After Matt Garza — how dare him — allowed a whole three runs in seven innings of work on Monday night, it seemed the Texas Rangers' offense was in over its head tasked with outscoring such a potent offensive attack.
Hopefully you picked up the sarcasm there, but either way, the Rangers needed to shut the Angels out from the eighth inning on to give their bats a chance to claw back and help snap a four-game losing skid.
Neal Cotts, who's been lights out this season, ran into a little trouble but got out of it unscathed, and then Jason Frasor came in to pitch the ninth and redeemed himself after allowing a walk-off homer Friday night to set up A.J. Pierzynski and Geovany Soto to do their thing in the bottom of the ninth.
Cotts allowed a walk and two hits to load the bases in the eighth inning but got out of the mess with two big strikeouts to keep the Angels at bay in the eighth on 29 stressful pitches. Cotts got back-to-back Ks of Mark Trumbo and Howie Kendrick before inducing a flyout to end the inning.
Frasor was straight dealing in the ninth — striking out two and needing just 14 pitches to retire the side in order and set up the Rangers' unlikely walk-off. It was Frasor's first appearance since his attempt at three innings of work on Friday — the first two that went swimmingly before he failed to get out of the third after surrendering a walk-off blast to Cleveland.
Cotts has been great the entire time he's been up with the Rangers, and despite Friday's mistake, Frasor is starting to become a trusted, reliable piece of a loaded bullpen.
