Thoughts on a 6-4 Rangers win

Rangers 6, Rockies 4

• Way to go, Kyle Gibson.
• The Rangers biggest free agent acquisition this offseason won his first game as a Ranger tonight. Gibson had a couple of solid outings before a rocky performance against the Seattle Mariners his last time out, and coming into today Texas had yet to win in three games with Gibson on the mound (due in large part to Texas scoring a total of seven runs in those games), but Gibson overcame some defensive shenanigans to record a quality start and pick up the W.
• Both of the two runs Gibson allowed came in the second, when a two out Tony Wolters double brought home two runs. It looked like there would be a play at the plate on the second runner, but Jose Trevino couldn’t catch the throw home on a hop.
• This is further evidence that catchers should have a pouch on their back that they can keep a regular glove in that they can don in place of their catchers mitt once a ball is in play.
• Rougned Odor was charged with an error behind Gibson in the fourth on a weird play. Raimel Tapia hit a grounder that Odor threw wide, to the outfield side of first base. It was a throw that a first baseman generally is going to make, but Derek Dietrich, manning first base tonight, had his right foot on the bag instead of his left foot. This meant he wasn’t in position to reach for the throw, and he was drawn off the bag, missed the catch, and Tapia was safe. Todd Frazier has had some issues with scoops this season, as well. Asking players that aren’t first basemen to play first base has caused some defensive adventures.
• Trevor Story had a pair of doubles and a triple off Gibson tonight. Gibson allowed a pair of singles with one out in the seventh, bringing up Story for his fourth at bat of the game, and Gibson didn’t get a chance to face him again, instead being pulled for Jonathan Hernandez. Hernandez got an inning ending double play, so that obviously worked out.
• Hernandez allowed a run in the eighth, while Rafael Montero allowed a run while picking up the save in the ninth, but it was fine, because the Rangers had some insurance runs.
• Texas got on the board in the third, with a Jose Trevino one out double being followed by a Shin-Soo Choo single. It looked like Texas might put up more runs, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa singling and then Choo and IKF executing a double steal, but Willie Calhoun hit a grounder that saw Choo going on contact, Choo ended up getting tagged out in a rundown, and Calhoun was thrown out going to second, ending the inning.
• Texas took the lead in the fifth with three straight singles from Elvis Andrus, Jose Trevino and Shin-Soo Choo. After an IKF fielders choice put runners on the corners, Calhoun lined out to third, but Nolan Arenado threw the ball away trying to double IKF off first, allowing Choo to score.
• Derek Dietrich provided insurance in the eighth with the most momentum-shifting play in baseball, the two out, three run home run. Dietrich will, I suspect, be back in the lineup tomorrow, with either Elvis or IKF getting a day off, I’d guess.
• Every Ranger starter got a hit today, with Choo picking up three hits and Elvis and Trevino two apiece. There were ample opportunities for the Rangers to put more runs on the board that Texas didn’t cash in on, but hey, they won so it doesn’t matter.
• Joey Gallo had the hardest hit ball of the night, at 111.0 mph on a ground out. Willie Calhoun had a single at 104.0 mph. Jose Trevino’s single and double were at 100.7 and 100.8 mph, respectively, while Elvis had a single at 100.6. Dietrich’s big fly, meanwhile, was at 100.9.
• Among the pitchers, Jonathan Hernandez touched 99.0 mph tonight, and was generally around 97-98 mph. Rafael Montero topped out at 96.7 mph, while Kyle Gibson touched 93.7 and generally sat at 92-93 tonight.
• Oh, hey, a winning record for the Rangers! Tomorrow is the one-third mark for Texas, and they will be trying for the sweep.