Thoughts on a 2-0 Rangers win

Rangers 2, A’s 0

• Rangers win a pitchers duel with a shutout, led by a Martin Perez quality start. Just like we all expected.
• Martin Perez is the first Ranger starter in 2022 to go six innings and is also (inherently) the first Ranger starter to get a quality start.
• Perez retired the first eight batters he faced before allowing a Nick Allen double. He then struck out Tony Kemp to strand Allen.
• Perez didn’t allow another runner until there were two outs in the fifth, when he walked Christian Lopes and allowed a single to Cristian Pache before getting Allen to fly out to end the inning.
• A 1-2-3 sixth ended Perez’s night, and lowered his ERA on the season to 3.86. Perez did what he does when he’s pitching well — throw strikes and get ground balls.
• Brock Burke pitched the seventh and faced a bit of a jam, allowing a soft double to Stephen Piscotty and then walking Elvis Andrus with one out, though a pop out and a 6-3 ended the inning.
• Brett Martin and Matt Bush pitched the eighth and ninth, respectively, with neither allowing a baserunner. Bush pitched the ninth instead of Joe Barlow, apparently, because Barlow got up last night and was warming. As a result, Bush picked up the first save of the season for the Rangers.
• The Rangers picked up just five hits and one walk in the game, not getting their first hit until Kole Calhoun singled with one out in the fifth.
• Calhoun ended up getting erased for the third out on a weird double play in the fifth. Adolis Garcia reached on a HBP, bringing up Willie Calhoun. Calhoun smoked a grounder to second, but the throw to first on the attempted 4-6-3 GIDP pulled first baseman Christian Bethancourt off the bag. Bethancourt saw Kole Calhoun turn too widely at third, however, and threw behind him, with Calhoun being tagged out trying to get back.
• Chris Woodward challenged the call, and the replay seemed to indicate that Calhoun got back safely, but the call wasn’t overturned. Calhoun said after the bag that the call was correct, he didn’t get his hand back and was tagged.
• Runs finally got on the board in the eighth. After Kole Calhoun grounded out, Garcia and Willie Calhoun had back to back singles, with Willie’s single coming on a 3-2 pitch where Garcia was running on the pitch, allowing him to make it to third. Jonah Heim was sent up to bat for Andy Ibanez, prompting Oakland to pull starter Frankie Montas and bring in Domingo Acevedo.
• Heim grounded out to first. Garcia stayed at third, but pinch runner Eli White was going on contact, avoiding the double play and putting runners on second and third. A Brad Miller single brought home Garcia. White was called out at home trying to score, but a crew chief review was called at the request of Chris Woodward, and the replay had White called safe, providing the Rangers second, and final, run.
• Martin Perez reached 94.4 mph on his sinker, averaging 92.4 mph. Brock Burke touched 96.2 mph. Brett Martin threw one sinker and one fastball, and they were each 92.5 mph. Matt Bush hit 98.0 with his fastball.
• Willie Calhoun’s single was 106.8 mph off the bat, and his GIDP was 101.9 mph. Kole Calhoun’s single was 105.3 mph. Adolis Garcia reached on an error that was 101.8 mph off the bat, and Brad Miller had a 101.3 mph fly out.
• Garrett Richards has been announced as the opener tomorrow, when the Rangers will be going for a sweep. Spencer Howard had previously been announced as the starter, and since Richards was announced as an opener, I’m guessing Howard comes in behind Richards.