Rangers Strike First against the A’s

Posted on April 22, 2014 by colonelsportsnation

Darvish pitching against the A’s in game one of their series.

The Texas Rangers went on the road and won a hard-fought game against the division leading Oakland A’s 4-3. It was a game that saw both starting pitchers bend, but not break. That was highlighted mostly by Yu Darvish. When Darvish is going well, he is able to easily get through 6 or 7 innings with double-digit strikeouts and few hits allowed. Tonight was not one of those nights. Heading into the game Darvish was 1-6 with a 4.30 ERA against the Oakland A’s. He also has not won at the Colliseum in his short career. So the question became how would he do last night? It wasn’t a sure thing that he would pitch well, and early on it looked like that trend might continue.

Darvish early on in the season has not gotten any run support and has not pitched with the lead in any of his prior 3 starts. That changed last night as Shin Shoo Choo led off the game with his second home run of the season to give the Rangers an early 1-0 lead. Yesterday, I had remarked that for the Rangers to win last night they had to score early, make Straily work, get to the bullpen early, and get timely hits. They did establish a lead early for Darvish, but he was only able to hold that lead till the bottom of the second inning. Brandon Moss led off the second inning with a home run. It was the fourth home run he has hit in his career against Darvish. The A’s would go on to add 2 more runs to the board on a Eric Sogard double and Coco Crisp single. Darvish early on was trying to establish the fastball and get ahead in the count and then work in his other pitches. He lacked his usual control though and so the A’s were just looking at those pitches or fouling them off making him work harder than he normally does. They were very methodically driving up his pitch count. Darvish said about that start, “Compared to last year, I think I’ve matured mentally to battle through these kinds of games”. That is certainly what he had to is battle. In Darvish’s previous starts he had been able to maintain control of his pitch count which has allowed him to go 7-8 innings in those starts. Last night that was not the case. This is where I credit Darvish and Chirinos for coming up with a different plan mid game. Yu doesn’t get a lot of credit for being as cerebral as he is. He is a very intelligent pitcher who just happens to throw hard. He knew that the A’s were sitting on his fastball and that he didn’t have the best control of it, so mid game he changed to more curveballs and off speed pitches. This midgame adjustment really saved the game. It caught the A’s off guard and allowed Darvish to get through the 6th inning. He had even told Wash, “I was going to get through six innings,”. In the 5th and 6th he was able to get more ground balls and facing his last hitter and his 115th pitch he struck out John Jaso. Washington said about Darvish, “He settled down and started making some pitches. He bent but didn’t break. He was good enough to keep us in the game.” When he left the game it was still 3-3.

His rebound from that 3 run second allowed the offense to be able to come back and tie the game. The main reason they were able to come back tonight was actually Prince Fielder tonight. Fielder has been hitting better lately, but tonight he actually looked very locked into the game. In his first at-bat he actually went opposite field. He drove a ball to deep left field for a double in the 4th. It is the first opposite field hit I can remember him getting this season. Kouzmanoff then followed with a single to the outfield that scored him and made it 3-2. Then in the 5th the Rangers were able to get a 2-0ut rally started when Elvis Andrus had a single to center. Rios then followed with a bloop single to right fielder Josh Reddick that moved Elvis to third. Fielder then finished it off with a hard-hit single to right field. The A’s decided not to shift there and that allowed one to sneak over the infield. That single tied the game at 3. The score would stay that way till the top of the 8th. Both team’s bullpens pitched really well. The A’s were able to call on Ryan Cook, Fernando Abad, Sean Doolittle, and Dan Otero. The Rangers called on Jason Frasor, Neal Cotts, Alexi Ogando, and Joakim Soria. The game remained scoreless through most of these pitchers. Then in 8th, Kevin Kouzmanoff led off with a double off the wall in right field off of Sean Doolittle. Doolittle is one the AL’s best left-handed relievers, but Kouzmanoff got the best of him last night. Then on 2 strikes Moreland was able to lay down a sac bunt that moved Kouzmanoff to 3rd. That caused Bob Melvin to bring the infield in for Donnie Murphy. Murphy proceeded to hit it right back up the middle against the drawn-in infield. That gave the Rangers a 4-3 lead. They would fail to score another run in the 9th with Choice at 3rd when Chirinos struck out. Soria came on in the 9th to try to close it out. He did just that, despite a throwing error by Elvis Andrus that put a run in scoring position. He kept the ball down, he kept calm and showed why he is their closer. This was probably his best save this early in the season. The Rangers with the win move to 12-8 and 1.5 games back and the A’s fall to 13-6.

Notes from the Game

Fielder did what I have been screaming for him to do all season and that is hit it opposite field. All season teams have been shifting on him and he just would continue to hit it right into the shift. If he shows he can do this, then he might not see such large shifts. His two hits though were huge. It looked like early on that this will be a 3-1 game that they lost, but Fielder’s opposite field double seemed to turn the tide. He did look way more invested than he has at times this season. He sometimes gives off an aloof feel, but tonight he looked locked in. That is the guy the Rangers need to be hitting 3 or 4 in the lineup.
I have never seen Darvish gut it out more than he did last night. In the past when he didn’t have it you could tell from his body language and then poor results would follow. Tonight he didn’t have it, but he kept battling and just found a way to make it through the 6th inning. That is what the best pitchers are able to do, is even when their stuff isn’t on they still find a way to get hitters out and last deep into the game. That is what Darvish did last night.
Kevin Kouzmanoff once again with two hits, including the rbi single to make it 3-2 and then the leadoff double in the 8th that helped to give the team the 4-3 lead. Kouzmanoff yesterday was named AL Player of the Week. That is quite the accomplishment for someone who wasn’t even expected to make the team this year. He has certainly earned himself a role and at-bats even when Adrian Beltre possibly comes back this weekend.
In the 9th inning Shin Shoo Choo turned his ankle trying to beat out an infield grounder. He was stretching out try to beat the throw and landed on the bag awkwardly. He will have an MRI today to see if there is any damage, but is likely out for the rest of the series. No word yet on who will move up to leadoff. The candidates are Elvis Andrus or Leonys Martin. Martin did hit some leadoff last year, but really struggled and so midway through the season Wash moved him back down the order. He has been hitting better this year, but Wash might not want to mess that up. I would not be surprise if he goes with Andrus-Choice 1-2 in the order. We will see later on today how Wash plans on handling this and how long Choo will be out for.
To me Joakim Soria really claimed the closers job last night. There has been this thought among Ranger fans that Neftali Feliz will be the closer at some point if he can regain his velocity and control. Unless Soria gets hurt the closer job is his. I know at some point he will struggle, but last night he was great. He showed he could come through in a hostile environment, 1 run lead, and the A’s best hitters at the plate. He is the closer, if Feliz does come up at some point maybe they can slide him in as the 7th or 8th inning guy.
Overall it was a great win. It is not September though yet. They still have 18 games left against the A’s. They will play 6 games total with this series and a series next week in Arlington. After these two series they will still have 13 left. It is nice to get a win though and show that even with all these injuries they are doing more than just surviving, they are playing good baseball.

Tonight’s Game Preview

Tonight it will be rookie Nick Martinez against Tommy Millone. Martinez who last pitched for the Rangers on April 5th against the Tampa Bay Rays will be brought up to pitch for Tanner Scheppers. Scheppers was placed on the DL last week due to an elbow issue. Martinez like last time will be brought in just for this one appearance. Last time out he pitched 6 innings and only gave up 3 runs. Hopefully he can do that again tonight. He had been pitching for AA Frisco and has made two starts with no decisions and has a 1.86 ERA. He will asked to try to continue that. Washington I am sure will have a short leash and will be ready to go to his pen at any moment. The A’s are going to try to make him work. They are going to make him throw strikes. To win he has to throw first pitch strikes, don’t nibble around the plate, and pitch to contact. If he does those three things he will have an opportunity to go deep into the game and give the Rangers a chance to win. On offense the Rangers have to survive the loss of Shin Shoo Choo. They still have to be patient at the plate and not be swinging at everything. Once again getting timely hits will be important. In order to beat the A’s the Rangers have to do the small things. They must get runners on, move them over, and drive them in. The A’s really require teams to be fundamentally sound. That is how they beat teams is by forcing them to make mistakes they normally would not make. Game once again is at 9:05 tonight.

Rangers Homestand Recap and Road Trip Preview

Posted on April 21, 2014 by colonelsportsnation

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The Rangers just concluded a very succesful 10 game homestand. They went 7-3 in the homestand and won all three series. They took 2 of 3 from the Houston Astros, 3 of 4 from the Seattle Mariners, and 2 … Continue reading →

Rangers win behind Robbie Ross Jr.

Posted on April 15, 2014 by colonelsportsnation

Two words can sum up this game tonight and they are Robbie Ross. He was absolutely outstanding tonight. He made loads of improvement from his last start against the Red Sox to tonight. His performance was the reason the Rangers were able to bounce back from last night’s loss. Here are some quick thoughts I had on tonight’s game.

I have to start with Robbie Ross Jr. He was the man tonight. If you remember last week he had a one-on-one conversation with Ron Washington after he walked 4 hitters in the span of two innings. It was less encouraging and more scolding. Ross responded by pitching better after that. Tonight he carried that over into pitching 7.2 innings and walking no one. Wheras last week he lacked control, tonight he was in complete control. He controlled both sides of the plate and was able to work it inside and out. The Mariners just never looked comfortable up there. He just competed out there and the night was capped off when Wash went out to the mound not to scold, but to congratulate. It was quite the moment when Wash took him out of the game and Ross was surrounded by the entire infield getting congratulations. It was Robbie’s night and no one can take this away. Who know what the rest of the season will hold for Ross, but tonight he was phenomenal.
Prince Fielder hit his first home run of the season and his first home run for the Rangers. It was a no doubter that was hit 416 ft to deep right center field. It seemed to take a weight off of his very large shoulders. Hopefully this hit will get him going. The offense has been really lacking without his production. If Prince can start to hit and drive runs in, it will provide much needed balance to the lineup and it will help them survive this stretch without Adrian Beltre.
The offense as a whole seemed to be much looser. These last few nights you could see them tense up everytime someone got on base. It led to numerous double plays and lack of timely hitting. Tonight, after Prince’s home run everyone seemed to loosen up. The offense actually was led by 3rd baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff. He went 3-4 with 3 rbi’s and so far is hitting .450 in his limited time in the big leagues. He has done an admirable job filling in for Beltre. Tonight he and Fielder went back-to-back in the second inning. It was the first time the Rangers have went back-to-back in Arlington since April 30, 2013 when it was Nelson Cruz and Jeff Baker. Elvis continued to hit with two more hits tonight and Moreland added a couple of hits as well as a sac fly. Hopefully this marks the Rangers coming out of their slump.
Finally, the starting pitching continues to be outstanding. Scheppers had one bad inning on Saturday, but other than that everyone has been really good. It is going to be a hard call for Wash when Matt Harrison returns in about a week to determine who gets moved to the bullpen. After tonight I would say Scheppers but he was really good outside of one inning on Saturday. That could change if Ross struggles his next time out. Whatever happens though this will improve the depth of the bullpen or maintain the consistency of the rotation.

Tomorrow is a battle of Aces as Yu Darvish will take on Felix Hernandez at 7:05. It should be a pitchers duel so that means that it will be a high scoring affair. Can’t wait to see how this one turns out.

Game 9 Recap

Posted on April 9, 2014 by colonelsportsnation

The Rangers let one get away today. They had an 8th inning lead and a chance for a 3-3 road trip through two of the best teams in the AL and they let it get away from them. It wasn’t a game they played particularly well, but yet they had a 2-1 lead and Neal Cotts on the mound to try to get it to closer Joakim Soria. Just as quick as you snap your fingers it was gone. David Ortiz had sent one down the right field line and around Pesky’s Pole for a game-winning 3-run home run. Instead of 3-3 it became a 2-4 road trip. That still is not bad, it is exactly what I expected. I expected them to win the Yu Darvish and Martin Perez starts, seeing that they are the most experienced starters that they have right now. That is exactly what they did. They won 3-0 on Sunday and 10-7 last night. They sit at 4-5 and are now preparing for a 10 game homestand that starts on Friday against the Astros.

Instead of talking about big picture, lets discuss today’s game. It was Robbie Ross Jr. making his second start of the season going up against veteran Jake Peavy. Early on Robbie struggled with his control. He walked 4 hitters between the 2nd and 3rd innings. That brought out Ron Washington. It wasn’t to take him out of the game, but to give him a stern talking to. Nothing seems to bother Wash more than a pitcher who is not throwing strikes. It was just Wash and Ross out there, no catcher or other infielders. That got through to him as he did give up one run in that third inning, but then he calmly got David Ortiz to ground into a double play to end the inning. That was it as far as the scoring for the middle innings. Ross would only walk two more hitters and make it into the 6th inning. The score was still 1-0 when he was lifted. He did walk 6 hitters, struck out 4, but only gave up 2 hits. He still needs to work on his control, but only giving up one run allowed the Rangers to come back and have the lead late.

They would have to come back late because early on Jake Peavy was spectacular. He was able to control the plate and keep the Rangers off-balance. He ended up striking out 8 and walking 4. The only one who was seemingly having good at-bats against Peavy was Choo. He led off the game with a double and then had two walks against Peavy. Everyone else struggled through 6 innings. In the 7th though things turned around when Mitch Moreland took a 89 mph fastball deep into the right-field bullpen to tie the game. Up to that point it looked like even though they were only down a run that it was not meant to be their day. Moreland changed all of that with one swing. Then it looked like a game that the Rangers could steal. In the 8th they did just that. Elvis led off with a double and was eventually brought home on a sac fly by Alex Rios. All of a sudden the Rangers had a 2-1 lead and were 6 outs away from a victory and a series win.

That leads to today’s questionable decision of the game. It occured in the bottom of the 8th after the Rangers had taken a 2-1 lead. Alexi Ogando had been in since the 6th inning and had pitched very well. It was his best appearance of the season. His fastball velocity was up and he was able to keep it down in the zone and his slider was very filthy. He was able to strike out 4 hitters in those 1.2 innings. Instead of bringing in Cotts to start the inning he let Ogando start the inning. He proceeded to walk Jackie Bradley Jr. At that point the Red Sox decided to pinch hit with A.J. Pierzynski. Washington then had a decision to make go with Ogando or come in with Neal Cotts. Cotts was warm and ready to go, yet Washington stuck with Ogando. He was clearly hoping that Ogando could finish out the inning and that he wouldn’t have to use Cotts. Ogando stayed in and Pierzynski blooped one right down the right field line to put two on and no outs. Ogando would get Pedroia to ground out.Then Cotts would come in to face Ortiz with two runners on and one out. David Ortiz then went yard to give the Red Sox a 4-2 lead and the game. I understand why you start the inning with Ogando, but why keep with him even after the Red Sox have pinch-hit with Pierzynski. It just goes back to the problem the Rangers have with the 8th inning. They don’t have one guy who is good enough to assume that role so it leads to confusion late in games about who to bring in. Today it cost them as David Ortiz just did David Ortiz things in helping the Red Sox win the game 4-2.

Notes from the Game

Shin Shoo Choo is an on-base machine. That is all he does is aim to get on base. Early on this season he has been hitting and walking a ton. Right now he is in the middle of a stretch that has seen him reach base in 8 of his past 10 plate appearances. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite players. I love seeing how he is able to work a pitcher and wait till he gets a pitch that he likes. He is also normally in the middle of any Rangers rally, whether he starts it or he keeps it going. I questioned whether he was worth the contract that they gave him, but after seeing him play I would say that he is.
-Alexi Ogando was filthy today. This is the Ogando that the Rangers wanted to win a rotation spot. He lacked control though all Spring. Today he was bringing it and in the 6th and 7th innings he was untouchable. He was able to locate his fastball on both corners and the slider was really biting. This Ogando can be a real asset in the bullpen as long as he can bring it on a consistent basis.
Adrian Beltre was sent back to Texas to be examined further, but he has not been put on the DL yet. Instead they did bring up Kevin Kouzmanoff to man 3rd and designated Seth Rosin for assignment. Now they have 10 days to either trade or send him back to the Philadephia Phillies. Hopefully the Rangers can find a way to keep him, because he had shown some potential to be a solid weapon down in the bullpen.

The Rangers will have tomorrow off and will be back on Friday at home to begin a 10 game homestand starting with the Houston Astros. It will be Yu Darvish going up against Scott Feldman at 7:05.

Game 7 Recap

Posted on April 7, 2014 by colonelsportsnation

The Rangers first road trip of the season moved on up the East Coast to Boston. The defending World Champion Red Sox welcomed the Rangers to Fenway Park on a beautiful night for baseball. Tanner Scheppers got his second start … Continue reading →

Game 3 Recap

Posted on April 3, 2014 by colonelsportsnation

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Another day and another walk-off win for the Rangers. This one probably more incredible than the night before. Instead of a 2-run comeback this was a comeback from 3 runs down in the late innings. This game also showed … Continue reading →

The Countdown is Over

Posted on March 31, 2014 by colonelsportsnation

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Today is the day. No more practices, no more exhibitions, and no more depressing injury reports. Today all of that is over. Today is Opening Day. Spring Training has seemed like it has lasted all winter, but now it is … Continue reading →

6 Things We Have Learned This Spring

Posted on March 25, 2014 by colonelsportsnation

With the Rangers moving on from Arizona in a couple of days and the season starting in less than a week I am going to start a series that looks back at camp and then looks forward to the season. … Continue reading →

Prediction on the Opening Day Roster

Posted on March 19, 2014 by colonelsportsnation

Today is March 19th. We are about 12 days away from opening day and about 10 days away from the Opening Day Roster being finalized. So far in this year’s camp there has a lot of competition and a lot … Continue reading →

Rangers win 16-15

Posted on March 15, 2014 by colonelsportsnation

Nick Williams hits 9th inning game-tying home run

Wow. Just when you thought it was just another Saturday in Arizona and just another spring training game a 16-15 game breaks out between division rivals Texas Rangers and Oakland A’s. What a comeback by this probably b or c squad Rangers team. The lineup was missing Prince Fielder, Shin Shoo Choo, Alex Rios, Leonys Martin, Adrian Beltre, and Jurickson Profar or 2/3 of the starting lineup. The only players to make the trip that will likely make the trip to Arlington were Mitch Moreland, Elvis Andrus, Geovanny Soto, and JP Arencibia. Still this team of mostly minor leaguers and non roster invitees were able to overcome some pretty awful pitching and come back to win this game. The word unbelievable doesn’t normally get applied to Spring Training exhibition games, but I believe it does apply here. Down 13-6 heading into the 6th inning the team just perservered and came back to win. So lets take a closer look at this game.

Colby Lewis got the start today and was expected to go 3-4 innings depending on his pitch count. Unfortunately for the Rangers he could not get out the 2nd inning. He just did not have his good stuff today. His fastball velocity wasn’t there and he was leaving it up. He also could not get his curveball over the plate. The A’s were just waiting on his fastball and it led to Brandon Moss and Josh Reddick hitting back-to-back home runs in the second and then after loading the bases on a hit-by-pitch of Josh Donaldson that was it. Rafael Perez came in after that and prevented any further damage. Lot of question marks for Lewis after this one. He has said that he is healthy and he has the support of the organization, but they won’t put him on the roster unless he can perform. Today he just didn’t have it.

Nick Tepesch also didn’t have it. He was able to go 3 innings, but he gave up 7 runs in those 3 innings and also 9 hits. So he was very hittable and with this performance he probably ensured that he will be opening up the season in the Round Rock rotation. I actually expect him to be sent down next week sometime. Tepesch is a guy who just needs to work on his out pitch. He has a great sinker and can get ground balls, but he just needs to be able to put hitters away.

After those two guys left it was 13-6 and it was thought that the players would check out and the Rangers would live to fight another day. That is when it got crazy. The Rangers scored 3 runs in the 6th with all of the starters still in. That was highlighted by consecutive 2 out RBI singles by Elvis Andrus and Mitch Moreland. That made it 13-9. Then in the 7th the craziness continued. Washington took out most of his starters at this point. So, of course the Rangers proceeded to score 5 runs with a lineup mostly consisted of guys who will likely not see Arlington. That inning saw Bryan Peterson and JP Arencibia hit consecutive RBI doubles and then Nick Williams and Robinson Chirinos hit consecutive home runs. Just like that it was 14-13 Rangers. From 13-6 to 14-13. The A’s then followed that up with 2 runs in the 7th inning off of Nick Tepesch. That closed the book on Tepesch. Now it is 15-14 and just when you think it has to be over the 9th inning comes around and Nick Williams leads off with another home run to tie the game. Robinson Chirinos then doubles and is replaced by Adam Rosales on the basepaths. Brent Lillibridge then hits a sac fly to give the Rangers the lead and in the bottom of the inning Roman Mendez closes this crazy afternoon and evening of baseball. What a crazy last 4 innings. The Rangers do win. Often times this Spring they have made the comeback but some reliever will blow the game, this time they held on.

Some notable things from todays game.

– Michael Choice continues to rake. After two hits last night against Johnny Cueto he had two hits including a home run today against the A’s. He is getting very close in my mind to locking down that 4th outfield spot. His defense has been great, but his hitting has been a revelation. He is one of those Spring Training surprise stories. He has definitely earned his spot whether or not they give it to him.

-Nick Williams just WOW. 2 at-bats, 2 home runs, and 3 rbi’s It was his first cactus league game. Last season he was playing in the A-ball with Hickory and has no chance to make this team, I don’t even think he is on the 40 man roster. He is a guy who did make an impression on the team and coaching staff I am sure.

-Outside of Colby Lewis and Nick Tepesch the pitching was great. Those two guys combined to give up 13 runs. The bullpen combination of Rafael Perez, Miles Mickolas, Aaron Poreda, Shawn Tolleson, and Roman Mendez threw 4 2/3 innings and only gave up 2 runs. Those guys made it possible for the Rangers to come back. I don’t know whether any of these guys will make the team, I kind of doubt it. They did pitch well today though. Many of these guys will likely just be sent down to either Round Rock or Frisco this season.

Here are some quotes from the participants in today’s game.

First, Colby Lewis.

The outcome wasn’t very good but I felt like I threw some good pitches. I had a lot more action with my slider than I ever have, my changeup … everything felt sharp.

“If I don’t get outs, it’s not very fair for me to make the ballclub over other guys. Even when I was on the roster, I always felt I had to get outs and prove myself. Hopefully I’ll get a couple of more outings to prove myself.”

Nick Williams

It was awesome. It was my first time in a big league game. I’ve sat the bench but never got to play.”

Michael Choice

This spring has been great. I have been working hard in the cages and on my defense in the outfield and to see things go well in the game is a rewarding feeling.”

Countdown to Opening Day: 15 Days