Thoughts on a 10-7 Rangers win

Rangers 10, Red Sox 7

• I don't know that I'd call this one of Martin Perez's best games.  Perez's final line was 6.1 innings, 8 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks and 3 Ks.  In a way, his line is misleading, because Perez had allowed just a single run through six innings, and lost a Quality Start because he went back out for the 7th and got into trouble.  Its also kind of misleading because he left the game with just two runs in, but Jason Frasor's inability to shut down the BoSox in the 7th led to two inherited runners coming around to score.  On the other hand, Perez allowed the leadoff hitter to get on base in all 7 innings he started, with all three walks he allowed coming to lead off innings, and he was able to limit damage before the 7th by virtue of getting 5 GIDPs in 6 innings.  It could have been better, it could have been worse, but overall, Perez got the job done.
• It is mystifying to me that, with the Rangers down 1 in the late innings yesterday, Ron Washington went with Pedro Figueroa, Seth Rosin and Shawn Tolleson, but with the Rangers up 8 in the late innings today, Wash got Jason Frasor -- one of the trusted relievers -- up and warming, and then brought Neal Cotts into the game in the 8th inning up five runs, and Joakim Soria in for the 9th up six runs.  It simply isn't logical that you'd use your less-trusted relievers in a close game, and your top relievers in a blowout, but modern managerial philosophy seems to have it that you use your best relievers with a lead, no matter how big, and use your lesser relievers when behind, no matter how small the deficit.
• That said, if Joakim Soria is going to have a really bad outing, though, I'd just as soon he do it when the Rangers are up 6, rather than up, say, 1.
• Because there always has to be something, Adrian Beltre left today's game in the 6th inning with the Rangers up 9-1 with a tight left quad.  Beltre was DHing today, which leads me to wonder if Beltre was hurting a little bit coming into tonight's game, or if Wash was just DHing him to get him some sort-of rest and Beltre had it tighten up on him.  In any case, I'd wager Beltre will sit tomorrow, and then he'll have the off day on Thursday to rest it, hopefully being ready to return to the lineup on Friday against the Astros.
• The Ranger offense has been in a funk lately, and through two innings, it seemed like that trend was continuing again today.  But Robinson Chirinos, of all people, got things started, leading off the third inning with a blast over the Green Monster in left field to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead.  Shin-Soo Choo later singled with one out, but an Elvis Andrus strike out meant there was one on with two outs, and a crooked number seemed unlikely.  Prince Fielder, though, mired in a slump, chopped a ball down the line that went for a weird double, bringing home Choo and setting the stage for a bunch of two out runs.  Fielder's double was followed by a run-scoring Adrian Beltre single, an Alex Rios single, a Donnie Murphy double, and back to back walks to Michael Choice and Chirinos, which ended BoSox starter Felix Doubront's night and brought Burke Badenhop into the game.
• Badenhop escaped the bases loaded, two out jam by inducing Josh Wilson to hit into a fielder's choice, but allowed three more runs to score in the fourth.  Choo walked, Elvis and Prince singled, Beltre doubled, and then Murphy brought home Fielder on a sac fly to make it 8-0, Rangers.
• With the Rangers up 8-1 in the fifth inning, Robinson Chirinos doubled to left to lead off the inning.  Josh Wilson then sacrificed Chirinos to third base.  Yes, with a 7 run lead, Wash had a batter sacrifice a runner from second to third.
• Every Ranger position player who appeared in the game got a hit today except for Michael Choice and Josh Wilson.  Choice drew a walk and had a sac fly, and Wilson, of course, had that key sac bunt with a 7 run lead.
• Prince Fielder didn't exactly crush the ball, but him going 2 for 5 is an encouraging sign, given his early season slump.  You'd like to hope that this is the sort of game that can jump start him and get him going again.
• One of the things that I think has been overlooked in the early going is that Shin-Soo Choo has been doing exactly what the Rangers signed him to do.  Choo went 2 for 3 with a double and a pair of walks today, including getting on base both times he faced a lefty.  Choo now has a .345/.444/.448 slash line on the season, and is 5 for 11 with a pair of walks and a sac fly against lefthanders on the season.