Peter Aiken-USA TODAY
Matt Garza won just his fourth game since being traded to the Texas Rangers back in July. It was only the third time he managed to give up less than three runs in a game as well. He has pitched 12 games for the Rangers now. Needless to say, these were not the results they were expecting when they dealt for the ex-Chicago Cub.
However, tonight’s game against the Kansas City Royals was much more of what the Rangers had in mind. Garza made it through eight innings while giving up just five hits and one run. It is no coincidence that the team was able to get back on track tonight and pick up the win against the Royals.
Garza had a reputation as one of the top pitchers in all of baseball, and had a 6-1 record this season with the Cubs before coming to the Rangers. The prospect of a starting rotation of Yu Darvish, Garza, Derek Holland and Martin Perez was enough to make any fan drool. In his time with Texas, Garza now has a record of 4-5. His ERA dropped tonight from 4.94 down to 4.56 just from the one game. With Darvish and Holland both struggling recently, that starting rotation has lost some of its luster.
Since faltering as of late, the Rangers needed Garza to get his game together. Even though this was only one game, it was a dominant enough performance to give hope that he is on the right path. Not only did it provide hope, though, it also provided a win at a time when the team couldn’t have needed it more.
