Three noteworthy things happened last night.
One, the Rangers had their biggest inning of the year, seven runs in the second.
Two, the Rangers bullpen didn’t give it back.
Three, Adrian Sampson got his first major league win in a training wheel start. Unable to get a win the conventional way when he starts a game, the Rangers let Jose Leclerc start it for him. Sampson did the job he had to do, though, and after sixteen major league appearances, he comes away with a W.
Rougned Odor seems to have it figured out. It might be too early to call his slump over, but he has four hits in his last two games, over nine at-bats. Three of them home runs. Last night’s three-run blast in that seven-run second was the death knell for the Cardinals.
The second inning went like this: Double, hit batter, single, home run, strikeout, single, home run, double, single, single, strikeout, walk, runner tagged out at home trying to advance on a wild pitch.
It was an amazing inning. It was a good night.
*****
TODAY’S GAME:
Dakota Hudson (2-3, 4.61) vs. Ariel Jurado (1-1, 1.50)
Game time: 3:05