and Michael Young also hit home runs.
Overall, a great night to return to Arlington.
Derek Holland pitched a gem in his season debut. Texas crushed a season-high five home runs, and pounded out a season-high 17 hits.
Those elements added up to a 10-1 victory over Oakland on Wednesday and kept us in first place in the AL West.
We had good seats in section 325. It may sound weird, loving seats in the upper deck and all, but I actually prefer it in Arlington. There's no threat of foul balls, so you can relax while taking in the action. Our seats were behind home plate; the view was excellent. Didn't feel like we were disconnected from the field.
I've been sitting in the third deck for many years. My brother Dave and I used to sit in section 312, in between home plate and third base, regularly. The tickets are more affordable, and the action's just as good.
My fondest recollections from Wednesday:
• The stadium crew does a nice job of keeping the ballpark clean. The crew is also very friendly in welcoming you to the park, bidding farewell after the game and helping fans find their seats. It makes the experience more enjoyable.
• Before the George Bush Turnpike opened, it used to take us 45 minutes to get to the ballpark from my parents' house in Plano. I timed it on Wednesday: 35 minutes. The Bush turnpike has to be my favorite highway in Dallas.
• The new shirt that I sported to the game, a powder blue tee with the old-school logo, seemed to work out.
• Dollar hot dog night played a large role in getting 26,625 fans out on a Wednesday night. Not a huge turnout, but for mid-week, not bad. I did not take part in the food promotion (we ate Saltgrass before the game since it's so close to the ballpark on Interstate 30), but the cookies n cream ice cream in the sixth inning hit the spot. I washed out the Rangers helmet it came in and kept it. I'm a 5-year-old at heart.
• Holland's outing had me more excited than the five home runs, 17 hits and 10 runs scored. The dutch oven, as he's called, went six innings, allowing five hits, no runs and only one walk. He struck out seven. With Holland pitching like he did on Wednesday, it makes me think we might have the pitching rotation to win the West. C.J. Wilson is pitching like an All-Star and is second in the AL with a 1.48 ERA. Colby Lewis is second in the AL with 49 strikeouts in 45 innings. I expect Scott Feldman to improve as the season progresses. Rich Harden has been maddeningly inconsistent, but I'm starting to feel pretty good about four of the five arms in the rotation.
• OK, so the home run derby was pretty sweet. Especially when you're witnessing it live. I had a feeling we were going to light up Gio Gonzalez. In the first inning alone, all four batters that stepped to the plate hit the ball extremely hard. We're talkin' frozen ropes to the outfield that happened to be caught. Gonzalez lasted only four innings after throwing what had to be a plethora of beach balls. The back-to-back jacks by Josh Hamilton and Vlad Guerrero in the fifth inning had to be the most exciting aspects of the home run clinic. Justin Smoak, Max Ramirez and Michael Young also hit home runs.
Overall, a great night to return to Arlington.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Muchas gracias, C.J. Wilson
This was the first time since I've been a Rangers fan that I've heard fans in Arlington chanting our pitcher's name.
That's how amazing C.J. Wilson has been in 2010.
The lefty had another sensational outing on Friday night, pitching a complete game five-hitter against Kansas City in a 4-1 victory. Even more impressive, he out-shined 2009 Cy Young winner Zack Greinke.
Wilson's 1.51 earned-run average ranks third in the American League. No way I would have expected that a month ago. He's been the ace of our staff, without question.
I'm so pleased I had a rare Friday off tonight and was able to catch the entire game. I was a bit concerned after Thursday's wacky 13-12 victory. Sure, you take the 'W,' but blowing an eight-run lead was demoralizing. It didn't feel much like a win.
After tonight's victory, however, I'm feeling great. Wilson going the distance, in an efficient 113 pitches, gave our depleted bullpen a chance to rest. The bullpen needs to buy C.J. a steak dinner or something after his masterful outing.
We're now sitting at 16-14 and in first place in the crowded (and perhaps medicore) AL West. Considering we started the year 5-9, I'll take it. That means we're 11-5 in our last 16.
It's comforting to know that in this roller-coaster of a season, we've already taken down aces like Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee, Mark Buehrle (kinda...I mean, he was their opening day starter) and Greinke.
Now that our bats are starting to wake up, I'd love to see an amazing month of May. Ian Kinsler's return has helped the lineup. Justin Smoak's not hitting for average yet, but he's providing a plate presence that Chris Davis didn't provide. In only 15 games, Smoak has three homers, eight RBIs and has seemed to make productive outs. He's barely missed on a few more bombs. I expect his average to see a spike soon.
Perhaps more than any factor, though, Vladimir Guerrero is mashing out of his mind. Thanks for that one, Anaheim. The guy's hitting .349 with six homers and 25 RBIs. His ability to be a solid situational hitter so far is why he has 25 ribbies. He's hit a few sac flies that I can remember off the top of my head. What an offseason grab.
Once Nelson Cruz returns on Wednesday, a game I should be attending live in Arlington, the middle of our lineup easily becomes the best in the AL West. I love the thought of this lineup when I make my return to the state next week:
1. Andrus
2. Young
3. Hamilton
4. Guerrero
5. Cruz
6. Kinsler
7. Smoak
8. Treanor
9. Borbon
I'm flying to Dallas on Monday, and we'll be in town until Thursday night. Most likely, I'll be attending Wednesday night's 7 p.m. home game against Oakland. I can't wait to get back for a game. It's truly one of the highlights of my year. My intent is to take a lot of photos to spice up the blog.
With this lineup and continued success from our starting pitchers, I'm feeling pretty good about our chances this year in the West.
Still have to address a few bullpen concerns, particularly another effective left-hander aside from Darren Oliver (Derek Holland or Matt Harrison perhaps). If Chris Ray and Frank Francisco continue to struggle, dipping into our farm system will be mandatory. Thankfully, our farm is stacked.
Our defense has been solid. Speaking of which, the play Elvis Andrus made at shortstop Friday night in the ninth inning was one of the best plays I've ever seen. The guy is 21 years old and already perhaps the best defensive shortstop in baseball. Incredible.
Can't wait to get back next week. I'll surely be updating the blog after my visit to share my experience to the ballpark.
For now, hello win column!
That's how amazing C.J. Wilson has been in 2010.
The lefty had another sensational outing on Friday night, pitching a complete game five-hitter against Kansas City in a 4-1 victory. Even more impressive, he out-shined 2009 Cy Young winner Zack Greinke.
Wilson's 1.51 earned-run average ranks third in the American League. No way I would have expected that a month ago. He's been the ace of our staff, without question.
I'm so pleased I had a rare Friday off tonight and was able to catch the entire game. I was a bit concerned after Thursday's wacky 13-12 victory. Sure, you take the 'W,' but blowing an eight-run lead was demoralizing. It didn't feel much like a win.
After tonight's victory, however, I'm feeling great. Wilson going the distance, in an efficient 113 pitches, gave our depleted bullpen a chance to rest. The bullpen needs to buy C.J. a steak dinner or something after his masterful outing.
We're now sitting at 16-14 and in first place in the crowded (and perhaps medicore) AL West. Considering we started the year 5-9, I'll take it. That means we're 11-5 in our last 16.
It's comforting to know that in this roller-coaster of a season, we've already taken down aces like Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee, Mark Buehrle (kinda...I mean, he was their opening day starter) and Greinke.
Now that our bats are starting to wake up, I'd love to see an amazing month of May. Ian Kinsler's return has helped the lineup. Justin Smoak's not hitting for average yet, but he's providing a plate presence that Chris Davis didn't provide. In only 15 games, Smoak has three homers, eight RBIs and has seemed to make productive outs. He's barely missed on a few more bombs. I expect his average to see a spike soon.
Perhaps more than any factor, though, Vladimir Guerrero is mashing out of his mind. Thanks for that one, Anaheim. The guy's hitting .349 with six homers and 25 RBIs. His ability to be a solid situational hitter so far is why he has 25 ribbies. He's hit a few sac flies that I can remember off the top of my head. What an offseason grab.
Once Nelson Cruz returns on Wednesday, a game I should be attending live in Arlington, the middle of our lineup easily becomes the best in the AL West. I love the thought of this lineup when I make my return to the state next week:
1. Andrus
2. Young
3. Hamilton
4. Guerrero
5. Cruz
6. Kinsler
7. Smoak
8. Treanor
9. Borbon
I'm flying to Dallas on Monday, and we'll be in town until Thursday night. Most likely, I'll be attending Wednesday night's 7 p.m. home game against Oakland. I can't wait to get back for a game. It's truly one of the highlights of my year. My intent is to take a lot of photos to spice up the blog.
With this lineup and continued success from our starting pitchers, I'm feeling pretty good about our chances this year in the West.
Still have to address a few bullpen concerns, particularly another effective left-hander aside from Darren Oliver (Derek Holland or Matt Harrison perhaps). If Chris Ray and Frank Francisco continue to struggle, dipping into our farm system will be mandatory. Thankfully, our farm is stacked.
Our defense has been solid. Speaking of which, the play Elvis Andrus made at shortstop Friday night in the ninth inning was one of the best plays I've ever seen. The guy is 21 years old and already perhaps the best defensive shortstop in baseball. Incredible.
Can't wait to get back next week. I'll surely be updating the blog after my visit to share my experience to the ballpark.
For now, hello win column!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Concert reflection: HIM in Denver
Denver — I left the Gothic Theater in Denver in awe of the amazing show put on by Finnish love metal band HIM on April 27.
Before the show, I was curious to hear how the band would sound live. I had never seen them before.
Here's the thing about HIM, to me at least: Their albums are very solid. But the instrumentation on their studio albums is somewhat basic. They don't break into many solos. They rely heavily on their catchy choruses. Verses are short.
That said: HIM was so good live that I left the Gothic Theater telling my brother Dave that it was one of the better concerts I had ever seen.
They do a better job than many bands I know of sticking to their image of dark, yet occasionally uplifting love metal. The instrumentation may be limited, but I couldn't believe how precise the guitar and drums sounded live. It may have been the most precise show I've ever heard. Every song sounded better than the studio version. Dave and I stood upstairs by the balcony, yet every song sounded incredibly clear. Maybe the venue had something to do with it. But I put a good 75-80 percent of that on the band.
Here was the setlist:
Opener:
1. Like St. Valentine
Setlist:
2. Right Here In My Arms
3. Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly
4. Scared To Death
5. Heartkiller
6. Join Me In Death
7. The Kiss Of Dawn
8. Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover)
9. Buried Alive By Love
10. Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness)
11. Bleed Well
12. Killing Loneliness
13. Love, The Hardest Way
Closer:
14. The Funeral Of Hearts
Encore:
15. Rebel Yell (Billy Idol cover)
No complaints. If there was any disappointment, it was that they didn't play anything off of Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights, my favorite HIM album ever. But this was a very strong setlist.
I pointed out to Dave that I thought it was really cool how pink stage lights shined down on front man Ville Valo every time they played something off Razorblade Romance. Again, an exceptional job of sticking to their image. The background on the cover of the Razorblade CD was draped with the color pink. A Denver Post blogger was on hand and captured some sweet photos.
My favorite moment was when they played "The Funeral of Hearts." Has to be my favorite HIM song, aside from "Salt in Our Wounds." Sounded great live.
I was also blown away when they played "Scared to Death." I'm a big fan of the new Screamworks CD. I can't tell you how great Valo sounded on this track, along with "Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness)" And "Love the Hardest Way." He really carried those songs.
It was also evident that Valo doesn't smoke anymore. Several times, fans from down in front tossed marijuana and cigarettes up on stage, only for Valo to toss them aside. I read that he doesn't smoke anymore. Dave told me the last time he saw HIM live, Valo was smoking on stage for the duration of the performance.
I like this new phase a lot for Valo. His voice sounded great, and there wasn't a note he didn't hit, even the high notes that HIM often incorporates at the end of their songs. It's obvious he can still hit those notes with regularity now that he doesn't smoke nearly as much (if at all).
Safe to say the show was well worth the $24 price of admission.
Before the show, I was curious to hear how the band would sound live. I had never seen them before.
Here's the thing about HIM, to me at least: Their albums are very solid. But the instrumentation on their studio albums is somewhat basic. They don't break into many solos. They rely heavily on their catchy choruses. Verses are short.
That said: HIM was so good live that I left the Gothic Theater telling my brother Dave that it was one of the better concerts I had ever seen.
They do a better job than many bands I know of sticking to their image of dark, yet occasionally uplifting love metal. The instrumentation may be limited, but I couldn't believe how precise the guitar and drums sounded live. It may have been the most precise show I've ever heard. Every song sounded better than the studio version. Dave and I stood upstairs by the balcony, yet every song sounded incredibly clear. Maybe the venue had something to do with it. But I put a good 75-80 percent of that on the band.
Here was the setlist:
Opener:
1. Like St. Valentine
Setlist:
2. Right Here In My Arms
3. Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly
4. Scared To Death
5. Heartkiller
6. Join Me In Death
7. The Kiss Of Dawn
8. Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover)
9. Buried Alive By Love
10. Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness)
11. Bleed Well
12. Killing Loneliness
13. Love, The Hardest Way
Closer:
14. The Funeral Of Hearts
Encore:
15. Rebel Yell (Billy Idol cover)
No complaints. If there was any disappointment, it was that they didn't play anything off of Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights, my favorite HIM album ever. But this was a very strong setlist.
I pointed out to Dave that I thought it was really cool how pink stage lights shined down on front man Ville Valo every time they played something off Razorblade Romance. Again, an exceptional job of sticking to their image. The background on the cover of the Razorblade CD was draped with the color pink. A Denver Post blogger was on hand and captured some sweet photos.
My favorite moment was when they played "The Funeral of Hearts." Has to be my favorite HIM song, aside from "Salt in Our Wounds." Sounded great live.
I was also blown away when they played "Scared to Death." I'm a big fan of the new Screamworks CD. I can't tell you how great Valo sounded on this track, along with "Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness)" And "Love the Hardest Way." He really carried those songs.
It was also evident that Valo doesn't smoke anymore. Several times, fans from down in front tossed marijuana and cigarettes up on stage, only for Valo to toss them aside. I read that he doesn't smoke anymore. Dave told me the last time he saw HIM live, Valo was smoking on stage for the duration of the performance.
I like this new phase a lot for Valo. His voice sounded great, and there wasn't a note he didn't hit, even the high notes that HIM often incorporates at the end of their songs. It's obvious he can still hit those notes with regularity now that he doesn't smoke nearly as much (if at all).
Safe to say the show was well worth the $24 price of admission.
Harden looked like a new pitcher tonight
Forgive me if I've said this before (several times) on this blog, but Texas Rangers pitcher Rich Harden has lacked so much control this season that it's been painful to watch most of his starts.
That wasn't anywhere close to the case tonight.
Harden was brilliant, pitching seven innings of shutout baseball and striking out nine in a 4-2 victory over the Athletics in Oakland, Calif.
And here's the best part: He didn't walk anyone. It can be done with this guy.
This was the Rich Harden I prayed the Rangers would get in the offseason. The guy that's an overpowering strikeout pitcher. He was more efficient tonight than he's been all season.
Replacing Kevin Millwood with Harden in the starting rotation was a move I supported. Millwood cost way too much when you combined his production and his age. Harden is younger and has the chance to be a true ace if he stays off the trainer's table (still kind of praying on that one). He showed that tonight. Must have felt nice going back to his old stomping grounds and stomping his former club.
It's kind of funny how one victory jump started this team. Just like a rally. Friday's 2-0 epic triumph over the Mariners in Seattle got it started. A few days later and we've won four in a row and sit 1.5 games ahead in first place in the AL West.
Baseball's a funny game sometimes.
That wasn't anywhere close to the case tonight.
Harden was brilliant, pitching seven innings of shutout baseball and striking out nine in a 4-2 victory over the Athletics in Oakland, Calif.
And here's the best part: He didn't walk anyone. It can be done with this guy.
This was the Rich Harden I prayed the Rangers would get in the offseason. The guy that's an overpowering strikeout pitcher. He was more efficient tonight than he's been all season.
Replacing Kevin Millwood with Harden in the starting rotation was a move I supported. Millwood cost way too much when you combined his production and his age. Harden is younger and has the chance to be a true ace if he stays off the trainer's table (still kind of praying on that one). He showed that tonight. Must have felt nice going back to his old stomping grounds and stomping his former club.
It's kind of funny how one victory jump started this team. Just like a rally. Friday's 2-0 epic triumph over the Mariners in Seattle got it started. A few days later and we've won four in a row and sit 1.5 games ahead in first place in the AL West.
Baseball's a funny game sometimes.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Rangers 2-0 Friday win among best
That was one of the best Rangers games I've seen in some time.
It had everything in it. Getting out of bases-loaded jams. Quality pitching. Timely hitting and opportunistic offense. Friday's 2-0 victory over Seattle in 12 innings is the kind of game you absolutely love to win.
It's the kind of victory the team needed after a lackluster start to the season. It's the kind of victory that might deflate the opponent for the rest of the series, particularly since we prevailed on the road. This is the best I've felt about the Rangers all season. A quality win over a divisional opponent will do that.
Back to 11-12 (final April record) and only 0.5 games back of Anaheim and Oakland. The season is still very young. Winning the division is still the goal. It finally feels attainable for the first time this season.
My highlight observations from Friday's victory:
• Welcome to the party, Colby Lewis. Wow. The righty went nine innings, didn't give up a run, walked one and struck out 10. His 38 strikeouts leads the AL. If you would have told me Lewis would lead the AL in K's after the first month of the season a month ago, I would have laughed. Lewis deserved to win, but we didn't score until the 12th inning. Still, his line after the first month: 3-0, 2.76 ERA, 38/13 K/BB ratio. That's pretty awesome.
• We were true escape artists last night. Darren O'Day getting out of the bases loaded, 1 out jam in the 10th was awesome. Frank Francisco getting out of the bases loaded, 1 out jam in the 11th was even better. After Seattle failed a suicide squeeze attempt to win the game, Francisco struck out Eric Byrnes to end the inning. That pitch probably generated the most reaction from me all season. Loved it.
• Neftali Feliz closing it out in the 12th was nice. He's struggled of late, but after the crazy 10th and 11th innings, we really needed that 1-2-3 sequence.
• Ian Kinsler couldn't have returned at a better time Friday. It feels like we're just about to turn the corner here.
I've seen some memorable Rangers games the past few years.
The Marlon Byrd walkoff grandslam on Aug. 4, 2008, still stands as the most memorable Rangers game I've ever seen. True, it helped that I was on hand with my brother Dave to witness, but it was the Yankees. Doesn't get any better than that.
The Rod Barajas walkoff homer against the Yankees in 2004 was also nice.
Dave and I were also on hand in May 2006, when Phil Nevin blasted a two-run walkoff home run to beat the Athletics, 8-7. Texas was down, 7-0, earlier in the game. That was wild.
I have to say, though: Friday night makes my top five. It could be just the victory we needed to turn the season around.
It had everything in it. Getting out of bases-loaded jams. Quality pitching. Timely hitting and opportunistic offense. Friday's 2-0 victory over Seattle in 12 innings is the kind of game you absolutely love to win.
It's the kind of victory the team needed after a lackluster start to the season. It's the kind of victory that might deflate the opponent for the rest of the series, particularly since we prevailed on the road. This is the best I've felt about the Rangers all season. A quality win over a divisional opponent will do that.
Back to 11-12 (final April record) and only 0.5 games back of Anaheim and Oakland. The season is still very young. Winning the division is still the goal. It finally feels attainable for the first time this season.
My highlight observations from Friday's victory:
• Welcome to the party, Colby Lewis. Wow. The righty went nine innings, didn't give up a run, walked one and struck out 10. His 38 strikeouts leads the AL. If you would have told me Lewis would lead the AL in K's after the first month of the season a month ago, I would have laughed. Lewis deserved to win, but we didn't score until the 12th inning. Still, his line after the first month: 3-0, 2.76 ERA, 38/13 K/BB ratio. That's pretty awesome.
• We were true escape artists last night. Darren O'Day getting out of the bases loaded, 1 out jam in the 10th was awesome. Frank Francisco getting out of the bases loaded, 1 out jam in the 11th was even better. After Seattle failed a suicide squeeze attempt to win the game, Francisco struck out Eric Byrnes to end the inning. That pitch probably generated the most reaction from me all season. Loved it.
• Neftali Feliz closing it out in the 12th was nice. He's struggled of late, but after the crazy 10th and 11th innings, we really needed that 1-2-3 sequence.
• Ian Kinsler couldn't have returned at a better time Friday. It feels like we're just about to turn the corner here.
I've seen some memorable Rangers games the past few years.
The Marlon Byrd walkoff grandslam on Aug. 4, 2008, still stands as the most memorable Rangers game I've ever seen. True, it helped that I was on hand with my brother Dave to witness, but it was the Yankees. Doesn't get any better than that.
The Rod Barajas walkoff homer against the Yankees in 2004 was also nice.
Dave and I were also on hand in May 2006, when Phil Nevin blasted a two-run walkoff home run to beat the Athletics, 8-7. Texas was down, 7-0, earlier in the game. That was wild.
I have to say, though: Friday night makes my top five. It could be just the victory we needed to turn the season around.
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