The Texas Rangers took 2 out of 3 games against the Baltimore Orioles to finish off their six game road trip. Here are the takeaways from that series.
Cole Winn is the Rangers most important pitcher
Winn has been a big piece for the Rangers since he moved to the bullpen. Last year, he posted a 1.51 ERA in 41 and 2/3 innings with 35 strikeouts and 17 walks. He found his niche for the team and contributed in a big way.
He was even more impressive this year as he has been the arm that the Rangers have turned to in high leverage situations. He has worked out of the bases loaded jams twice and a runner on second only allowed one run to score.
In the three innings that he has pitched this year, he only allowed 1 hit with 2 walks and struck out 3. He would potentially step into the closer role, but he is also a very good option at being the fireman for the Rangers.
Brandon Nimmo has added a spark to the lineup
Nimmo has gotten off to a great start for the Rangers. He has slashed .360/.429/.949 with 1 home run, 4 RBIs, and a stolen base through 6 games.
He has been a great leadoff guy for them and has gotten on base to give Langford and Seager opportunities to drive guys in. He went 5 for 13 in the Baltimore series proving that his hot series against Philadelphia is more than a fluke.
He has shown the ability to be a everyday presence hitting well against lefties as he notched a double off tricky left-hander Tyler Rogers. It seems like the Rangers are big winners in the trade as Semien has struggled with the Mets only slashing .100/.240/.390 with no home runs and two RBIs.
Nimmo is becoming a fan favorite and if he can keep this up, then he could help this lineup unlock its potential.
Chris Martin should not be pitching big innings
Chris Martin closed games last year and got to chance to close games earlier this year. He has struggled in that role blowing a save against the Phillies in the second game. He allowed Adolis Garcia to double and Brandon Marsh to single off him to tie the game.
He would get to pitch in a lower leverage situation with a 8-3 lead in the ninth inning against the Orioles. He would put two runners on with a single and a hit by pitch. He buckled up getting the next two outs, but was unable to escape without giving up damage.
He allowed Taylor Ward to double and bring in the two runners. He got out of the inning safely by getting Gunnar Henderson to ground out. It didn’t mean anything in the long term, but this is showing that Martin can’t be trusted in big situations.
He could still be a guy in the sixth or seventh inning, but I don’t trust him to close or in big situations.
