Don't Look Now–Feldman Is Dealing

It was a vaguely unusual day at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Sunday afternoon.
 
Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Texas is sitting in first place, or the fact that fans haven’t seen this kind of pitching or defense out of the team in years. Perhaps it was the weather, or the draw of Sheriff Blaylock’s hot dogs and cold beer. I’ve heard the garlic fries are pretty top notch as well.
 
In any case, the bandwagon is filling up, hesitant fans scrambling to get behind the team so long mired in mediocrity or worse.
 
37,000 fans or so filed into the Ballpark (in mid-May) to see Scott Feldman deliver his fifth solid start of the year in as many tries. Feldman got a no-decision on Sunday, an unfitting prize for blanking the Angels over six innings, surrendering only four hits.
 
At 2-0, Feldman’s 4.04 ERA wouldn’t normally be an impressive mark. But it is, because, (a) his ERA boomed to 12.15 as a member of the bullpen and (b) this mark is .70 runs lower than that of last season’s team ERA champ, Vicente Padilla.
 
This is no fluke, and anyone who suggests as much has, presumably, not watched the 26-year-old pitch this season, nor has he or she, presumably, ever picked up a bat.
 
Throwing a sinker at 90 MPH is not, in and of itself, a necessarily impressive feat within the context of Major League Baseball. But if Feldman continues throwing with the movement and ability to change speeds that he exhibited on Sunday, his stuff has the capacity to border on the unhittable on any given night.
 
The sinker he threw to Gary Matthews Jr. to end the second inning was absolutely untouchable -- at 90 MPH, the pitch started at Matthews’ hip before diving no less than six inches and catching the inside corner.
 
Not bad for a number three starter on a team perennially harangued for a lack of pitching.
 
Of course, there is a great deal of baseball left to be played. Feldman showed signs of brilliance last year before fizzling somewhat, late in the season.
 
However, you’re only as good or bad as your last start.
 
And as it stands now, Feldman is pretty good.