Very nice win yesterday, and I can't say enough about the job Tommy Hunter did yesterday. 102 degrees, facing the best team in baseball, with a bullpen that had been taxed and was in need of a short day, Hunter did his thing, throwing strikes, working quickly, and notching a complete game victory.
Under the circumstances, this may have been the best start of the season for any Ranger starter.
Jeff Wilson says Hunter's start is the type of performance that has earned him the admiration of his teammates.
Richard Durrett has his post game thoughts up here. Gerry Fraley has his here.
Randy Galloway thinks yesterday's home run could help Josh Hamilton snap out of his day-game struggles.
Hamilton is getting a cortisone injection in his knee, and will not start today as a result, although he can pinch hit.
Evan Grant writes that the Rangers' have budgeted for the draft in a manner that will allow them to go somewhat over slot, if necessary. Grant suggests that the Rangers will have a drafting strategy similar to 2007, where they grabbed guys who signed for slot or slightly above slot, as compared to 2008 and 2009, where they took players they knew would want well over slot.
Jeff Wilson writes that the Rangers are expected to target high schoolers in the early rounds of the draft.
Wilson also has a story about Julio Borbon's recent offensive improvement.
William Wilkerson's notes in the S-T include talk about Frank Francisco, and the estimate that the Rangers lost a half million dollars in revenue as a result of Fox moving yesterday's game to 3 p.m., instead of 7 p.m. Attendance was about 10,000 less than would have been expected for a night game.
Wilkerson also has a story about the "claw" the Rangers are now using to celebrate big hits and the like.