The extended look at Yohander Mendez in the Rangers rotation got off to a rather inauspicious
start.

It’s said that everyone has a doppelganger, an exact double living somewhere on this planet that looks and acts just like they do.

One rarely sees his own doppelganger in person. So imagine the shock Matt Moore got last night when his exact identical pitching double appeared before him, on his very own team, on the mound, in his very own ballpark.

His name is Yohander Mendez and, like his twin stanger Matt Moore, he is very hittable.

The game started well for Mendez. He got out of the first giving up only a walk.

When he came back out on the mound for the second, he had been gifted with a 5-0 lead. Then he tapped into his inner Matt Moore.

Home run. Single. Out. Out. Single. Single. Single. Double. Single. By the time the last batter grounded out. The lead evaporated and the Rangers were looking at a 6-5 deficit, looking at a starter with an ERA of 14.73, and looking at a guy who was no better than the guy he was supposed to replace.

But this is what the rest of 2018 is going to look like. Seeing if there is anyone even remotely competent to run out there every fifth day once Cole Hamels is dealt.

Ironically, the first person out of the bullpen to clean up this mess was Matt Moore. He allowed only one run in his three innings of work. That was considered a major success.

But the damage was already done. And the Rangers bats were finished for the night anyway.

When it was all over, those five first-inning runs were all they were going to get. And the Rangers walked off to their seventh consecutive loss.

It’s difficult to overcome one Matt Moore in a rotation. Overcoming two is impossible.

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Kyle Freeland (6-6, 3.68) vs. Mike Minor (4-4, 5,65)
Game time: 3:05

How the Rockies hit against Minor.
The Rangers have never faced Freeland.