Double dipping

Tommy Hunter: Making Crimson Tide fans proud since 2008

From 4-7 p.m., it looked really hard. 

From 7:30-10 p.m., it looked incredibly easy. 

Either way, the Texas Rangers took it to the Oakland Athletics letting the Metroplex and baseball nation that the rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. 

Memorial Day could've been cataclysmic. It couldn't been the beginning of the end to this crazy ride the Rangers have taken us on. 

Sometimes, all you need is the Oakland Athletics. 

The Rangers sweep a doubleheader today 6-3 in the first game and 5-2 in the second. Nice, normal baseball scores that indicate that the opposing pitcher was going to have to be pretty special if they were going to win the game. The Rangers eked out enough offense for the two wins. 

Suddenly, the Rangers are 30-19 and 12-2 within their division for a nice 4.5-game lead (could be five the Angels lose tonight). 

These losses and the games Saturday and Sunday could also bury the A's. Yes, the vaunted A's that some had winning the stinkin' division are now 11 games under .500 and 11 games behind the Rangers. Good stuff. 

Notes: 

1. The Rangers have gotten really good starts all year. Tommy Hunter's afternoon start was no different. Hunter looked incredibly hittable and wild last year. More of the same in this start, but the difference was that he pitched smarter by changing speeds, location and pitches. Overall, it was a rough day for the big guy but he got you into the sixth inning allowing the very minimal of scoring. However, he did get incredibly lucky that no balls were carrying because I counted six times a Rangers outfielder corralled an A's flyball on the warning track (11 fly ball outs were recorded by Hunter). 

2. Ditto for Scott Feldman except he looked really, really good. Not the sharpest, but really good. The quality start results in a 4-0 start. Feldman labored some with the walks, but generally got out after out. 

3. Did you know that Feldman's allowed just five home runs in more than 48 innings? 

4. My buddy texted me from the nightcap and asked when Chris Davis was being sent to Oklahoma City. I felt he had some good at-bats, but something's got to be done. Depending on the next two games, it could be Monday or they'll give him another week. 

5. Rangers relief: 6.2 IP - 2 hits - 0 ER - 4 walks - 5 strikeouts. 

6. C.J. Wilson lowered his ERA to 3.05. He hasn't allowed an earned run in 10 games whilst compiling five saves, two holds and two wins. At times, it's scary, but I feel he's turned some kind of corner. 

7. Nelson Cruz is helping us forget Francisco Cordero. 

8. While Ian Kinsler "struggles," he's working the count and getting on base. Three walks today and his BB/K ratio is at a nice 23-28. 

9. Where is this team without Omar Vizquel, Darren O'Day and Andruw Jones: Three Jon Daniels pick ups largely ignored by 99 percent of Rangers fandom?