Thoughts on a 6-1 Rangers loss

Astros 6, Rangers 1

• I guess the Rangers won’t sweep.
• Another decent outing for Doug Fister, something that I feel like I’ve typed a fair amount this season. 6.1 IP, 3 runs allowed, 4 Ks, a couple of home runs, 3 walks, an HBP. Fister is now sporting a 4.06 ERA on the year, and I suspect if you’d asked before the season what his ERA would be in 2018 and set 4.06 as the over/under, most people would have taken the over. Its been largely lost in the Rangers’ poor start, but Fister has done a nice job so far, and at just $3.5 million for 2018, with a $4.5 million option for next year.
• Fister got the Quality Start, recorded an out in the seventh, walked a better, and gave way to Tony Barnette, who got out of the 7th inning with no damage, but allowed a pair of runs in the 8th on a Carlos Correa two run home run, then got pulled for Yohander Mendez after allowing a Yuli Gurriel double. Gurriel scored when Jurickson Profar threw the ball away on a Brian McCann grounder, allowing the sixth run, though it was unearned, for whatever that’s worth.
• Profar’s glove at shortstop has generally been fine, but his arm continues to be hit and miss, and if the arm continues to be spotty, it will make it more likely that Profar will be seen as a second baseman going forward, rather than a shortstop.
• Mendez, meanwhile, pitched for the first time in two weeks. He started on April 28 for Round Rock, was called up on May 3 when Nick Gardewine was sent down, and had sent in the pen flicking sunflower seeds until today’s 0.2 IP outing. Mendez likely will be heading back out tomorrow, when Gardewine is eligible to be recalled, having spent his requisite 10 days in the minors, the amount of time necessary for an player to stay down after being optioned before he can return.
• Gardewine, meanwhile, will most likely be sent back out sometime next week, when Chris Martin is activated from the disabled list.
• The offense isn’t worth talking about. After scoring 1 run on 5 hits last night, the Rangers scored 1 run on 4 hits tonight, the 1 run being a Ronald Guzman home run. Bah.
• George Springer is day-to-day with a bruised elbow from an HBP that knocked him out of yesterday’s game, and Carlos Correa was hit by a pitch from Fister today. Neither HBP appeared intentional, but regardless, Astros starter Charlie Morton threw a pitch behind and at the feet of Nomar Mazara today, apparently to send a message. Nomar stared at Morton, but there was no more drama. We shall see if anything happens Sunday.