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We'd seen the script before. Yu Darvish was pitching a gem only to see the Ranger offense go silent in support of their ace. Sure, Alex Cobb was Yu's equal today, but we're so used to Yu coughing up a lone run and getting nothing but an L for his elite efforts. Except today, in his first start of the season, Yu buckled down the few times the Rays threatened, threw basically nothing but strikes all game, and never relented.
The Rays never scored.
We'd seen the script before. Shin-Soo Choo reached with two outs in the 8th inning of a 0-0 game. Cobb had been lifted at the start of the inning after tossing a marvelous game of his own. Elvis Andrus came to the plate and would surely try a hit and run or look to distract the battery long enough for Choo to steal a bag and then hope to squeak in a run-scoring go-ahead single somewhere. Except today, Elvis Andrus hit the Rangers' 2nd home run of the season -- and first since the 3rd inning of Opening Day -- and the Rangers led 2-0.
After tacking on an insurance run in the 9th, the Rangers leave Tampa with a nice win.
Today was a script-flipper.
Player of the Game: Our man Snark for this: