Rangers' Pitching Solid in 3-2 Win Over Indians
The Texas Rangers defeated the Cleveland Indians on Monday, led by a solid performance from the pitching staff. The Rangers are now 6-4 in the Cactus League, having won their past three games.
The Rangers pitching is going to have to be the strength of the club if they want to have a legitimate chance to compete for a playoff spot. Naturally, a lot of eyes are going to the Rangers hurlers to get an idea of how much we all want to buy into the hype of a revamped pitching staff.
Here's what stood out in today's victory.
Kyle Gibson Impresses in Rangers Debut
Kyle Gibson, one of the Rangers three new starters for 2020, made his spring debut today and didn't disappoint.
Gibson went two innings, allowing one hit, no runs, one walk, and struck out one. He had good command of his pitches are was efficient in his first start. The biggest issue with Gibson coming into spring training wasn't how well he would perform, but how healthy he truly was.
Gibson battled with E. Coli and ulcerative colitis last year, losing a significant amount of weight in the process. The Rangers were attractive to Gibson this offseason, one of the main reasons being the talks he had with the team nutritionist.
Gibson says he's felt much better and been able to put weight back on, but the Rangers still planned to handle Gibson with some caution from the outset of spring training. So far, everything has gone well, including today's start. It's a great sign for the Rangers pitching depth and their investment in the rotation.
Kolby Allard Provides An Eye-Opening Three Innings
Kolby Allard, another Rangers starter, took the mound today and had a very noteworthy performance.
Allard pitched three innings, allowing four hits, two runs (none earned), one walk, and struck out five batters. Allard forced opposing hitters to ground into two double plays, which plays into the kind of pitcher Allard can be at the Major League level. Coupled with five strikeouts, and you've got a recipe for a strong outing.
In Allard's first inning, he gave up a double and a single, but escaped undamaged with a strikeout and a double play. He faced the minimum in his second inning of work, forcing Roberto Perez into a double play after walking Franmil Reyes, then struck out Mike Freeman looking. His final inning started with two strikeouts, but then a Sherten Apostel error sparked a two-out rally. Allard gave up hits to Delino Deshields and Jake Bauers, but then struck out Jordan Luplow to stop the bleeding.
Allard will more than likely be the first one called if any of the Rangers' starting five go down with an injury. He had some solid performances last season after coming over in a trade from Atlanta and is showing he's still capable of pitching at the Major League level.
Robinson Chirinos' Hamstring Looks Okay
Rangers fans have been anticipating the return of Robinson Chirinos since he reunited with the club after a one-year stint in Houston. A tweaked hamstring in January sidelined Chirinos a little bit, giving the Rangers an opportunity to take it slow with their starting catcher.
Chirinos made his way into the lineup today for the first time this spring as the Rangers DH and showed one of the reasons why the Rangers wanted to bring him back. He went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI single in the 4th inning.
Chirinos' capability with the bat is a valuable piece to a Rangers' offense that was abysmal offensively in 2019. The Rangers can still take their time with Chirinos with still three weeks of spring training games remaining. But it was great to see Chirinos finally get into a game and make an impact immediately.
The Rangers travel to Scottsdale, Arizona on Tuesday to take on the San Francisco Giants. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 PM CT.
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