The Rangers are 20-19

Colby Lewis struck out a season-high 8 over 5.2 innings on Monday night in Houston, and the Rangers defeated the Astros 4-0. It's Texas's major league-leading 9th shutout in 2014, three more than the next highest figure in baseball. 

Adrian Beltre started the scoring in the 3rd by launching a two-run homer into the Crawford Boxes -- his 3rd HR of the season -- making the score 2-0. An inning later, rookie Rougned Odor tacked on the club's third run with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Mitch Moreland. 

In the 6th inning, Odor hit a mammoth 1st career HR into the upper deck in right field -- a solo shot -- and at 4-0 the score didn't change from there.

It felt like Colby Lewis was on the brink of utter disaster at a few points on Monday; in 5.2 innings he allowed 7 hits and 2 walks and was constantly working deep counts in high-leverage at bats. But, by virtue of recording 8 strikeouts, his start tonight was tangible proof that not all outs are created equally. Punch outs are continuing to rule baseball's landscape, and it's no surprise that Cobra's best start of 2014 was also the game he utilized his best pitch -- the slider -- to induce his highest strikeout total since June 17th, 2012 against the Rockies. He struck out 10 that night. 

Houston starter, Brad Peacock, K'd 11 Rangers over 6.0 innings of work, and the two teams combined on 29 strikeouts of a possible 54 outs (53.7%). 

Tomorrow Matt Harrison squares off against Dallas Keuchel.