Thoughts on a 6-1 Rangers loss

A’s 6, Rangers 1

• I feel like there are an inordinate amount of “blah” games that occur in Oakland. Unmemorable, generic, low-scoring losses that fade from memory before the post-game show is even over.
• This game fits the bill.
• Mike Minor pitched okay today — not great, but in 6 innings of work, he allowed just 4 hits and 3 walks. Unfortunately for him, one of the hits was a home run, two of the hits were a double followed by a single, which set up a run-scoring sac fly, and two of the walks preceded a double that was followed by a sac fly that Delino DeShields made a great play on.
• Minor’s ERA jumped up to 3.21, which, really, is a pretty good ERA. He’s done well so far this season. In fact, he was the team leader in bWAR coming into the game.
• Jeanmar Gomez pitched the 8th and 9th, and, after a scoreless eighth, ran into trouble in the ninth, allowing a pair of runs. It has been suggested that the Rangers may go to a 4 man bench and 7 man bullpen when Rougned Odor and Ronald Guzman return, which would seem to put Gomez and his 7.56 ERA in danger of losing a roster spot.
• Gomez allowed the two hardest hit balls of the night — a Matt Chapman single and the Stephen Piscotty double that drove home two runs. Piscotty also had the third and fourth hardest hit balls of the night, on his home run and his sac fly. It’s fair to say, I think, Piscotty was seeing the ball well.
• At least Khris Davis didn’t homer today.
• On offense, the Rangers had some chances, but generally couldn’t string hits together. The one run came in the 7th inning, when Patrick Wisdom hit a two out double that brought home Jeff Mathis and sent Shin-Soo Choo to third. A Nomar Mazara meek grounder back to the pitcher ended that rally, though.
• Wisdom pinch hit for Elvis Andrus, who was hit in the hand in the first inning by a pitch, but stayed in the game until Wisdom pinch hit for him in the 7th. It was said to be for precautionary reasons. I’m going to choose not to think anymore about the possibility of Elvis being hurt.
• 6 hits for Texas tonight. Shin-Soo Choo has two of them, along with a walk. Joey Gallo has 2 walks and 2 Ks. Nomar Mazara went 0 for 4, continuing what has been a roughly two week long slump.
• In any case, it felt like countless other games in Oakland from the last 7 or 8 years. Oakland baseball fever,,,catch it.