Don't Look Now, But the Texas Rangers are Pitching Well Enough to be Winners

While you have been drowning your Mavericks sorrows, engaging in mosh-pit violence out at Edgefest 20 or keeping an eye on Dez Bryant's wacko mom, the Texas Rangers have started doing something very strange. Pitching. Well. Don't look now but the Rangers are now the first-place Rangers. During their four-game...

By Richie Whitt

May 4, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

While you have been drowning your Mavericks sorrows, engaging in mosh-pit violence out at Edgefest 20 or keeping an eye on Dez Bryant's wacko mom, the Texas Rangers have started doing something very strange.

Pitching. Well.

Don't look now but the Rangers are now the first-place Rangers. During their four-game winning streak they've allowed only 6 runs in 40 innings. That, my friends, is winning baseball.

Ace Rich Harden made it through 7 innings in last night's 4-2 victory in Oakland. Colby Lewis threw 9 scoreless last weekend in Seattle. C.J. Wilson has been superb. And now closer Neftali Feliz has proven he can pitch effectively on consecutive days.

In other words, Mike Maddux is a stinkin' genius.

With the Mavs kaput and the Cowboys idling until training camp, let's keep a detailed eye on the Rangers. They don't hit much and their ownership sale is on the rocks, but if they pitch like this they'll continue to hover around the top of the American League West.

KEEP THE OBSERVER FREE... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.