Cardinals center fielder Randal Grichuk watches Rougned Odor’s hit to lead off the fifth become a home run, which would be the only run of the game.

Coming out of spring training, Rangers fans could not wait to get Yu Darvish back from Tommy John surgery so he could team up with Cole Hamels to give Texas a pair of aces at the top of the rotation.

But things haven’t work out that way.

Darvish did come back. Then just as quickly, he was lost again.

But all was not lost.

Because what was lost in translation was the fact that the Rangers do, indeed, have a pair of aces at the top of their rotation: Cole Hamels and Colby Lewis.

Maybe it’s even Colby Lewis and Cole Hamels, 1a and 1b.

They are a combined 13-1 this season with an ERA of 2.89. Cole Hamels has nine quality starts out of fourteen this season for his 7-1 record, Colby Lewis has twelve of fourteen for his 6-0.

That’s a Rougned Odor-like one-two punch with impact.

All Cole Hamels did last night was followed up Colby Lewis’s dominating two-hit complete game win against Oakland on Thursday with a seven-and-two-thirds three-hit shutout masterpiece of his own against St. Louis.

That’s one run and five hits the Rangers two-headed monster has allowed in two games.

Hamels had to be this good because Cardinals’ Michael Wacha was almost as good, giving up just one home run to Rougned Odor.

Since being swept in Oakland May 16, 17 and 18, the Rangers are 21-6. That’s .778 baseball. Over a 162-game season, that would be 125 wins.

Yeah, you could say the Rangers are dealing.

And it starts with the two aces in the hole.

Hey, and it was against the Cards.

Wow, some puns just write themselves.

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Nick Martinez (1-1, 3.38) vs. Carlos Martinez (7-5, 3.46)
Game time: 3:15 pm

How the Rangers hit against Carlos Martinez.
How the Cardinals hit against Nick Martinez.