Rangers 12, Astros 4
- Things are going remarkably well right now, I'd have to say.
- Derek Holland made his third start since coming off the disabled list, picked up a win, and looked shaky but acceptable. With his fastball still sitting around 91 mph and his stuff not where it was pre-injuries, Holland is still struggling to generate swings and misses, with just 2 strikeouts today in 6 IP. Still, he got out of trouble when need be, and ended up allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks.
- Keone Kela pitched the 7th up 5-2 and things seemed like they were about to go very badly...after a Jake Marisnick fly out, George Springer walked, and then Alex Bregman hit a blast to the deepest center field that just barely stayed in the park (although there were some who thought Ian Desmond maybe just have made the catch, or at least had a chance to do so). That put runners on second and third, bringing Jose Altuve up. Altuve smoked a line drive back up the middle that hit Kela in the hand, bounced up in the air, and then appeared to catch...but Kela couldn't keep a handle on it and the ball ended up falling to the ground. Altuve made to safely to first base, loading the bases (since the runners couldn't advance since it appeared Kela might make the catch and they could be doubled off), bringing up Carlos Correa. I remember sitting there thinking...Correa is fast, you won't double him up, let's just get an out and try to hold Houston to one run. And instead Correa hit a ball back up the middle that Elvis Andrus fielded to turn a 6-3 GIDP on. Problem solved.
- Matt Bush pitched a scoreless 8th, and then after some insurance runs made it a 12-2 game, Dario Alvarez came in and pitched poorly and allowed a couple of runs but whatever, it was a blowout and the Rangers won.
- Holland and Kela still aren't where you'd like for them to be, and after elbow surgery I'm starting to think that Kela might not be back to the Kela we saw last year until next year, but both seem good enough to be options in the playoffs. Matt Bush is awesome.
- It was a third straight 10 run game for the offense, which saw Adrian Beltre hit a solo home run in the second to tie things up, Mitch Moreland hit a two run single to give the Rangers a lead in the 4th, Nomar Mazara blast a two run bomb in the fifth to give the Rangers a bigger cushion, and then seven more runs score later on to pile on.
- Every Ranger had a hit. Carlos Beltran was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, Adrian Beltre and Robinson Chirinos each had three hits, and Mitch Moreland and Ian Desmond each had two hits. Mazara had a home run and a walk, as well as two smoked balls that were caught on the infield that could have, should have, gone as hits with a little better luck.
- In any case, the Rangers are 10.5 up in the West right now. If Texas wins again tomorrow, they will have their biggest division lead in team history. Things are fun right now.