After two straight complete game shutouts, Derek Holland was trying to do something last week that he'd never done in his 50 career MLB starts and have three straight quality starts (min. 6 innings pitched, max. 3 earned runs allowed).
He failed, pretty miserably.
But on Monday he was back on the bump for the Texas Rangers, facing the up-and-down, injury riddled Minnesota Twins.
He didn't fail. Didn't even come close.
Holland went six innings, throwing just 90 pitches and gave up five hits with four strikeouts. The nature of the game (a 20-6 Rangers win/laugher) obviously had a part in his short outing. Holland could've easily gone back out for the seventh if there was a need for it.
What Holland did doesn't exactly show up in the box score.
When you're spotted a 9-0 lead after three innings and have long breaks in between innings while your offense is going nuts, you tend to let up a little.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
Holland didn't do that, and that should be commended as he picked up his 9th win of the season as the team's No. 5 starter in a rotation that has proven to be one of the deepest in all of baseball.D
