Robinson Chirinos made the most of an infrequent start by hitting a home run to straight-away center in the bottom of the sixth, the only offense the Rangers could muster.

So, was it a good game for Colby or a bad game?

He was the losing pitcher. And he did allow the game-changing three-run homer in the four-run third inning.

But all four of those runs were unearned.

But they counted.

Funny thing about unearned runs is, they are not invisible runs. They are not practice runs. They are not unofficial runs.

They are runs.

Only two people care about unearned runs. A pitcher’s parents and his agent.

Those runs were certainly earned to Corey Dickerson, who hit the three-run home run. He feels he earned them. It wasn’t a three-unearned-run homer. He didn’t pick up three URBIs.

The point is, errors happen. It’s limiting the damage after the error that determines whether a pitcher had a good game or a bad game.

Tampa Bay’s Bobby Wilson led off the third with a single off Lewis. Logan Forsythe struck out. Kevin Kiermaier hit a sharp line drive to Rougned Odor who botched it. He tried to get the double play before he had the ball. You can’t assume a double play, but he should have gotten one out on it.

That would have been two outs.

Evan Longoria grounded out, which should have ended the inning.

But it didn’t.

Lewis shouldn’t have walked Brad Miller. And he shouldn’t have served up a gopher ball to Dickerson.

But he did.

So, in the end, four unearned runs. But four deserved runs.

Overall, five hits, a walk, three strikeouts, one home run in 6.1 innings.

Good. Not great.

Unearned runs count in the post-season. Often a lot more.

*****
TODAY’S GAME:

Chase Whitley (0-0, 1.74) vs. Martin Perez (10-11, 4.37)
Game time: 2:05

How the Rays hit against Perez.
How the Rangers hit against Whitley.