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Thoughts on an 8-3 Rangers loss

Bad Yu Days are Sad Yu Days

Bob Levey

Astros 8, Rangers 3

  • I originally was intending to take my daughter, Rowan, to this game.  This is despite the fact that I've previously vowed I wasn't taking her to any more Yu Darvish starts, because the last time we went to a Yu Darvish start, against Houston last year, he took a no hitter into the 8th inning (I am pretty sure it was the 8th inning) before giving up a homer to break up the no-no.  However, Rowan was ready to go home in the 6th inning.  My rule has always been, if I take one of the kids to the game, when they are ready to leave, we leave, even if we've only been there a couple of innings.  But this time, I said no, it wasn't time to leave yet, and tried to get her to play with the iPad or do something so she'd be content with hanging around a while longer.  As soon as that home run left the park, we got up and left, much to her relief.  When we got to the car, I asked her if she enjoyed the game, and she said yes, but it was too long, and next time we should go to a shorter game.
  • However, I ended up being tied up with work until after the game started, so we didn't go.  And given how Yu Darvish pitched today, its just as well we didn't go.  It was a bad Yu start, with Darvish having zero fastball command, and getting pulled with no one out in the fifth inning at 113 pitches.
  • Only four times in the period for which B-R has pitch counts has a starting pitcher gone 4 IP or less and thrown more pitches than Darvish.  One of those four times it happened was with Darren Oliver pitching for the Cardinals.
  • On the plus side, Phil Klein pitched, and had a scoreless inning.
  • Other positives...Shin-Soo Choo had 4 hits.  Elvis Andrus had 2 hits.  Jim Adduci had a home run.
  • On the negative side, new Ranger Mike Carp left the game with a strained groin.
  • The Rangers have now lost 7 in a row to the Astros.  This is embarrassing.