Thoughts on a 6-2 Rangers win

Rangers 6, Red Sox 2

• That was a nice, solid win, especially on the heels of Monday’s rollercoaster ride.
• The Dane Dunning Experience continues to rock and roll along, as Dunning has gone from being a surprisingly effective and reliable member of the bullpen to start the season to being a surprisingly effective and reliable member of the rotation since, well, joining the rotation.
• Just six swings and misses out of 89 pitches for Dunning, which generally doesn’t translate to success. But Dunning had it working today, got a bunch of called strikes, and allowed just one run, striking out four and walking one.
• Dunning isn’t going to continue to put up a two and a half ERA all season. But for the time being it’s happening, and the wins that result are banked.
• Bruce Bochy used his bullpen in LaRussian fashion after Dunning left the game, using four pitchers to get nine outs, including having Will Smith come in to face just one batter, Alex Verdugo, for what was the final out of the game.
• Smith came in with two on and two out, after Rob Refsnyder had reached on catchers interference. There had also been a one hour and forty seven minute rain delay that hit with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Good thing we don’t have to worry about that with the Shed.
• The Rangers had ten hits, half of them coming from the much-maligned duo of Mitch Garver and Robbie Grossman. Garver had a three run homer, a double, and two walks, one of which came with the bases loaded, while Grossman was 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI.
• Josh Jung hit third against a lefty again. He was 2 for 5 with a double. I’m curious to see whether Jung ends up getting more regular time in the third spot. It would split up Corey Seager and Nathaniel Lowe, who are the only two pure lefty hitters of note in the lineup, and make late inning bullpen matchups harder on the other manager.
• But on the other hand, the Rangers are scoring a ton of runs with Seager and Lowe hitting back to back, so it isn’t like there’s a burning need for a change there.
• Dane Dunning topped out at 93.4 mph with his sinker. Grant Anderson reached 93.1 mph with his sinker. Brock Burke touched 96.7 mph with his fastball. Josh Sborz hit 97.2 mph with his fastball. Will Smith threw one fastball that was 89.9 mph.
• The hardest hit ball by a Ranger was Nathaniel Lowe’s ninth inning GIDP, which was 108.8 mph off the bat. Josh Jung had a 108.0 mph double and a 101.6 mph line out. Mitch Garver had a 105.4 mph home run and a 101.2 mph double. Robbie Grossman had a 103.0 mph double.
• Five games to go before the Break. Rangers are still three up in the West.