Thoughts on a 14-8 Rangers win

Rangers 14, A's 8

• This game went too late for me to do a write-up last night, but hey, we can do one this morning, right?
• In the Q&A I did with Athletics Nation, I talked about how Michael Choice has shown flashes of promise but had problems defensively, and about how Colby Lewis and Robbie Ross have had blown up BABIPs because they've been way too hittable, not because they have had bad luck.  And as chance would have it, all those things came to bear last night.
• Poor Colby.  I want him to succeed.  I really do.  But he continues to struggle with his command, he continues to be way too hittable, and despite having a huge lead, he couldn't make it through 6 innings.  Colby's final line was 5.1 IP, 10 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, 2 Ks, and a mammoth home run allowed, and his ERA is now 5.97.  I don't know if he's going to get any better than this.
• Robbie Ross, meanwhile, came into the game in the bottom of the sixth, with an 11-4 lead and a runner on second, and the Rangers wanting him to give them a couple of innings.  He promptly walked Kyle Blanks and gave up a home run to Yoenis Cespedes, and that was enough for Ron Washington to get Shawn Tolleson up and throwing.  Brandon Moss then popped out, but Wash had seen enough from Ross, who got the hook at that point.
• I expect the Rangers to make a roster move today, sending Robbie Ross down and bringing Aaron Poreda back up.  Ross just isn't getting guys out right now, and the Rangers can't afford for him to figure it out in the big leagues.
• One would think that, with an 8 run lead in the 6th inning, you wouldn't have to go get your "good" relievers, but alas, it wasn't to be.  After Oakland chipped the lead down to 11-8 and had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the 7th, Wash had to go with Neal Cotts to finish the inning, then turn to Jason Frasor for the 8th.  On the plus side, Ben Rowen got another inning of work in the 9th, and though he allowed a pair of hits, he didn't allow a run.
• Just as we expected coming into the season, Robinson Chirinos and Donnie Murphy carried the Rangers' offense yesterday.  Chirinos was 3 for 5 with a homer and 3 RBIs, Donnie Murphy had a pair of homers and 3 RBIs, and Michael Choice chipped in with a two run homer.  Baseball is a funny game sometimes.
• Oh, and Texas got multi-hit games from Rougned Odor, Dan Robertson and Elvis Andrus.  Elvis offered a reminder of what he can do on the basepaths, challenging Coco Crisp's arm in the top of the 6th to turn a routine single into a double, advancing to third on a Shin-Soo Choo flyout to center that most runners don't try to advance on, and then scoring on an Adrian Beltre foul pop-up that Josh Donaldson caught while stumbling over the bullpen mounds down the third base line.  Elvis can be pretty awesome.
• And Texas is now back at .500.  Its probably too much to hope that they'll go much above .500 this year, but I'd like to see them at least not drop too far below there.