Small ball.

Big ball.

Yesterday was a very good day for Carlos Gomez. And maybe an even bigger one for the Texas Rangers.

Gomez got things started off Felix Hernandez, and then finished things off for Felix Hernandez.

He showed the ability to beat you with small ball and with the long ball. The biggest of long balls, in fact.

If that is the Carlos Gomez the Rangers picked up in the Houston Astros discard bin, the Rangers deep offense just got a whole lot deeper.

Like, scary deeper.

It’s amazing how well a guy plays when he is happy. Gomez has repeatedly mentioned to everyone who asks about how fortunate he is to be here with the Texas Rangers. “When you are around Beltre every day,” Gomez told Emily Jones, “you feel like you want to play and enjoy yourself.”

The last couple of games that joy is starting to manifest itself at the plate.

After homering in his first Rangers at-bat, then proceeding to go 0-for-his-next-18, striking out ten times, it looked like Carlos Gomez was as advertised by every Houston Astros fan who despised him. He was Houston’s Tanner Scheppers.

But on Tuesday, he broke out of his slump by going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Then, yesterday, he broke the Seattle Mariner’s backs, and maybe their division hopes. In a scoreless game in the bottom of the third and the Rangers proud possessors of one lone hit, he lead off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on a bunt, then came home on a ground ball to the right side.

A run without the benefit of a hit.

Classic small ball.

The next inning, he came up with bases loaded and the Rangers clinging to a sliver of a 2-0 lead off Felix Hernandez.

Next thing you know, it’s 6-0.

Classic long ball.

Sweep.

The Rangers just finished going 6-1 against two teams they really needed to go 6-1 against—Central Division-leading Cleveland and West Division-hopeful Seattle.

Next it’s three with Houston, haters of Carlos Gomez.

*****
NO GAME TODAY.