Thoughts on a 9-8 Rangers win

Rangers 9, Mariners 8

• What a game.
• I don’t even know how I can do a post-game write up on this game. There was just too much. I’m in baseball overload.
• The difference in this game was two plates at the plate. In the bottom of the eighth, with runners on second and third and one out, the Rangers having scored twice earlier in the inning to make it 8-7, Willie Calhoun smoked a ball that J.P. Crawford fielded and threw home. Instead of tagging Charlie Culberson coming home from third, however, catcher Luis Torrens, apparently thinking the bases were loaded, caught the throw standing on home plate and then looked to throw to first base. That error meant Texas had a two run lead rather than one in the top of the ninth, and thus, when Crawford’s bloop with two outs in the ninth fell in, the lead runner scoring just reduced the lead rather than tying the game. Jonah Heim’s fielding the throw from Adolis Garcia and tagging Kyle Lewis for the final out meant game over and Rangers winning.
• Symmetry.
• Of course, speaking of symmetry, in the first inning, with runners on second and third, Crawford grounded to Nate Lowe, who threw home, though not real accurately. Heim tagged Kyle Lewis, but Lewis was called safe, and it was upheld on replay despite the replay appearing to show Lewis was out.
• Symmetry. Time is a flat circle.
• Man. So much today. Did I mention Joey Gallo hit two home runs? One an opposite field shot that was near the foul pole, and one to dead center? The home run to center was 109.3 mph off the bat. He’s mashing.
• There was also a home run to dead center by Adolis Garcia on the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth. He crushed it, knew it was gone, and enjoyed his trip around the bases. It was awesome.
• Nate Lowe and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each had two hits. They are playing well. I’m enjoying that.
• Kohei Arihara was bad and got pulled in the fourth, having given up five runs. Arihara should not be on a major league mound right now.
• Kolby Allard had three innings of one run ball, and has a case to replace Arihara in the rotation.
• John King gave up a home run, which I blame on myself for having talked to my dad today at length about how well he has pitched today and what a good job he’s done getting ground balls.
• That was a great, awesome, amazing, fun game. This is the type of game I think about when people grump around in the offseason saying there’s no reason to watch the Rangers this (whatever season this is) season. You see some bad games, but when you get one like this it is all worth it.