A 3-0 start. Ian Kinsler is hitting like he was last season, when he looked like a viable MVP candidate. Nelson Cruz is hitting like he was in 2008. The starting pitching hasn't been terrible.
You can't ask for much more from the first series of year.
Brandon McCarthy says he was disappointed in not working deeper into the game, and says he needs to work on his command and efficiency, but also raves about the chemistry on the team and the group of players that are here right now. And Gil LeBreton has a column up about McCarthy, with more details on McCarthy's game yesterday, where he did well and where he struggled.
One of the constant themes you hear about McCarthy is that he is intelligent and introspective, something that can be to his detriment, because he has a tendency to start over-thinking things, which appears to have been an issue yesterday, rather than just getting out there and throwing.
Evan Grant notes that the bench was a big part of yesterday's success, with Omar Vizquel, Marlon Byrd, Andruw Jones, and Taylor Teagarden all starting and making key contributions.
As I think everyone here is well aware, the Rangers, despite their second place finish last season, were written off by the majority of pre-season predictions and projections, oftentimes being projected to finish behind even the Mariners, and largely because of the problems with the pitching. Jeff Wilson talks about the pre-season projections that have the Rangers flopping because of pitching, and examines why those projections may well have been way too pessimistic about the Rangers' staff.
Wilson also has a mailbag column up, part of what is going to be a regular feature on the S-T site this season.
Anthony Andro says Jarrod Saltalamacchia is doing better after his bout with dizziness on Thursday, and also has some information on a bizarre new good luck charm that Dustin Nippert brought back from Surprise.
Kevin Sherrington says that the pitching and defense has to be better than it has been the past two games, if the Rangers are going to succeed this year.
T.R. Sullivan has some bloggy notes, including a quote from Jon Daniels on Joaquin Arias's arm strength.
And while the one guy who has been struggling at the plate for the Rangers has been Chris Davis, Davis tells Richard Durrett he's not worried -- he didn't feel comfortable at the plate Thursday, but he's looked at the video and thinks he'll be fine.