Thoughts on a 4-1 Rangers win

Rangers 4, Jays 1

• That was fun, wasn’t it?
• I think more games should be like this one.
• Martin Perez continues to be pretty good. The Rangers needed him to pitch well and them innings and he did that, going six strong innings, and not allowing a Blue Jay runner past second base until the third batter of the sixth inning, when Teoscar Hernandez’s one out double brought home Bo Bichette for the Jays only run of the game.
• Perez retired the next two batters, and the Jays didn’t get anyone else farther than second base the rest of the way.
• Perez struck out seven, allowed six hits and walked two on the game. He mostly went sinker/change up/cutter, though Statcast has him throwing six pitches today, including ten four seamers, a couple of sliders and an actual curve ball.
• Jesus Tinoco, Matt Moore and Jose Leclerc each threw a scoreless inning to close things out. Leclerc, as he did his last time out, walked the lead off batter. Unlike his last time out, that runner didn’t score…Leclerc got a very weaker tapper for the first out, then fanned the final two batters to end the game.
• If you’re keeping track, Leclerc has a 2.15 ERA now since the beginning of July. He’s been really good.
• Nathaniel Lowe put the Rangers on the board in the first with a one out double to bring home Corey Seager. Lowe was three for four on the day, and I think he might be able to hit a little.
• The Rangers actually followed up the Lowe double in the first with an Adolis Garcia walk and a Jonah Heim single, but that bases loaded, one out situation resulted in no more runs scoring, which caused us all to be angsty.
• It was okay though. Adolis had a two run homer to make it 3-0, and Leody Taveras chipped in a solo shot in the eighth as an insurance run.
• Bubba Thompson had a single, a double and a couple of stolen bases. He’s not doing too bad for himself in his opportunities.
• Martin Perez topped out at 94.7 mph with his sinker. Jesus Tinoco hit 97.8 mph. Matt Moore reached 94.7 mph. Jose Leclerc touched 98.4 mph.
• Adolis Garcia’s home run was 107.6 mph. Leody Taveras’s home run was 101.3 mph. Nathaniel Lowe had a 105.3 mph double.
• On to Miami for a doubleheader, with the lightness and positivity of a win lifting the Rangers wings as they head out.