Encouraging. In his first start of the season, Andrew Cashner pitched five scoreless innings until running out of gas, and luck, in the sixth, allowing four runs, three earned.

This is pretty much the perfect blueprint of how to go 4-7.

Yes, the Rangers have gotten really good offense. But you can’t count on that night in and night out. And when the offense doesn’t show up, you have to be solid everywhere else.

The office hasn’t shown up in Seattle. And the Rangers have been anything but solid everywhere else.

What had been the highest scoring team in baseball has scored just one run in two games in Seattle.

While the rotation has been strong, the bullpen has been disastrous. The defense has been sloppy. Outfielders seem to have forgotten how and where to throw a ball. Baserunning has been foolish. And for some odd reason, Carlos Gomez attempted a bunt with a runner at third and two outs, and he popped it up badly.

This team spent six weeks in spring training apparently doing nothing.

What happened to fundamentals? What happened to execution? What happened to coaching?

Yes, Dyson blew three wins, and their record could legitimately be 7-4, but there are all sorts of troubling weather patterns developing over this team.

Somebody needs to teach them how to play baseball.

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Cole Hamels (0-0, 2.77) vs. Hisashi Iwakuma (0-1, 2.25)
Game time: 3:10

How the Rangers hit against Iwakuma.
How the Mariners hit against Hamels.