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You know who Cole Hamels reminded me of tonight? Frankly, it had been kind of easy to avoid the comparison so far. Cole Hamels had given up 11 runs to the Mariners in three starts as a Ranger so it would have taken something truly impressive to bring this to mind. Tonight, Cole Hamels reminded me of Cliff Lee. 12 Ks. 0 BBs. Surgical precision.
The Rangers are now up to 80 wins thanks to Hamels and an offense that got back at Vidal Nuno for his inexplicable success against them earlier this month. It was a big win to keep the Astros at a distance, especially with Felix Hernandez taking the mound tomorrow in the finale.
One more game against Seattle in 2015. Hurrah.
Player of the Game: I mean, it's obviously Hamels. He went seven rad innings and struck out twelve Mariners while allowing only an otherwise inconsequential solo dinger.
But man, Shin-Soo Choo is basically Ted Williams now. He reached base in five of his six plate appearances tonight via two singles, two walks, and a HBP. Choo's OBP for the month of September is nearing .600. Golly.