Thoughts on a 5-3 Rangers win

Rangers 5, Tigers 3

• That's ten in a row, if you're keeping score at home.
• A nice start for Nick Martinez, who allowed a single unearned run in five innings of work. That one run came across in the fourth, when Martinez, with two outs, gave up a double to Justin Upton, then hit Nick Castellanos with a 1-2 pitch. James McCann then hit a slow roller to shortstop that Elvis Andrus fielded cleanly but, in throwing to second, drew Rougned Odor off the base, so instead of the inning being over, the bases were loaded. Austin Romine singled home a run, but a Jose Iglesias grounder ended the inning.
• The final line for Martinez was 5 IP, 4 hits, 1 walk and 4 Ks. Martinez needed 92 pitches to get through five, which was apparently all Jeff Banister felt comfortable asking Martinez to do.
• Tony Barnette came in for the 6th and walked the leadoff batter, who eventually scored. Keone Kela pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth, and then Matt Bush was asked to handle the ninth. A run scored on Bush, and the winning run came to the plate, but it was Alex Avila, who struck out swinging to end the game.
• Barnette threw 26 pitches tonight, Kela 32, and Bush 33, and as a result I expect all three to be unavailable tomorrow. Bush could be shut down for the rest of the weekend — he has pitched five times in the last seven games, and labored tonight. Jeremy Jeffress getting in trouble last night after taking an 8-2 lead into the 9th, resulting in Banister bringing in Bush then, could cost Texas the next couple of days.
• The offense was good enough, with a couple of runs scoring in the 3rd via a bases loaded Elvis Andrus walk and a fielder’s choice, a run scoring in the 4th on a Mike Napoli home run, and two more coming home in the sixth on a Joey Gallo two run bomb. Gallo had struck out his first two times up, but this was just another reminder that he can change the complexion of a game with one swing.
• Ryan Rua and Delino DeShields each had quality games, each going 2 for 3 with a walk. Rua has now gotten on base 7 times in 8 plate appearances over the past two games.
• Justin Verlander versus A.J. Griffin tomorrow will be a big test for the winning streak. That said, if the season ended today, the Rangers would be in the playoffs.