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Thoughts on a 3-2 Rangers win

Rangers 3, Dodgers 2

By Adam J. Morris
Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

Rangers 3, Dodgers 2

  • And that's a sweep.
  • Yes, it was just a two game series, but its still a sweep.
  • The Rangers are now 35-30, and are 5 games over .500 for the first time since being 15-10 on April 27, 2014.
  • Chi Chi got to 30 IP with just 1 run allowed to start his major league career before allowing the 1 out, 2 run home run to Justin Turner in the 9th that tied the game.  There were folks upset that Banister left Chi Chi in the game after he walked Howie Kendrick, but Chi Chi was still pitching well, and Shawn Tolleson had pitched in the previous two games...I think it is a situation where you give Chi Chi the chance to finish it out.  Banister gave Chi Chi that chance, and while he gave up the homer, it still ended up working out in the end.
  • Shawn Tolleson made it scarier than you would have liked, though.  He didn't look good on his third straight day, allowing a pair of singles, and getting to 3-1 on Jimmy Rollins before eliciting a hard hit fly ball to left-center that, initially, I thought was getting down for a double, but which ended up being run down by Jake Smolinski.
  • Chi Chi's final line:  8.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 walks, 2 Ks, 2 runs allowed.  ERA on the season:  0.90.
  • Texas got on the board first in the bottom of the 1st with a two out rally.  Prince Fielder walked, Kyle Blanks singled, and then Mitch Moreland singled...Tony Beasley was sending Prince, but, well...this happened:

  • That might have been for the best, though, as I'm not sure Prince would have been safe, and it set the stage for what may have been Joey Gallo's best at bat of the season.  Gallo got to 1-1 against lefty Brett Anderson, and then swung through a hanger to get down 1-2.  Anderson kept the ball out of the zone, trying to induce Gallo to chase, but he stayed patient and ended up working a walk, bringing home Fielder for the first run.
  • Robinson Chirinos looked like he was going to put a crooked number up on the board for Texas, blasting a drive to deep right field, but Yasiel Puig got a great break on it and flagged it down with a terrific running catch to end the inning.
  • Of course, Chirinos got even when he led off the ninth, in a tie game, by putting a ball in the left field stands where no one would run it down.
  • Two hit games today for Chirinos and Kyle Blanks, as well as Elvis Andrus, who also had a couple of nice plays in the field.
  • Houston won, so Texas is still 2.5 games back in the West, but hey, that's fine...Texas has the WC1 spot, and is the Angels lose to the D-Backs, Texas will be up 3 games on the Angels.
  • Now Texas heads to L.A. for two at Chavez Ravine.  Let's split those two and go to Chicago 5 games over .500 (at least).