Rangers 2, White Sox 1
Rangers 2, White Sox 1
- That’s a sweep.
- I didn’t do a Thoughts post for yesterday’s game because I was at the game, and it was after 10 pm when I got home, and really the game was too stupid to offer thoughts on.
- Not to say that I won’t do a Thoughts post after a stupid game. This game, for example, featured lots of stranded runners by the Rangers and a pitcher needing infusions of pickle juice mid-inning to keep functioning.
- Rocker’s cramping, which necessitated the pickle juice runs, likely cost him the opportunity to go more than the five innings he ended up throwing. Nonetheless, he had a very solid line, with five shutout innings, just four hits and one walk allowed, and six batters fanned. Given he was brought back up from what was supposed to be a longer stint in AAA in order to fill in for the injured Tyler Mahle, there’s nothing to complain about there.
- Jacob Webb allowed a homer for the one ChiSox run in order to make things a little more uncomfortable the rest of the way, but it all worked out. Cole Winn came into the game in the seventh in relief of Webb with runners on the corners and one out, the game at 2-1, and with a caught stealing and a backwards K the rally was thwarted.
- Winn’s scoreless streak appeared in danger of being snapped in the eighth, when Andrew Benintendi doubled with one out, and a two out single and stolen base put runners on second and third. Winn allowed a hard hit ball off the bat of Edgar Quero, but it found a glove and so we can move on happily from that.
- And our old pal Luke Jackson even came into the game for the ninth inning. Not Chris Martin, as one would have expected with a one run lead in the ninth, which is interesting, given that he didn’t pitch on Saturday, either. But again, we can move on…
- Nine hits and five walks from the Rangers — including five doubles — would normally lead one to expect more than two runs being pushed across, but Texas once again couldn’t capitalize with runners on base. I’d complain more about this if the Rangers had lost, but from a long-term perspective, you’d rather see lots of hits and walks and few runs in a game than few hits and walks and a lot of runs, assuming that you win either way. Its at least a sign that the offense is continuing to, well, be less terrible than they’ve been much of the season before the last week.
- And how about that Ezequiel Duran? A pair of doubles and a walk for a guy who hasn’t been able to hit anything of late, and who hasn’t been given much of an opportunity to hit anything of late due to that failure to hit anything of late.
- Everyone in the starting lineup got a hit, in fact, other than Kyle Higashioka, who picked up a collar.
- It wasn’t the most impressive series sweep you’ll ever see, but it was a sweep, the starting pitching continues to be solid, and the bats are continuing to perform in a way that is closer to what we were expecting at the start of the season.
- Kumar Rocker topped out at 97.9 mph with his sinker and 97.4 mph with his fastball, averaging 96.5 mph and 96.1 mph on them, respectively. Jacob Webb touched 94.2 mph with his fastball. Cole Winn’s fastball reached 97.9 mph. Luke Jackson maxed out at 96.2 mph with his fastball.
- Evan Carter had a 107.4 mph double. Adolis Garcia had a 105.1 mph ground out. Ezequiel Duran had a pair of doubles, one 104.3 mph and one 100.2 mph. Jake Burger had a 102.2 mph ground out. Kyle Higashioka had a 101.0 mph line out.
- And we can enjoy Monday’s offday knowing that the Rangers are no longer below .500.