Thoughts on a 6-4 Rangers win

Rangers 6, Royals 4

• That’s how you want to start a home stand.
• Have I mentioned I continue to be amazed by Martin Perez? Because I continue to be amazed by Martin Perez.
• Okay, yes, its early. It has just been six starts on the year for Perez. And the first two weren’t all that good.
• But against the Royals, he went into the seventh, only getting pulled after allowing a bloop single with one out, and with the two runners that had reached base in the inning prior to the single reaching on back-to-back Charlie Culberson errors. Perez struck out six, didn’t walk anyone, allowed just five hits, and while he got tagged for four runs, only one was earned. The three runs that scored on in the sixth off of Perez, the unearned runs, were the two E5s and the bloop hit. So that’s pretty good work.
• For the year Perez has a 2.10 ERA, a 2.55 FIP, and a 2.33 xERA. However you look at it, he has been excellent this year.
• John King came on in relief of Perez in the seventh, allowed a run scoring single, then got a run scoring 3-6 fielder’s choice before fanning Witt the Younger to end the inning. King gave up a walk and a single with two outs in the eighth to make things a little concerning before striking out MJ Melendez. Joe Barlow then came in and had 1-2-3 ninth, though with an assist by Kole Calhoun on a nice diving catch.
• The somnambulent Rangers offense we saw in New York woke up, getting on the board right away in the first. After the first two batters were retired, Corey Seager took Brad Keller the opposite way for a home run to give Texas the lead. Three straight singles from Jonah Heim, Adolis Garcia and Kole Calhoun, with an error on the Garcia single that allowed Adolis to go to second, brought home two more runs, giving the Rangers a comfy 3-0 lead after one.
• Seager cashed in again his next time up, taking Keller deep, this time to right field, to make it 4-0. A Nick Solak single and stolen base set up a Brad Miller RBI single in the fourth. Solak scored the sixth and final run in the sixth, when a two out double by Solak, an Eli White walk, and a double steal set the stage for Solak to be able to score when an Amir Garrett pitch got a little ways away from Melendez. It didn’t get real far away, but Solak got a good jump and was able to slide in safely, despite Garrett blocking the plate, and initially signalling to the Royals bench that they should challenge the safe call.
• (The Royals did not, in fact, challenge the safe call. If they had, they would have lost the challenge).
• Jonah Heim had another two hit night and continues to rake. He’s now slashing .356/.463/.622. The other Ranger in the lineup with an OPS over 750 was Eli White, who was 0 for 3 with a walk, dropping his slash line to a mere .296/.387/.462.
• Martin Perez’s sinker maxed out at 95.4 mph. John King hit 93.8 mph with his sinker. Joe Barlow topped out at 95.1 mph with his sinker. It was just a sinker-filled day, wasn’t it?
• Corey Seager’s home runs were 103.5 mph and 102.4 mph off the bat. Adolis Garcia had a 107.1 mph groundout, which was unfortunate, but also a 102.1 mph single. Jonah Heim had a 103.3 mph single. Nick Solak’s double was 102.3 mph off the bat. Marcus Semien continue hitting the ball hard but having bad luck, as had a 101.9 mph lineout and a 101.2 mph groundout, balls with a .630 and .460 xBA, respectively. Eli White had a 101.2 mph lineout. And while they didn’t hit triple digits, Brad Miller’s singles were 99.5 mph and 97.6 mph.
• Good start to the home stand. The Rangers have been playing some better ball. We like that.