Game of the Week: June 26: TEX @ CLE

[Commissioner Erick]

Texas Rangers (31-44) @ Cleveland Indians (43-33)

TEX: Yu Darvish (4-3, 3.72)
CLE: Martin Perez (3-6, 4.13)


The Texas Rangers made a host of moves in the offseason to gear up for a potential playoff run. At 31-44, last place in the AL West, they're now making a host of moves for the future.

Today's Game of the Week features two teams going in different directions as the Texas Rangers face off against the Cleveland Indians. You can tell by their trade last week where Cleveland received Delino Deshields Jr., Martin Perez, and Brandon Kintzler in return for a host of prospects, including Francisco Mejia.

For a Texas team that emptied out the farm in an attempt to contend this year, it's a way to restock the system. The Rangers' had a deep farm at the beginning of the year and now have to trade some of their acquisitions to return to that level. As a result, Jonathan Lucroy, Joaquin Benoit, Wil Myers, and the above players have been traded away, even though Benoit, Myers, and Kintzler were acquired this year.

Texas should have had a hint it was in trouble when they got swept in a three game set at home by Cleveland to start the year. The Indians started off hot and are in first place in the AL Central.

Cleveland has done it by building a team with great pitching, that gets on base, and that hits home runs. Their 437 runs scored tops the league, and Corey Kluber is an AL Cy Young candidate. With Carlos Carrasco out for most of the year, and a bullpen surprisingly ineffective, Cleveland made their deal with Texas to get a speed and defense player who can allow Bradley Zimmer to develop; a starter who can take over a spot vacated by Carrasco and Josh Tomlin; and a strong relief pitcher who can stabilize a surprisingly shaky pen.

That should shore up some of the few weaknesses on an otherwise potent team. Carlos Santana and Giancarlo Stanton have been terrifying middle-order mashers. They’ve combined for 45 home runs and 118 RBI’s. Stanton leads the league in home runs, while Santana only trails Jose Altuve for highest OPS.

Questions for the GM’s:

For Clayton Piper, you made a big trade with Cleveland, sending away a trio of talented players. What was the thought process behind who you dealt and who you brought in?

Adrian Beltre is up there in age and his performance is declining. If you’re playing for the future, do you deal him away?

Paul Goldschmidt is on pace for roughly 40 home runs, 110 RBI’s, and 15 steals, yet has a .235 average. Assess his performance thus far.

For David Springgay, you acquired Brandon Kintzler, Martin Perez, and Delino DeShields Jr. Discuss the specifics of how that deal got made?

Your bullpen has been surprisingly ineffective. What has gone wrong?

You have a new organization playing games this week, the Blaineville Hellhounds in the Canadian Rookie League. How excited are you to have them finally getting games underway?

[friscoranger]

My thought process was even though I’m parting with some pretty solid MLB talent I got a pretty good return in prospects. I mean Mejia is one of the game’s best prospects and in my opinion one of the best, if not the best catching prospect. Juan Hillman is a former 2nd rounder and only 19 and we believe he has some very good tools to be a formidable MLB pitcher eventually. Thomas Pannone is a solid pitcher who we hope is not too far away from making the show and helping the Rangers win some games, plus he is only 22. Also we have very strong faith in Nolan Jones. He is only a year removed from being a 2nd round pick and he had the tools to go in the first round but only went in 2nd because teams were worried he was going to choose playing college ball over starting his pro career.



If the deal for Beltre is right we would do it. He is still a great defensive 3rd baseman despite his age and we still believe he has a good bat. He started off slow but has been a lot better than what he was earlier in the year. He is also a future HOF in my opinion because of the great numbers he put up in the MLB before it changed to the PBA.



We still believe Goldy is one of if not the best 1B in the PBA. Even though he is having what many consider a "down year" he is still on pace for 40 homers and 110 RBI's. So I believe that is a hell of a down year. Also he has the entire second half of the season to boost that average up. So all in all we here in the great state of Texas believe Goldy is still a bad ass.

[indiansgm]

The deal for the Ranger trio came together very quickly. I was looking for an upgrade at CF to allow Zim and Tyler to develop. Delino is a great high energy player that can step in and contribute now and going forward along with adding a guy like Kintzler to solidify the backend of our pen. With guys like Kluber Carrasco when healthy Danny and now Perez in the rotation eating up innings and Kintzler Miller and Allen at the back we are in great shape with the high powered offence we will be hard to stop

The ineffectiveness of the bullpen was a mystery highly unexpected however it was clear Shaw, Mcallister, logan and otero were not holding up their end and we couldnt wait and hope they turned it around I made the necessary moves reconfigured our pen and we will be in good shape moving forward

As a canadian its exciting to get the Hellhounds season going. We have a lot of young guys looking to prove themselves and this is another opportunity for them

[Commissioner Erick]

Rangers 5 Indians 0


WP: Y. Darvish (5-3)
LP: D. Salazar (5-7)


The Texas Rangers have traded away a lot of good players this past month.

They didn't trade Yu Darvish though.

Darvish pitched a masterful game, striking out eight and walking only one in a four-hit shutout over the Cleveland Indians Monday night. Jurrickson Profrar supplied three hits, including a home run to support Darvish in a 5-0 win.

Darvish set the tone in the first inning. He struck out the former Ranger Delino Deshields Jr. to start the game. After Francisco Lindor lined out, Darvish struck out Giancarlo Stanton, one of the most ferocious hitters in baseball, to complete a dominant opening inning.

Meanwhile, due to trades and roster moves, Cleveland didn't have a rested starter for the game. A few believed Martin Perez would slot in on short rest, but with being traded, Cleveland gave him time to rest up. The Indians instead went with Danny Salazar ahead of schedule and he didn't look crisp.

He gave up a rocket of a double to Adrian Beltre with one out in the first, then walked the bases loaded before retiring Robinson Chirinos on a deep fly ball. In the second, Profar singled, stole second and advanced to third on an error, before a Mike Napoli ground ball manufactured a run.

It was more of the same in the third. Beltre again doubled, and moved to third on a Rougned Odor ground out. Paul Goldschmidt hit a deep fly ball and the Rangers manufactured yet another run. In the fourth, Robinson Chirinos was hit by a pitch, followed by a Profar single. Salazar got two outs, but Billy Hamilton singled on an 0-2 count and that was it for Salazar. He left working 3.2 innings, allowing five hits and three runs, two earned.

Meanwhile, Darvish was dealing. He had some situations where he had to get out of a jam, but was up to the challenge every time.

He gave up a leadoff double to Carlos Santana in the second, but stranded him, retiring nine in a row in the process. In the fifth, Edwin Encarnacion started things off with a single, moving to second when Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch. Darvish struck out Eduardo Nunez, and got Yan Gomes to fly out. Lonnie Chisenhall walked on a close 3-2 pitch to load the bases, but in the most important at bat for Texas, DeShields grounded out to leave the bases loaded.


Questions for the GM's:


For Clayton Piper, Jurrickson Profar has been playing well, albeit under the radar. Has your opinion of him changed at all this season?

Yu Darvish pitched spectacularly, though there's been a bit of a scandal involving his contract not being legal. Do you feel ashamed of the situation?

You got swept at home by Cleveland to start the season, really setting the pace of a dismal season. How does it feel to go to their place and shut them down?

For David Springgay, you had several options to pitch today and went with a slightly fatigued Salazar. Why did you choose him over other, admittedly also suboptimal, options.

What do you think of Yan Gomes' nickname of "Obi Yan?"

You batted Delino Deshields' Jr. leadoff against Darvish and he looked overmatched, with an 0-4 with two strikeout performance. His average is down to .229. Are you going to continue to bat him leadoff?

[friscoranger]

For Clayton Piper, Jurrickson Profar has been playing well, albeit under the radar. Has your opinion of him changed at all this season?

    I have been confident in Profar since the beginning of the year. I mean there was a reason he used to be the #1 prospect. But yea i agree i feel like his play has been very much under the radar and we here in Texas are loving it. He has been one of the bright spots of this lost season.


Yu Darvish pitched spectacularly, though there's been a bit of a scandal involving his contract not being legal. Do you feel ashamed of the situation?

    Yes Yu pitched spectacular. We as a front office are not pleased with this news but know we are at fault. Might have to fire the accountant for missing this!!

You got swept at home by Cleveland to start the season, really setting the pace of a dismal season. How does it feel to go to their place and shut them down?

    Feels Great!
All though we were hoping to tank for top ten pick so wins don't really help that case. But at least it's against the Indians who set the pace for are crappy season by sweeping us at the beginning of the year. And honestly we didn't really recover from it till the past week. First week we have had a winning record.