Thoughts on an 8-3 Rangers win

Rangers 8, A’s 3

• Hey, a win! All right!
• And the Rangers did with a big offensive explosion, rather than eking out just enough runs to make a strong pitching performance stand up.
• Kyle Gibson actually didn’t have a particularly good game yesterday, at least by the standards that we are used to from him. He held the A’s hitless through four innings, though he issued three walks in that stretch, and the broadcast noted that there was more movement to glove side than usual for him, which was throwing off his command.
• Gibson didn’t allow a hit until the fifth, when Sean Murphy broke up the no hitter and the shutout with a one out home run. Tony Kemp later singled in the inning but was stranded.
• Gibson started the sixth by giving up back to back doubles to Matt Olson and Ramon Laureano, and then after fanning Mitch Moreland, he gave up a single to Jed Lowrie, and Chris Woodward came and got him at that point. Josh Sborz got Elvis Andrus on a shallow fly out, walked Murphy, then got pinch hitter Seth Brown to pop out to end the threat.
• Final line for Gibson was 5.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, 3 Ks. He gave up some loud contact, particularly in the fifth and sixth when he was struggling with his command, and he only generated five swings-and-misses, but everything worked out in the end. He now has a 2.17 ERA on the season.
• Brett Martin, Joely Rodriguez and Ian Kennedy pitched the seventh, eighth and ninth. Martin allowed an unearned run on two hits and a walk while striking out one. Kennedy and Rodriguez had scoreless hitless walkless Kless innings.
• Texas jumped all over Oakland A’s starter Frankie Montas in the first inning. Brock Holt had a one out single and scored on an Adolis Garcia double to deep center that I was sure would either leave the park or be snagged acrobatically by Ramon Laureano, but which resulted in neither result. A Joey Gallo walk was followed by a Nate Lowe line drive opposite field double, and then newly promoted Andy Ibanez announcd his presence in the lineup with authority by launching his first career home run deep to left field. When the smoke cleared Texas was up 5-0 after one, and other than the bases loaded threat by Oakland in the sixth, it never really felt like things were in doubt after that.
• Jose Trevino provided the other runs for Texas, with the most momentum-shifting play in baseball, the two out, three run home run, which he hit in the bottom of the sixth, bringing home Willie Calhoun and Eli White. Trevino has not been hitting this season, but he’s got more pop than he’s shown most of the year...a little more power from him going forward would be a good thing.
• Everyone in the starting lineup had a hit except for Joey Gallo. Trevino and Calhoun each had a pair of hits. It was a nice well-rounded performance from the offense.
• Josh Sborz, as usual, was the high velocity guy for the Rangers, hitting 97.0 mph. Kyle Gibson topped out at 94.0 mph on his four seamer. Brett Martin hit 94.9 mph on his four seamer. Ian Kennedy maxed out at 94.3 mph, and Joely Rodriguez hit 93.9 mph.
• There was a lot of loud contact for both teams in the game, with the A’s having 11 balls hit at least 100 mph, while the Rangers had five. Andy Ibanez had a 103.4 mph groundout to go with a 103 mph exit velocity on his home run. Adolis Garcia had a 104.9 mph double. Jose Trevino’s home run was 101.6 mph, and he also had a single at 101.3 mph.
• Ah, a win...I just want to soak in a Rangers win for a while. Luxuriate in it. Let it get between my toes. It feels nice after all this time.
• And now the Rangers see if they can follow this up with a win behind...Taylor Hearn? Taylor Hearn is starting instead of Jordan Lyles today. That’s weird. I’m not sure if this is using Hearn as an opener, or if it is that the team is ready to move on from Lyles, given his poor performance and his throwing the ball over Chris Woodward’s head when he came to get him out of the game the last time out.
• I was wondering when there was the delay in announcing who would be dropped from the active roster to make room for Andy Ibanez if there could be a move with Jordan Lyles coming. David Dahl didn’t play in Round Rock’s game last night — he’s with the Express on a rehab assignment — so it could be he’s being activated today and Lyles is being dropped, which would necessitate Hearn starting.
• Anyway. I don’t think anyone here will shed any tears if Lyles is gone.