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The Rangers are finally over .500 for the first time this season and all it took was an eight game winning streak and to score three more runs in tonight's game alone than they had as a team all season long when Andrew Cashner was on the mound.
Cashner allowed his customary base runner per inning but was able to get a double play seemingly at will as Philly and Texas combined to hit into eight double plays, four on each side.
Texas handled the extra outs a lot better as they put up nine runs on 17 hits with each Ranger hitter collecting at least one hit except for last night's top performer Mike Napoli (Napoli did reach twice via bases on balls, however).
Delino DeShields, Elvis Andrus, and Shin-Soo Choo each had multi-hit games and, well, scroll down to hear about Jared Hoying's night.
The outburst meant Cashner can finally claim a win as an American League pitcher and claim his first win as a member of his home state Rangers.
For more feel good on a night the Rangers won by seven runs to win their eighth straight ballgame, Austin Bibens-Dirkx made his long awaited MLB debut after 12 years in the indy/minor leagues. Biben-Dirkx pitched the Rangers through the ninth inning and gets to tell everyone that he was a big leaguer for the rest of his life.
The eight game winning streak is the Rangers' longest since August of 2013. A win tomorrow would give Texas their longest streak since they won 12 straight back in 2011. 2011, eh? I seem to recall that being a pretty good season.
Player of the Game: Jared Hoying had himself a night. Hoying went 4-for-4, scored thrice, drove in two, and hit his first big league dong all while playing the solid defense in center field that the Rangers brought him in for.
Hoying is also a handsome young family man and organizational soldier getting big league paychecks for at least the next few weeks. Jared Hoying is living the dream.
Up Next: The Rangers and Phillies close out this series with Texas going for a sweep with Marty Perez on the mound against RHP Nick Pivetta of Philadelphia. First pitch of the finale is scheduled for 1:05 pm CT.