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Royals 6, Rangers 3
- I've been to three Rangers games this season. Ross Detwiler has started all three. I'm hoping this is the last Ross Detwiler start I watch in person this year.
- The Rangers are now 1-6 in Detwiler starts this year, and he got a no decision in the one win. He's gotten little offensive support -- other than a 10 run outburst in Seattle, the Rangers have scored 0, 1, 2, 2, 3 and 3 runs in his starts this year -- but he's also not pitched well, as evidenced by his 6.95 ERA. Even today, while he only allowed 3 runs, he gave up 9 hits, a walk and an HBP in 5 IP, and needed 108 pitches to do so. If the Rangers had someone better available, Detwiler would probably be in danger of losing his starting job, but with six starters on the d.l., he's likely fairly safe until one of Perez, Holland and Harrison are ready to return in July, barring someone like Anthony Ranaudo, Chi Chi Gonzalez or Jerad Eickhoff taking a step forward before then.
- Anthony Bass came in to pitch the 6th, gave up a hits to two of the three batters he faced, and was pulled for Sam Freeman. Freeman gave up a home run to the second batter he faced, which I guess is an improvement over giving up a homer to the first batter faced (as has happened a few times), but it was to lefty-hitting Eric Hosmer on an 0-2 count (I think it was 0-2 -- I know there were two strikes). Freeman's job is to get lefties out, and giving up a homer on an 0-2 count is particularly bad. He rebounded and didn't allow any other baserunners, but at that point, it was 6-2, and the damage was done.
- Kyuji Fujikawa also made his Ranger debut today, and pitched a scoreless inning. Alex Claudio pitched the 9th and gave up a couple of hits, but no runs. The middle relief situation continues to be a problem. If Tanner Scheppers is back to his old self when he returns (which will probably be soon), you've got a potentially nice setup with Scheppers, Shawn Tolleson and Keone Kela from the right side, and Fujikawa (if he's fully back from TJ surgery) could give you a nice middle relief option. And you know, Detwiler would probably be a decent LH middle reliever, if only we weren't using him in the rotation.
- As far as the bats go, they weren't good today, other than Shin-Soo Choo, who continues to amaze, and Delino DeShields, Jr., who continues to choose to make me look bad for saying he's not worthy of a major league roster spot.