Thoughts on a 5-2 Rangers win

Rangers 5, Angels 2

• Winning continues to be more fun than losing.
• An interesting outing from Tyson Ross, who seemed in danger of blowing up much of the game, but who ended up allowing just 1 run in 5.2 IP. He didn’t do anything to put the concerns about his command to rest — just 2 walks today, but also 2 HBPs, a wild pitch, and 46 balls against 48 strikes -- but he kept runs off the board, and that’s ultimately what matters.
• Jeremy Jeffress was given the job of protecting a 3-1, runner on second, two out lead in the sixth when he was brought in for Ross after Ross gave up an Andrelton Simmons double. Jeffress had been warming in the fifth, when it appeared Ross was going to get yanked then after a HBP-WP-walk sequence, but Kole Calhoun popped up on a 3-1 pitch and Albert Pujols popped out to end the inning, which gave Ross the opportunity to start the sixth. Jeffress promptly walked Ben Revere before getting Martin Maldonado on a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
• Whether by design or because Jeffress wasn’t doing a great job throwing strikes in the sixth, Matt Bush pitched the seventh. Bush gave up a single and struck out a pair in a shutout inning, then Alex Claudio got the chance to finish things out with a 5-1 lead. Anaheim put a couple of batters on in the 9th with one out on a single by Maldonado and a double by pinch hitter C.J. Cron, but Claudio induced Cameron Maybin to ground out to Elvis Andrus to get the second out (with a run scoring), then retired Calhoun on a grounder Elvis made a terrific play on, on the right field side of second base as part of a heavy shift, to end the game.
• This was one of those games where it seems like there should’ve been more than 7 total runs scored. It was 3 hours and 14 minutes, there were a lot of baserunners...Anaheim stranded 9, Texas stranded 8, and that’s not including Maybin getting picked off and two Rangers being thrown out trying to steal. This could have easily been, say, an 8-5 Rangers win, it felt like.
• Anyway, the Rangers hitters did their jobs, putting up 10 hits and drawing 5 walks. Every starter except Carlos Gomez got a hit, and Gomez drew a pair of walks. Also drawing a pair of walks was Drew Robinson, who had a Three True Outcome game...he struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch in his first at bat, drew a 3-2 walk his second time up, blasted a two run home run his third time to the plate, and walked his last time.
• Robinson is likely getting optioned on Monday once the All Star break hits, but he’s now been up three different times this year, and will definitely be up a fourth. Its frequently asked, why can’t Robinson be on the bench instead of Pete Kozma? And the reality is that, one, Robinson isn’t really a shortstop, and you need a backup shortstop on the bench, but two, there’s not regular at bats for Robinson right now, and you’d rather have Kozma sitting on the end of the bench starting once a week and getting mop up duty in blowouts with Robinson getting regular time in AAA. I expect Drew Robinson will be getting regular time with the Rangers as soon as next year, and he’ll probably infuriate the same people who get frustrated with Joey Gallo, because he’s going to fan a lot and draw walks and hit some home runs. Robinson can play every position except shortstop and catcher and I think he’s got a future here as a role player down the road.
• Also homering tonight was Adrian Beltre, who had #452 for his career, a two run shot that tied him with Carl Yastrzemski on the all time list. And I know how to spell Yastrzemski without looking it up from all the times I’ve done the Sporcle Hall of Fame quiz.
• Shin-Soo Choo had two hits, as did new father Elvis Andrus. Nomar Mazara had a big first inning RBI double that drove in Choo and put the Rangers on the board early, and Rougned Odor had a double while continuing to hit the ball hard.
• Texas is now a game under .500, and two games back in the Wild Card. Yu Darvish takes the mound tomorrow, looking to send the Rangers into the Break with a .500 record and some positive momentum. Jon Daniels says the Rangers won’t be sellers, and the last few nights the Rangers have been playing like a team that won’t be sellers. Fingers crossed they keep this up...