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The Rangers rejiggered their starting rotation to put Yu Darvish third, and Matt Harrison fourth.   It was explained as a way to keep Darvish on the same number of days rest.  I think it’s more to break up the two lefties in the rotation.  Still, no matter what the reason, Yu Darvish took the mound in game one of the Tigers series that started on Thursday night in Detroit.

He’s still walking too many people, but he pitched more like the guy we thought we’d be seeing.  His line was 6.1 innings pitched, two hits, one run allowed, five walks, and five strikeouts.  Not liking all the walks, but the two hits was a big improvement.   He had an excessive number of pitches for 6.1 innings as well (121).  A lot has been made that he’s thrown more pitches in a game a lot over in Japan, but I’m not buying it.  He’s throwing too many pitches.  Walks need to come down.   Still, he got the job done, and that was the bottom line.  I couldn’t see him pitch, this was a radio game for me, but it sounds like he was pitching much better than before.  He’s also 2-0, so this is good.   He’s definitely getting better with each start. [Read more…]

I have to say, after the first inning of this game, I was concerned.  We were in Boston, and we went down 2-0 to the Red Sox in the first inning, when Colby Lewis looked rather pedestrian.   The bottom of the first started with single, home run, single.  Then Colby kept it together, even after allowing another double.  Those two runs in the first three batters were all he allowed on his ledger.   After the first, Colby scattered four hits from innings 2 through 7.  He never walked anyone, and struck out seven; throwing a total of 107 pitches in seven innings.  Right on target.  Despite the way the game started, it was a rather well pitched game for Colby.  The kind of thing that gets forgotten about when your offense has twenty one hits and eighteen runs! [Read more…]

Yu Darvish takes the hill for his second start of the season, and his first on the road.  His first inning in this game was lightyears better than his first inning in his first game.    In his first game he threw 40+ pitches, faced 10 batters, and gave up four runs.  This game wasn’t anything like that.  His first inning he had a ground out, a fly out, a single, and a strike out.  That was it.   In fact, the first run he gave up wasn’t even his fault; it was unearned.

But, he was still a bit shaky.  Overall, his line was 5.2IP, 9H, 4BB, 2R, 1ER, and four strikeouts (102 pitches).  Not dominating by any stretch, but he was definitely dancing the tightrope. There were many times when it looked (yeah, I could see this one!) like he was going to fall off the wagon, and he didn’t.  One earned run in 5.2 innings isn’t that bad at all.  If this was a rookie (a real one, not one of these fake rookies that have years in Japanese ball) making his first starts, I’d probably be excited at the line.  But with the expectations (not to mention the paycheck), one expects more of Yu Darvish.  In the end, I expect he’ll be worth it, but right now, he’s still getting his feet wet, so to speak.   I would love for him to go out there, throw 8+ innings on 75-80 pitches, walk one, strike out 15 or so, and allow no runs on just two hits.  I think that’s the kind of line that will satiate some fans, nothing else would matter. [Read more…]

Holland goes 7.1, allowing just two runs, getting the win.

Michael Young gets a home run.

Ian Kinsler & Michael Young both get three hits.

Two doubles, by Torrealba & Kinsler.

Kinsler also stole his first base of the season.  As did Adrian Beltre.

Rangers are 5-2 and in first place.  Nice way to finish up the last game of the first homestand.

For awhile, I thought we were going to get two straight games that were 1-0 wins.  This game started out that way after the first run was plated in inning one by a Hamilton double and a Michael Young single.   It stayed that way for quite some time.   Colby Lewis was dealing – went 6.2 innings of shutout ball.  The Rangers were up 1-0 the entire time he was on the hill.  It wasn’t until the bottom of the seventh when some more runs scored.

The Mariners had pulled their starter (more on him later), and was replaced by Steve Delabar.  Who appeared to get the job done, and then hung one to Ian Kinsler who whalloped it over the left field wall to put us up 2-0.   What’s more surprising about this was the next at bat.  Was Elvis Andrus, who was battling until he too hit a home run to left center.  A home run for Elvis is not exactly a common occurrence.   This put us up 3-0 after seven.  Feeling good. [Read more…]

1-0 wins don’t happen very often at Rangers Ballpark.  There was some dialogue during the game about how infrequent it was.  I know the 2012 edition of the Rangers is supposed to be all about the pitching, but even with that, one doesn’t expect 1-0 games at Rangers ballpark.  That just doesn’t happen.  But it did.  The starter that I had the least confidence in going into this season took the hill; Neftali Feliz.   After what could kindly be called a rocky spring training for him, he went out there and pitched like I hoped he would, but didn’t actually expect would happen. [Read more…]