How you get shut down by Gio Gonzalez and then light up John Lackey I'll never know, but your Texas Rangers deflected the dirt from their coffin in Anaheim this weekend. I still don't think they'll catch the Angels or make the playoffs, but taking two of three in California keeps baseball relevant past mid-August.
For the year before the year, it's an amazing season.
Derek Holland was devastating in yesterday's complete-game, 7-0 shutout win. His fastball had life and accuracy. His curve made even Vlad Guerrero look silly. In two of his last three starts he's made us all very happy the Rangers didn't give him up in a deal for Roy Halladay, eh?
Two wins over the Angels is trumped by only thing ...
The loss of Vicente Padilla.
If there's anything that says baseball is now a serious undertaking in Arlington, it's the organizational decision to finally cut bait with this loser. Kudos.