Thoughts on a 6-4 Rangers win

Rangers 6, Mariners 4

• Nice win, nice series, nice way to start a ten game road trip.
• Am I getting spoiled by Cole Hamels?  Watching today I was all like, "Eh, he's pitching okay..." and then I look and see he gave up 1 run in 7 innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 walks against 5 strikeouts.  Or maybe Hamels is just so good that him being good has become routine to me.
• The final two innings were more tense than you'd like, given that Texas was up 6-1 heading into the bottom of the 8th.  But Tony Barnette loaded the bases while retiring just one batter, then Jake Diekman forced in a run on an 0-2 HBP and then walked in a batter before escaping the eighth.  Of course, it just set the stage for Sam Dyson to come in and allow Nomar Mazara to end the game on one of the most majestic throws you will ever see.
• Just seven hits today, three by Elvis Andrus, two by Ian Desmond, one by Ryan Rua, and then the one by Mitch Moreland, an opposite field two run home run.  Moreland continues to crush the ball since getting a couple of days off, and seems to be back into a groove.
• Rua and Elvis each also had stolen bases today, and someone mentioned to me on Twitter that Rua doesn't get acknowledgement for being a pretty solid base runner.  Having thought about it, I think that's true...Rua doesn't have real good speed, but he's heady and seems to have good instincts about when to go.
• Prince Fielder drew a couple of walks today, as did Jurickson Profar.  Those are positive developments, particularly for Profar, who had one walk coming into the game.
• The young guns -- Profar, Nomar Mazara and Rougned Odor -- were a combined 0 for 13 today.  Odor had K's in his first four at bats, but managed to put the ball in play his final time up to avoid a five strikeout game.
• Four games in Oaklamd starting tomorrow, followed by three in...sigh...St. Louis.  Anyway, Texas is up five in the West on Seattle, is up at least ten games on every other A.L. West squad, and has the best record in the A.L.  Those are very good things.
• And watch Mazara's throw to end the game: