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.
I'm slowly creeping back from the ledge. We've seen flashes of this Rich Harden, and last night he finally put it together for an entire start.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving Justin Smoak. He's going to be so important to this team.
thanks for the comment, kevin! Yeah, Smoak is going to be huge! That blast from the right-hand side last night was a thing of beauty!
ReplyDelete