As the owner of the best postseason start in Rangers franchise history for his outing in the 2011 World Series, Derek Holland had to have expected better in the 2015 ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays.
But he forgot, he was facing the Blue Jays.
The result? Six runs in two innings of work with three home runs allowed — all of that after Holland jokingly wiped his butt with a Jays rally towel for all the world to see days earlier.
While the stakes weren't as high on Thursday in the series finale of a four-game set in Toronto, Holland only got worse.
The lefty threw 75 pitches and couldn't even get out of the third inning while allowing an eye-popping 11 runs (all earned) on 11 hits with three walks and no strikeouts.
"Nothing was happening for me," Holland told reporters after the game, which was Texas' third straight loss. "I didn't execute, didn't hit my spots. I left balls over the middle. And it just continued to ball up. All in all, just a terrible performance."
That pretty much sums it up. It's not the first time Holland has been rocked, and he'd been pitching pretty well leading up to it, but you hope he can figure out whatever issue ailed him before his next start against the White Sox, which happen to be the best team in the American League.
