Texas Braved The Elements!

photos by Willie Martin "Mr Will"

It has been a while to be privy to a team and a season that has been so dismal and brutal as we have seen in 2014 with the kids over at Globe Life Park.

Thankfully Friday night felt alot like the 2010-2011 era at Globe Life Park in Arlington Texas.

Looking ahead to 2015 there will be the return of one man who will easily qualify as #1 or #2. His name is Derek Holland.

On a night better suited for football or sitting by a fireplace the Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves entertained a crowd of 27,547 fans to a pitchers duel. In so doing Texas made a little bit of history.

If it seems rather rare that for a third straight start Derek Holland went a solid seven innings without allowing a walk you would be correct. In fact that little trivial tidbit is so rare you have to go back to 1979 for the last time a Ranger hurler did that.

That pitcher you might have of. Ferguson Jenkins last did the trick in 1978. 

What began as a duel between Drerek Holland and Alex Wood went to the bullpens of the Braves and Rangers. It was in the 8th inning that a 1-1 tie was broken when three straight singles by Adrian Beltre, Ryan Rua, and Robinson Chirinos brought home a game winner for a 2-1 victory.

"We were having some pretty good at-bats," Chirinos said. "I just wanted to get a good pitch to hit and hit a line drive. It's good to be back. Thank God I had a chance to win the game."

Big Phil Klein got his first Major League Win with some relief in the 8th inning.

"It was fun. The crowd was really into it," Klein said. "I just tried to make my pitches and get out of the jam. Derek threw a great game, I wanted to see if I could get us out of it, have us score and turn it over to Neftali."

Neftali Feliz closed out the game with his 9th save and a perfect 9th.

Tim Bogar was all smiles after the game with no concerns about Derek Holland whatsoever. 

"He just got more intensity," Rangers manager Tim Bogar said. "He realized right there that he had to make pitches. That just shows how Derek goes after things every day. We weren't probably going to score a lot of runs off Braves starter Alex Wood and he stepped up and did what he had to do."

Much the like sea of 49ers fans who were in Arlington last week the Braves Nation packed the visitors side of Globe Life Park. Look for more of the same as this weekend series continues through Sunday.

Great to see a win and watch the fans go home happy.

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will