Thoughts on a 3-2 Rangers win

Rangers 3, Mariners 2

• In their last five games, the Rangers have scored 3, 3, 1, 3 and 3 runs.
• Its kind of a miracle they are 2-3 in those games.
• Of course, while scoring just 13 runs in their last five games, they’ve also allowed just 13 runs in their last five games.
• Dane Dunning, yesterday, pitched extremely well, striking out seven batters while needing just 93 pitches to get through seven innings, walking no one, and allowing two runs on three hits. The Rangers lost when Joe Barlow, asked to save a 3-2 game, allowed a two run homer, resulting in a 4-3 loss.
• Glenn Otto, today, struggled with his command, needed 95 pitches to get through five innings, walked five batters against four Ks, but still allowed just two runs. The Rangers won when Joe Barlow, asked to save a 3-2 game, retired the side in the ninth.
• The Rangers only had five hits and one walk in todays game, but the walk and one of the hits came in the fourth, right before Adolis Garcia hit a three run home run to left field.
• Sometimes it is just all about the timing.
• There were dueling no hitters going into the fourth. Texas broke the Marco Gonzalez no hitter when Marcus Semien led off the inning with a single, setting the stage for Adolis Garcia to break the shutout shortly thereafter.
• The M’s didn’t break up the Glenn Otto no hitter until the top of the fifth when Cal Raleigh had a one out single, which was immediately followed by a very long Jesse Winker home run, cutting the Ranger lead to 3-2. The M’s had gotten baserunners in each of the previous innings, accumulating five walks and a HBP, but couldn’t do any actual damage until the two hits in the fifth.
• Chris Woodward went to his pen to start the sixth, and the M’s only had two more baserunners the rest of the way, though both baserunners were the result of singles against John King. Woodward had started warming Dennis Santana in the fifth, and after Otto was able to finish the inning Santana was tapped to pitch the sixth. When Matt Moore came in for the seventh, I assumed Moore would also pitch the eighth as well. Moore, who hadn’t pitched since allowing four runs while not retiring anyone on May 30, has generally thrown two innings in appearances where he was performing well.
• Moore was replaced by John King in the eighth, however, and that was where things got scary. King got down 2-0 to Ty France before France hit a rocket Adolis Garcia snagged in right field. J.P. Crawford then barreled a 2-2 fastball to center that was tracked down by Eli White. Julio Rodriguez singled, went to second on a wild pitch, then ended up having to be held at third when Corey Seager got a glove on a Eugenio Suarez smash that went for an infield single.
• At that point, the Rangers were lucky they still had the lead. All four plate appearances by the M’s resulted in 100+ exit velocities with expected batting averages of .560 or better. King was giving up loud contact, and with Adam Frazier due up with the tying runs 90 feet away, I was not feeling confident.
• King’s strength is getting ground balls, though, and he got Frazier to hit one into the ground that Corey Seager was able to field for a fielder’s choice. Joe Barlow had a 1-2-3 ninth that included a called strike three to Mike Ford that Ford barked about, but he’s Mike Ford and should keep his piehole shut.
• Charlie Culberson had two hits, by the way. Shout out to the Culb.
• Glenn Otto topped out at 94.8 mph with his fastball. Dennis Santana’s sinker touched 98.0 mph. Matt Moore hit 95.2 mph with his fastball. John King’s sinker reached 93.2 mph. Joe Barlow threw one fastball at 96.9.
• Corey Seager had ground balls with exit velocities of 106.9 and 106.3, each of which went for outs. Ezequiel Duran, making his major league debut, had a 106.0 mph ground out. Eli White had a 102.5 mph fly out in the third that looked off the bat like it might be gone but wasn’t. One of Charlie Culberson’s singles was 102.5.
• This was one of those games that maybe balances out a game that it felt like the Rangers should have won, but didn’t. Series finale Sunday, as well as the home stand finale. Texas needs to win to have a winning home stand.