Thoughts on a 10-2 Rangers loss

Mariners 10, Rangers 2

• That was kind of a letdown after yesterday's win.
• So, Martin Perez.  One of the keys to the 2016 season.  The 25 year old Perez is someone who lots of folks around the team have identified as being ready to break out.  His first start of 2016 was...okay.  6 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs.  But one of the hits was a home run (a no-doubt blast from Nelson Cruz), and Perez issued 4 walks, hit a batter (also Cruz), and struck out just three batters.  He got ground balls and needed just 88 pitches to get through 6 IP, but he didn't do anything to quell the concerns that he's not missing enough bats, and he seemed to lose focus after the HBP.
• Of course, Perez was the success story today, among the pitchers.  Tony Barnette made his major league debut, coming in in the 7th in a 2-2 game, and gave up a pair of runs in 0.2 IP.  Jake Diekman ended the inning, throwing one pitch, and with Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager among the three hitters due up in the 8th, down 4-2, you'd have thought Diekman might come back out for the 8th, or alternatively, that Jeff Banister would get Andrew Faulkner.
• But no, Banny went with the other newcomer in the bullpen, Tom Wilhelmsen.  Wilhelmsen was a disaster, going HR-double-double-HR without retiring anyone before hitting Chris Iannetta, resulting in Iannetta getting mad, yelling at Wilhelmsen, Wilhelmsen yelling back, Banister and Scott Servais yelling at each other, and there being various milling about.  Wilhelmsen was ejected, so he didn't see Faulkner come into the game and give up a home run to Luis Sardinas, which brought Iannetta in.
• That ended up being 5 runs on 0 outs for Wilhelmsen, which has to go up there on the list of the worst debuts in team history.
• Faulkner ended up pitching the final two innings down 10-2, and I have to think late in a blowout is when you'd think you'd want to use Phil Klein, especially given Klein isn't going to be here for long.  In addition, Faulkner going two innings means he's likely not available tomorrow, and Jake Diekman has now pitched two days in a row.  It leads me to wonder if the Rangers will have a lefty available out of the pen tomorrow.
• Both Rangers runs scored in the fourth inning.  Mitch Moreland had a one out double, and after Ian Desmond fanned, Rougned Odor drew a walk.  Elvis Andrus singled home Moreland, and then Robinson Chirinos singled home Odor.  That got the scored tied back up at 2, where it remained under the bullpen disaster.
• Ian Desmond got his first hit of the season, an infield single that went about 60 feet.  Kyle Seager made a play and appeared to throw him out, but the Rangers challenged the call, and it was reversed, with Desmond called safe.  I have no doubt that the beat guys in the press box were high pissed about the team using a challenge in that situation.
• Wasn't much to be excited about with the bats today, overall.  Elvis and Chirinos each had two hits, but the rest of the lineup combined for 3 hits.  Shin-Soo Choo had a pair of  walks, so that's something.
• Marvin Hudson's strike zone tonight was pretty erratic.  He didn't favor either team, and wasn't particularly hitter-friendly or pitcher-friendly, from what I sensed.  But he just wasn't consistent, and there was a fair amount of unhappiness on both sides over it.
• Overall, a decent first two-thirds of the game, then a disaster over the final few innings.  Such is baseball.
• Anyone, Colby goes tomorrow in the rubber match.  Go Colby Go!