Thoughts on a 8-1 Rangers win

Rangers 8, A’s 1

• And we have a winning streak.
• Big ups to Glenn Otto, who was called up for a spot start and was excellent, allowing just a single run on two hits — back to back two out doubles in the fourth — while walking one and striking out five in five innings.
• Otto generated 15 swings and misses in 75 pitches and showed a good mix of pitches, using his slider and knuckle curve about 25% of the time each, with his four seamer close to half the time and a few changeups mixed in. We saw last year, in his late season audition, that Otto can shut down opposing lineups. We also saw that, when he isn’t on, he can get lit up. Otto’s major league start of 2022 was of the former variety, and more of those and fewer of the blowups would position him to stick around for a while in the rotation.
• The bullpen made quick work of the A’s over the final four innings, with Matt Moore throwing two innings, John King one inning and Garrett Richards one inning. It was refreshing to see the Rangers get a big early lead and have both starter and bullpen preserve the big lead.
• A big second inning off of A’s starter — and high school teammate of Glenn Otto — Adam Oller ended up being all the scoring the Rangers would need. An Adolis Garcia leadoff single was followed up by a Nathaniel Lowe home run, and then after a Kole Calhoun 3-1 groundout, Andy Ibanez took Oller deep. A Willie Calhoun walk was followed by a Jonah Heim double, bringing up Brad Miller, who hit a weak roller that stayed fair and ended up as an infield single. Marcus Semien and Corey Seager then each made very loud outs, with Semien’s being a sac fly to bring home Heim, to end the inning with the Rangers up 5-0.
• The Rangers offense pretty much went into hibernation after that until they got to the ninth. Ibanez led off the inning with a walk. Nick Solak pinch hit for Willie Calhoun and reached on a single, with Ibanez going to third. After Solak was caught stealing, Heim singled home Ibanez. Charlie Culberson struck out for the second out, then Marcus Semien walked. Corey Seager hit a weak grounder that went for an infield single, with Heim scoring on an error. Semien, who went to third on the play, then scored on a wild pitch. Seager, who had gone from first to second on the wild pitch, then advanced to third on yet another wild pitch before Adolis Garcia grounded out to end the inning with the Rangers up 8-1.
• Glenn Otto averaged 92.6 mph on his fastball, topping out at 94.5 mph. Matt Moore hit 94.0 mph on his fastball. John King topped out at 92.4 mph with his sinker, and Garrett Richards reached 93.7 mph with his fastball.
• The hardest hit ball of the night for the Rangers wasn’t from one of their rallies, but instead, was a 109.9 mph lineout by Kole Calhoun in the third inning — Calhoun also had a 102.3 mph groundout in the big second. Both home runs were 104.2 mph off the bat. Nick Solak’s single was 103.7 mph. Jonah Heim had a 102.6 mph exit velocity on his single and a 102.1 mph exit velocity on his double. Corey Seager had a 101.1 mph flyout in the second inning. Andy Ibanez had a 100.4 mph flyout. Marcus Semien didn’t have any hits in the game, but continued to make loud contact, with a 98.8 mph sacrifice fly and a 98.1 groundout.
• So all in all, a very nice win.