Texas (16-22) Salvages Indians Series
/AL West Standings
1. Houston, 25-13 (+5.5)
2. Anaheim, 19-18 (-5.5)
3. Seattle 17-20 (-7.5)
4. Texas 16-22 (-9.0)
5. Oakland, 13-26 (-12.5)
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Nick Martinez (3-0, 1.88 ERA) wasn't at all sharp (5 IP/5 hits/5 BB), but of the 11 base runners he surrendered, only one managed to score. Mitch Moreland (.288/.364/.470) added his second homer of the year and a double, and Adrian Beltre and Prince Fielder each peppered in run-scoring hits to propel the Rangers to a 5-1 win.
Heading into Sunday's 0-3 performance, Shin-Soo Choo had been hitting .362/.400/.725 (202 wRC+) since May 1st. Not totally unlike his monster early-season production in 2014, this is more like the hitter Jon Daniels thought he was getting last offseason. It won't last forever, but it's nice to know it's still there.
The Rangers are 9-8 in May, with a -2 run differential, so they're roughly what they should be. The club has scored 80 runs thus far in the month -- 4.71 per game -- and allowed 82, the most in MLB. Along with the aforementioned Choo, and the consistent Prince Fielder, Adrian Beltre's emergence has lately done wonders in providing Texas with a lineup that doesn't look too shabby at the moment.