Keone Kela brings the heat back to Rangers reaction

One of the beauties of major league baseball is the relentlessness of the schedule. Whether a player is in a zone or in a slump, another game is coming the next day to keep it going or snap out of it. As a club, the Rangers snapped out of it Monday night at Oakland Coliseum. After being swept in a three-game series in Seattle, A.J. Griffin pitched a gem against his old club in his old stomping grounds.

He held the A’s to one hit and a walk over six scoreless innings, striking out eight and retiring the final 14 batters he faced. The bullpen even threw in three scoreless innings of relief to give the Rangers their first shutout of the season.

And Keone Kela was back with the club and threw a scoreless ninth inning with his 97 mph fastball. Funny how things can change in 24 hours.

1. Speaking of Kela — Kela returned from exile with Triple A Round Rock after an almost three week stay. He addressed his teammates before Monday’s game. He decline to say what he told the team but indicated the club was receptive to his message.

“We had an in-house discussion. I talked to all my brothers and everything I spoke about, they took it and we were able to move forward,” Kela said.

Kela was greeted with hugs and well wishes from teammates and staff after arriving to the clubhouse a few hours before game time. The demotion, he said, helped him realize and respect his role on the major league club.

“Biggest thing I took away was understanding my lane, my role and what I need to do to be the best that I can be, for not only myself, but the guys around me, and how to help the team the best way I can,” he said. “I know there are a lot of things I need to work on as an individual and I know that these guys don’t want to do anything other than to help me become a better man on and off the field. I’m getting more accountability for my actions and just ready to continue to push forward.”

Kela said his return felt more like a family reunion.

“I’ve been with the ball club at this level for the last two years and this organization for five years. I feel like I everyone knows who I am and I know everybody so it was kind of like a family reunion and those are usually really good,” he said. “I’m just appreciative I get to be back here and do what I always sought out to do, to pitch at the big league level and be with a great group of guys.”

The past few weeks, Kela said, were difficult from a mental standpoint, because it forced him to reevaluate how he fit on the club.

“They were just difficult in understanding the process and understanding the game and what I need to do to just be part of this situation,” he said. “At the end of the day that’s what it’s about, me being a part of this group collectively so we can go out and win ball games every single day we take the field.”

2. Griffin — Griffin started a game at the Oakland Coliseum for the first time since September 2013, when he was still with the A’s.

Here are the Rangers pitchers since 1993 who have gone at six or more innings allowing one or zero hits, with eight or more strikeouts in a start:

Kenny Rogers, July 28, 1994 vs. Angels (perfect game)

Yu Darvish, April 2, 2013 at Astros (8.2 IP, 1 H)

Yu Darvish, Aug. 12, 2013 at Astros

Yu Darvish, April 11, 2014 vs. Astros

Cole Hamels, May 6, 2016 at Tigers

A.J. Griffin, April 17, 2017 at Athletics

3. More Mazara — Nomar Mazara drove in three runs Monday to push his American League leading total to 16. He’s second in the majors behind the Marlins’ Marcell Ozuna, who has 18. Mazara is tied with four Rangers’ players for the second most RBIs through the first 13 games of a season. Juan Gonzalez had 17 in 1998. The others with 16:

Lee Stevens, 1998

Ian Kinsler, 2009

Nelson Cruz, 2010

Nomar Mazara, 2017

4. Daniels speaks — General manager Jon Daniels spoke to the media before Monday’s game, mostly to discuss recalling Keone Kela and putting Sam Dyson the disabled list. But he also address the Rangers’ 4-8 start (before Monday’s win). Daniels is choosing to see the glass half full and expects a turnaround.

“We’ve been in every game, had a chance to win the majority of them, Daniels said. “A couple of things fall a little differently and that record could be flipped on its head. That’s just the nature of the game.”

When asked what aspect of the club concerned him the most, he said the walks allowed by the starting rotation. The Rangers’ starters share the major league lead with the Diamondbacks with 35 walks.

“There are areas we need to get better in and the guys are working on it and I have faith we will,” he said. “We are a good team.”

The defensive issues, including the second lowest fielding percentage in the A.L. (just in front of Oakland), are less of a concern, he said. Daniels said he’d characterize the defense through 12 games as “average” but not a weakness of the club.

“To win you have to do everything well. You really can’t have any glaring weaknesses,” he said. “It’s certainly an area we can improve and I’m sure we will do better in. [We’re] certainly capable of more.”

5. Another hit for Elvis — Elvis Andrus’ infield single in the first inning was the 1,282nd hit of his career. He’s now fifth all-time for the franchise, passing Ruben Sierra, who had 1,281. The most career hits by Rangers players:

Michael Young, 2,230

Pudge Rodriguez, 1,747

Rafael Palmeiro, 1,692

Juan Gonzalez, 1,595

Elvis Andrus, 1,282

This story was originally published April 18, 2017 at 2:49 AM with the headline "Keone Kela brings the heat back to Rangers reaction."