The Rangers are 31-28

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Are we ready for the Orioles series to be over yet?

  • Another game against the Orioles that was probably closer than you’d like it to be, this one going twelve innings to decide the outcome.

  • Mike Minor went 5.2 innings today, and realistically, he pitched well enough to go deeper into this game. While he didn’t allow any runs, he had some trouble getting into the 6th inning, much of it due to the Orioles having a BABIP of .438 on him. He struck out seven Orioles, five of them coming in the first two innings. He added two walks and hit two batters, but overall, he looked better than he had — at least to me — than his previous two starts.

  • The main issue for Texas tonight was the offense only having four hitters notch hits in the game. Only three players — Delino DeShields, Elvis Andrus, and Asdrubal Cabrera — had hits prior to extra innings.

  • That’s why I can’t fault Shawn Kelley too much for giving up the game-tying home run in the top of the 9th inning. The Rangers had only scored a single run all night against the worst team in baseball, and it felt somewhat fitting, not to mention Kelley has actually been pretty good.

  • I’ve been pretty critical of Rougned Odor this season, and it was questionable, at best, to pinch-hit him in the bottom of the 12th inning against a lefty. However, the guy he pinch-hit for in Jeff Mathis is a testament to just how awful Mathis has been on the season. Signed for his defense, Mathis has been only average in that area, while posting a wRC+ of 4 after tonight. 96% worse than a replacement-level player at the plate. I get that the Rangers want him to work with the pitching staff and perhaps even Kiner-Falefa, but it’s difficult to justify at this point.

  • But hey, a good game for Delino DeShields!