Maybe a Bigger Catcher’s Mitt?

Something is going on with Ranger pitching right now. Especially with the starting staff. More often than not, they are missing their spots.  I don’t know what’s going on. It started with Matt Harrison, then Colby Lewis, a start or two by Derek Holland, Neffi Feliz (but that’s been all year) and tonight Yu Darvish. The thing that gets my goat about Darvish is that the narrative was already going to be about Darvish and his second time to face teams. That had zero to do with his success in Seattle last night and everything to do with getting his pitches where he wanted them to go. None of his pitches were really working and he looked more like he did in game one, inning one against the Mariners than any of his other starts since then. So we have gone from having a staff that was hitting their spots most of the time to now almost never. I am not sure what causes this, other than it is akin to a pitcher losing his timing and slipping into a slump. It ends up being an elbow dropping in the swing a quarter of an inch or barely lifting their front foot when they weren’t before. The thing that makes it difficult so far is that I haven’t seen it happen with an entire starting staff at the same time.

But hold on Ranger fans, there’s another fly in our pitching ointment.  Neftali Feliz is on the DL with and elbow snafu.  They are saying at least six weeks. For now Scott Feldman is the man. The upside of Feldman? He proved he was all the way back last fall and has been decent as a spot starter this season. Only two starts though. There are no starting pitching options on the farm. If anything Ramirez and Perez have regressed this season. Roy Oswalt seems an obvious choice but he will be costly and wants to know he will be a starter for the rest of the year after being signed.  The upside of the oft injured starter is he throws strikes. Lots of them.  While not being our number one starter, he has a lot of experience in that role and would be great for Holland and Harrison. And for that he gets my vote. Plus, any success from him without getting hurt, we might be able to move one of the other starters before the deadline for some outfield help.