The existence of momentum in sports has long been a debate.
It's generally seen as a real thing in football. Bob Knight said it was a stupid, made-up concept in basketball. In baseball, it's also thought to be non-existent, or as we're told, "only as good as the next day's starting pitcher."
That proved true over the weekend in Houston for the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers collected 15 hits on Friday but somehow managed to score only two runs in a 3-2 loss to the Astros. On Saturday, the Rangers erupted for 14 more hits, including three homers, and won 7-6. In the meantime, they managed to get in a bench-clearing dustup with the Astros and Rougned Odor made himself Public Enemy No. 1 in Houston. Talk about momentum, right?
Nope.
Momentum, meet Dallas Keuchel, the American League starter in last week's MLB All-Star Game and one of the best young lefties in the game.
Keuchel held the Rangers to two hits over seven scoreless innings and he struck out 13 batters while walking none as the Astros embarrassed the Rangers with a 10-0 win to claim the rubber game of the series in convincing fashion.
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Can Nick Martinez be the Rangers' Keuchel on Monday night in Colorado? It's likely he'll get the same line, but if he produces the same result that's all that matters.
