G100: Derek Holland masterful; Rangers win 7-1

In the top of the ninth inning, this happened, and I don’t think any Rangers fan really wanted to see it..

Derek Holland had done a lot to get to that point. In the ninth inning when this happened, he had allowed just two hits, and no runs. He walked just one batter, and STRUCK OUT TEN! He was seriously impressive, and on a night when there was mucho talk about him being put in a package to send to Toronto for Roy Halladay… I’ll wager he kept himself a Ranger by pitching that way. If he was just “eh”, he likely would have been moved. That’s just a gut feeling. I’m writing this actually at 5:15PM on Jul 31st, and the trade deadline has passed now. But Derek Holland was pitching like Roy Halladay on Thursday night. He was just lights out. That Warner Madrigal allowed a run to score is a crime. That should have been a complete game shutout. I wished Holland was allowed to stay in there. Oh well, he didn’t. But that’s the story of the game. Derek Holland – WOW. Three hits by the Mariners in all. Very impressive.

It overshadowed the fact that there was a major power output by the Rangers, and the fact that our pitching got more talk than the home runs. Something else unusual for Texas. We had five home runs. Blalock. Salty, Byrd, and two by Michael Young, who has become a power machine in the last week or so. Young is on quite a tear, he had three hits again, which I believe is three or four in the last week. Impressive numbers. Nelson Cruz also had two doubles, so we had a lot going on with the bats. But it is quite an accomplishment when our starting pitcher’s performance overshadowed what is the standard Rangers story of power.

Also, and I can’t resist. When I first saw the M’s reliever Chris Jakubauskas, I admit to a childish response. I looked quickly and thought it said Jackass. Sorry about that.