As part of a season-ending series, we'll take a look at the 13 most memorable moments from the 2011 Texas Rangers season.
No. 10
When: July 7 and July 14
What: Overshadowed by the tragic death of a Rangers fan at the Ballpark, Derek Holland pitched a four-hit shutout to beat the Oakland A's on July 7, striking out seven batters to go with just two walks. Then, a week later in the Rangers' first game after the all-star break, Holland toed the rubber in Seattle to the tune of a five-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and just one walk in a game that saw him flirt with a perfect game and a no-hitter before that fell apart in the sixth inning. But Holland stuck with it, and Ron Washington let him stick with it, and got out of a jam to go on to pitch the shutout. Holland's splits before and after the all-star break proved to be drastically different as he went on a great stretch over the last two months of the regular season to solidify the No. 2 spot in the rotation for the first two playoff series. He finished the year with a 16-5 record, a 3.95 ERA and four shutouts, which put him in a tie for second in MLB with James Shields, behind Cliff Lee's six. Has Holland arrived as a legitimate ace or No. 2 in the rotation? It's too early to say that, but he definitely made the strides that people had waited for over the past three years.
Up next: Offensive explosion clinches pennant
