Thoughts on a 7-2 Rangers win

Rangers 7, Angels 2

• Sometimes baseball games are good.
• This one is a perfect example. It was a very good game, at least if you are a Rangers fan.
• Dane Dunning allowed a two run homer in the first. The rest of the way, he gave up just an infield single and a walk, with both of those runners erased on double plays.
• Dunning did only go five innings and 72 pitches, but even so, five innings of two run ball will play.
• Interesting, Dunning didn’t throw his sinker much — only 15 times in the game. He threw his slider 25 times, and his cutter and change up about as often as the sinker. That’s kind of weird.
• Two innings from Brock Burke, one inning from Matt Moore, and one inning from Jose Leclerc, and the Angels were done.
• Leclerc, after allowing a single to Mike Trout to start the ninth, registered a pair of strike outs and a high pop fly to right. He gets Ks and pop ups when he’s on.
• The bats came out to play for the Rangers as well, after mostly hibernating in the first game of the series. Leody Taveras, Nathaniel Lowe, Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia all had multi-hit games, while Josh Smith picked up a homer and Bubba Thompson got a hit.
• Josh Jung was 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts, after going 0 for 4 with 3 Ks the previous night. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get the day off against Michael Lorenzen in the series finale.
• Dane Dunning topped out at 90.9 mph on his sinker, averaging 89.8 mph. Brock Burke hit 96.1 mph with his fastball. Matt Moore reached 94.8 mph with his fastball. Jose Leclerc maxed out at 98.4 mph.
• Josh Smith’s home run was 101.9 mph off the bat, and he also had a 105.1 mph fielder’s choice. Corey Seager had a 106.3 mph single.
• Now the Rangers try to win a series for the first time in like a month. I will be on the edge of my seat.