Thoughts on a 4-1 Rangers loss

Tigers 4, Rangers 1

• So the Rangers scored a run and weren’t blown out. That’s like a moral victory at this point, right?
• The Rangers losing streak is now up to seven games, and they’ve scored a whopping three runs since the All Star Break. Things are bad right now.
• Dane Dunning started for Texas and was pretty mediocre. Two home runs allowed, only two Ks, though only one walk. He was lifted with two outs in the fifth with a pair of runners on and two runs in, with a third run scoring when Josh Sborz allowed a single that drove in an inherited runner.
• Dunning has a 4.30 ERA on the season now. He’s been fine this year. In a season rife with disappointment, Dane Dunning hasn’t been one of them.
• Sborz, who gave up a run in the sixth as well, coming into the game for Dunning is kind of noteworthy because John King has been paired with Dunning of late as part of an effort to stretch King out for a possible look in the rotation. King went on the injured list prior to the All Star Break with a shoulder issue we were told was minor, and it sounded like he was expected to be activated for Tuesday’s game to resume his place behind Dunning. Instead Demarcus Evans was activated, which makes me wonder if King’s shoulder issue was more serious than we thought.
• Which, of course, is just what is needed right now...another good pitcher with an injury problem.
• Dennis Santana threw two scoreless innings, bouncing back from an awful outing his last time out. So yay for that.
• The offense logged a whopping four hits. Andy Ibanez and Eli White doubled, and Adolis Garcia and Nate Lowe singled. That was it. Ibanez’s double scored Nate Lowe, at least.
• There were no walks drawn, either.
• It was the latest miserable game for an offense that has been throwing up a bunch of them lately.
• This team is really hard to watch right now. This won’t go on indefinitely, and the bats will improve and we won’t see shutouts and one run games forevermore. But for now this is ugly and unpleasant and brutal.
• Dennis Santana touched 97.1 mph with his two seamer. Josh Sborz reached 97.8 mph with his four seamer. Dane Dunning maxed out at 91.3.
• Adolis Garcia’s single had an exit velocity of 109.5 mph, the highest of the game. Garcia also had a 102.8 mph groundout. Jonah Heim and Isiah Kiner-Falefa had groundouts at 106.6 and 106.3, respectively. Andy Ibanez had a 100.6 mph double.
• The slog goes on. There’s another game tonight. It may be bad. It may not be bad.