Thoughts on a 16-4 Rangers win

Rangers 16, Rockies 4

• Wow, that was a lot of runs.
• I mean, a whole lot of runs.
• Martin Perez was terrific, and didn’t even really need all these runs, leading you to wish they had saved this outburst for when someone, like, say, Spencer Howard were starting. Or a bullpen game.
• In six shutout innings, Perez struck out seven and didn’t allow a Rockie runner past second base. And it’s an outing that is so, I don’t know, ho hum at this point that it makes me want to take a step back and remind myself…this is Martin Perez doing this. His ERA has now dropped to 2.69 on the season. Martin Perez, a starter with a 2.69 ERA. The mind boggles.
• Dennis Santana, newly activated from the injured list, got a low pressure situation to try to get back on track. He retired one batter and allowed four runs. The outing briefly gave rise to concerns that the Rockies would get back into the game, though more runs scored in the top of the following inning eased those concerns.
• Josh Sborz came in in relief of Santana, and he, Jose Leclerc and Matt Moore combined to retire all eight batters they, combined, faced, though Sborz did throw a wild pitch that allowed the fourth Santana run to score.
• Leclerc struck out two and lowered his ERA to 3.09. He appears to be back.
• The bats went nuts. Every starter except Jonah Heim had a hit, and Heim drew two walks. Charlie Culberson had a pinch hit home run. The Culb! Brad Miller had a pinch hit double. Madness!
• Nathaniel Lowe’s continuing smashing of balls in game action is resulting in more and more hits, and he’s either turning into the impact bat the Rangers thought he could be when they traded for him, or else he’s having a career year and won’t continue this. Or maybe something else. I don’t know.
• Lots of hits. Lots of runs. Not in the middle innings, of course. Texas scored in the first and second, and the eighth and ninth, but none of those middle innings, giving like a big doughnut hole in the middle of the scoreboard.
• Chocolate doughnuts are the best. Powdered sugar doughnuts are also awesome. I am not a fan of jelly in doughnuts, or adulterating them with sprinkles.
• A Mounds bar is not a sprinkle.
• Martin Perez topped out at 94.7 mph. Dennis Santana hit 98.9 mph. Josh Sborz hit 98.8 mph. Jose Leclerc maxed out at 97.7 mph. Matt Moore touched 94.4 mph.
• Nathaniel Lowe had the two hardest hit balls of the game, with his 110.2 mph lineout and 107.5 mph home run, as well as recording a 106.7 mph single, a 105.6 mph triple, and a 97.6 mph fly out. Brad Miller had a 107.3 mph double. Corey Seager had a 106.4 mph lineout. Adolis Garcia had a 103.6 mph fly out. Marcus Semien had a 102.0 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 100.8 mph single and a 99.8 mph double. Mark Mathias had a 100.8 mph double.
• A blowout heading into an off day. That is what we want to see.