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Thoughts on a 5-1 Rangers...win? Seriously? We won?

Whoa. A win. Freaky.

By Adam J. Morris
Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Rangers 5, Blue Jays 1

  • A win?
  • Seriously?
  • The Rangers won?
  • With J.P. Arencibia playing first base?
  • And Arencibia hit a home run?
  • Its cray-cray.
  • I don't even know if I remember how to do a post-game thoughts post that involves a Rangers win.  Its been a long time.
  • Yu Darvish was pretty good tonight.  Not god-tier Darvish, but still pretty good.  6.2 IP, 5 hits, 3 walks, 12 Ks, the lone run allowed on a homer.
  • Yu threw 117 pitches tonight, a little more than I would have expected with a big lead, a rested pen, and Yu having thrown an inning on Tuesday.  Its not a big deal, really, but given that this is a meaningless season, under the circumstances, I found it interesting Yu stayed out there for that many pitches.
  • The only time Yu really got into any sort of trouble was in the 7th, with the 5 run lead.  Yu allowed Colby Rasmus to homer to start the inning, struck out Juan Francisco, then walked Josh Thole on a 3-2 pitch that home plate umpire Bill Welke just flat missed.  It was a breaking ball replays showed clearly was a strike.  Welke had a difficult job tonight, with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey going against everything-moves, throws-seven-pitches Yu Darvish, but still, he didn't have a great night, and the Thole walk was a particularly egregious miss.  Munenori Kawasaki then had a ground rule double, putting runners on second and third for Jose Reyes, who popped out.  Wash then went out and got Yu, and Neal Cotts got Melky Cabrera to end the inning.
  • Just 13 days from the trade deadline, prime trade candidates Neal Cotts and Joakim Soria got showcased tonight, and both acquitted themselves well.  Cotts fanned three of the five batters he faced, and Soria struck out two of the four batters he faced.  A team needing to shore up its pen could do a lot worse than acquiring both relievers in the coming days.
  • There was much hoo-hawing over J.P. Arencibia being the Rangers' new first baseman, but he was hitting the ball well of late in AAA, and he had the big blow tonight, a 3 run homer in the top of the 7th off of R.A. Dickey.  Arencibia also had an HBP.
  • Rougned Odor, who had been scuffling in the games leading up to the All Star Break, had a big night, going 3 for 4 and finishing a homer short of the cycle.  Adrian Beltre had a homer and a walk tonight.  No other Ranger had more than one hit.
  • A win.  Wins are still neat.
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