Thoughts on a 7-1 Rangers loss

A's 7, Rangers 1

• Well, at least the Rangers didn't get shut out.
• It was not a particularly sharp Yovani Gallardo that we saw today -- just 65 strikes thrown out of 118 pitches, 4 walks against just 1 K -- but he pitched well enough to win.  In fact, it looked like it was going to be a 2 run game headed into the bottom of the 7th...and then the wheels came off.  With two outs, Gallardo gave up a single to Josh Reddick, then walked Mark Canha.  Jeff Banister then went to Alex Claudio, who was being asked to pitch in his third straight game, and his fifth time in seven days.  Claudio gave up that thing I've said before is the most game-changing event you see, the two out, three run homer, and that was, for all intents and purposes, that.
• Roman Mendez was asked to pitch the final two innings, but couldn't get through the 9th.  He also had command issues, walking a pair while throwing just 23 strikes out of 42 pitches, needing Stolmy Pimentel to bail him out with the final out.  Mendez allowed two runs, boosting his ERA to 5.40, and I'd wager that he'll be optioned tomorrow, and one of the fresh arms in AAA brought up.
• Really, I wouldn't be opposed to a wholesale turnover of the bullpen at this point.  Option Kela, Mendez, Bass and Claudio, DFA Pimentel, and bring up Klein, Patton, Edwards, Scheppers and Reyes.  Or keep Kela and/or Claudio up, I guess, if you want.  But I'm ready for something different out of the pen.
• Two guys the Rangers rely upon for quality defense up the middle had very different days with the glove.  Elvis Andrus was handcuffed by a two out grounder in the fifth, then made a bad throw to first that Kyle Blanks couldn't scoop, costing the Rangers a run and registering as his seventh error on the season.  Leonys Martin, on the other hand, made three very nice running catches in the deeper regions of center field, helping save Gallardo from what could have been a much worse outing.
• The Ranger had a whopping four hits on the day, half of them in the ninth inning, when they scored their lone run of the game.  Prince Fielder was 2 for 3 with a pair of walks, and Shin-Soo Choo and Leonys Martin picked up the other two hits.  Choo also had a sac fly that was oh-so-close to being a grand slam in the 9th, and he drew a walk, continuing to look like a different player the last three games from where he was the first month of the season.  Elvis Andrus drew a career-high-tying three walks, and Kyle Blanks drew a pair of walks.
• Rougned Odor struck out three times in four plate appearances, the final two times on three pitches, and looked completely out of sorts at the plate.  Odor is now hitting .148/.266/.247 on the season, and is 6 for his last 49.  Evan Grant said on Twitter today that, unless he turns it around fast, Odor could be back in AAA by the time the Rangers return to Arlington, a week from tomorrow.
• Carlos Peguero had a walk while going 0 for 3, and is currently sporting a .171/.356/.286 line.  You'd like to think that he'd get a longer look, but with Mitch Moreland returning in a little over a week, and Josh Hamilton likely back at some point in May, the need for a lefty swinging outfielder on the 25 man roster diminishes significantly.