This will be longer and more expansive than last night's thoughts...
- How about that Derek Holland, huh? 7.1 IP, 2 runs, 8 Ks, 0 walks...the Rangers pushed him a little, and he ended up with 115 pitches on the game despite not getting to finish the 8th, but a terrific performance overall.
- Ian Kinsler and Michael Young combined to go 6 for 8, with 4 runs scored and 5 RBIs while hitting in the top two spots. Managers, for whatever reason, get hung up with a notion of the "ideal" 2nd place hitter, someone who has some speed and can "handle the bat" so that they can hit-and-run and bunt and all that, which is why Elvis Andrus is in the #2 spot right now, but Kinsler and Young hitting 1 and 2 is a much better alignment.
- I'm still concerned about the offense. 9 runs in their last 3 games at home, and its only a couple of guys who are hitting. Today, 8 of the 9 hits came from Young, Kinsler and Yorvit Torrealba. That trio combined for 5 of the 8 hits the Rangers recorded last night. The big righthanded boppers in the middle of the order -- Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz, and Mike Napoli -- are all scuffling, with Cruz and Napoli in particular looking bad.
- Nelson Cruz has 10 strikeouts in 25 at bats so far this season. That's bad.
- Per Evan Grant on Twitter, Mike Adams has thrown 64 pitches this season, and 53 of them have been strikes. That's good.
- The Anaheim Angels lost, putting them in last place in the A.L. West, 2.5 games back of the Rangers. Seattle is in second, a game and a half back, while Oakand is 2 back.