Turn back the clock a couple of weeks to Sept. 9, and you'll remember the Rangers were facing an unheralded left-hander in Vidal Nuno, as the Mariners were attempting to throw the Rangers' kryptonite all year (lefties) at them and roll the dice.
The results were awful for the Rangers, as Nuno struck out 10 batters in seven shutout innings while allowing just one hit. It was by far the most dominant outing of his career. Ten days later, the Mariners sent Nuno to the mound again against the Rangers and they got five runs off him in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked four.
Was it chance, or was it the Rangers' hitters getting a book on a below-average pitcher and making him pay time and time again? They'll hope it was the latter, and they'll be trying to repeat the feat again on Tuesday night as the A's trot lefty Sean Nolin to the hill to face the Rangers not long after scoring his first big-league win against them on Sept. 12.
In that game, Nolin wasn't Nuno good, but he did go 5 2/3 innings and allow one run with five strikeouts and two walks. The Rangers did collect five hits off of him, including a homer off the bat of Mike Napoli.
Now, like clockwork, the Rangers have 10 days in between games against Nolin, just like they had with Nuno, and if history repeats itself, Nolin will be an unhappy camper on Monday night.
