Thoughts on a 5-1 Rangers loss

Indians 5, Rangers 1

• Kind of a wet, flat thud of a loss this afternoon in the series finale against the Indians. Corey Kluber was going for Cleveland, and had his A-game, so the Rangers needed something close to a great performance from Andrew Cashner in his first start back off the d.l.
• Cashner wasn't great. He gave up a couple of runs in the third on a pair of singles, a pair of wild pitches, a walk and an RBI groundout, then got knocked out of the game in the sixth when he started the inning with a double-single-double sequence. Nick Martinez came in with the score 3-1, with runners on second and third and one out, and promptly gave up a double that made it a 5-1 game and pretty much ended things.
• Cashner was Cashner, serviceable but not especially good. The idea the Rangers might catch lightning in a bottle with him, unlock the potential that made him a first round pick and prompted the Padres to deal Anthony Rizzo for him once upon a time, has pretty much disappeared. The hope at this point is that he can stay healthy and give the Rangers decent innings.
• The “stay healthy” part appeared to be in question even today, when he was hit in the arm by a piece of Edwin Encarnacion’s bat one hitter before being removed from the game. The reports are that x-rays are negative and it is just a bruise that shouldn't cause him to miss time, but who knows with this team.
• Today was a reminder Nick Martinez and Tanner Scheppers are both still on the team. Martinez pitched two scoreless innings, Scheppers one. With Tony Barnette possibly being activated this weekend and Martin Perez being back shortly, the Rangers will have to send down a couple of arms. Preston Claiborne was sent down this morning to make room for Andrew Cashner, so Martinez and Scheppers could find themselves on the roster bubble.
• Nomar Mazara hit a home run in the first inning, and otherwise the Ranger offense did basically nothing. Rougned Odor singled, Elvis Andrus singled, Adrian Beltre singled, and Joey Gallo walked. That was the extent of the Rangers’ offense today.
• Just another game with a decent team, not particularly good or particularly bad. Texas has nine games between now and the All Star Break, then has a ten game road trip coming out of the break, after which we will presumably have a better handle on whether this team will be selling, or will be standing pat in an effort to fend of four or five other teams for the WC2 spot.