Not a lot of Rangers highlights vs. Rays, but Beltre provided a big one Wednesday

The Texas Rangers dusted off Bartolo Colon for the eighth inning Wednesday, allowing the veteran right-hander to pitch for the first time since being moved to the bullpen Sept. 8.

It wasn’t exactly vintage Colon but what has come to be expected — 87 mph heaters, a long home run, and a double-play grounder.

That could be the last time that Rangers fans see Colon, the beloved veteran who earlier in the second half became the all-time wins leaders for a pitcher from Latin America (247).

Just guessing, but here’s betting he makes an appearance next week at Angel Stadium. He won the American League Cy Young award there in 2005. He has also pitched really well at Safeco Field throughout his career, so maybe he gets to torment the Seattle Mariners one last time.

The Tampa Bay Rays just tormented the Rangers for three games.

Here’s some Rangers Reaction from a 9-3 loss.

1. Here’s a silver lining: At least the Rangers didn’t get shut out in each of their three losses to the Rays. It was a possibility until Elvis Andrus singled home Carlos Tocci with two outs in the third to snap the Rangers’ scoreless-innings streak at 23 innings.

And another: Adrian Beltre muscled up in the fourth for career homer No. 475, which moved him into a tie for 30th all time with Stan Musial and Willie Stargell. You’ve probably heard of them, and Beltre will be joining them some day in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

“Anytime you mention those guys you have accomplished something,” Beltre said. “I am proud of what I have done. It is nice to be able to accomplish something that for me, down the road, will be a little more special.”

There were others Wednesday, like the scoreless relief work provided by Jeffrey Springs (2 1/3 innings) and C.D. Pelham (one inning). Otherwise, there wasn’t much good.

Take the three-run second in which a flyball was misjudged and a pick-off throw was botched. Yohander Mendez didn’t have much thereafter, as the Rays scored four time in the fourth to knock him out of the game.

It was Mendez’s worst start/outing since returning from his banishment to the minors and probably didn’t do much to hurt his rotation chances for 2019. He’ll get a chance, but he will be susceptible to these kinds of days until he can command his fastball and/or develop a third pitch.

It rates as just another loss in a lost season, but the Rangers didn’t look good in doing so. They looked good with only a few exceptions, like Adrian Sampson on Monday and ...

2. Connor Sadzeck on Tuesday, when the rookie right-hander who managed a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday night when it looked as if the Rays would get him for at least a couple runs.

After issuing a leadoff single, he plunked Carlos Gomez with a 99-mph fastball off the helmet extension over his jaw. Gomez was fine, and he later stole second base in the inning.

But he went no further as Sadzeck recovered to record three straight outs, going flyout, strikeout, flyout on nine pitches. He struck out Kevin Kiermaier with pitches than ranged from 98 mph to 80 mph.

“Probably one of the bigger moments on our side last night,” manager Jeff Banister said. “A huge, mature moment. First of all after the hit by pitch to Gomez, to tough on through ... to get the three outs without any runs. To me, that was as positive a moment in that game, in September, for a young guy that there’s been some times before when that wasn’t the case.”

Sadzeck has not allowed a run over 6 1/3 innings in the first eight games of his career.

3. Right-handers Matt Bush and Austin Bibens-Dirkx underwent surgery Wednesday morning. Bibens-Dirkx had his left knee repaired and should be ready for spring training, but Bush isn’t going to be ready until after the All-Star break.

He had a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament repaired, but did not have Tommy John surgery. Dr. Keith Meister repaired the tear and affixed some kind of bracing to it, assistant general manager Mike Daly said.

Bush said last month that his elbow woes were not the result of a failed spring attempt to be a starting pitcher. He said he threw t0o much to find a solution to his problems, and doing so with bad mechanics contributed to the injury.

He’s also had Tommy John in the past and had shoulder surgery last off-season.

The Rangers have been with Bush since the end of his incarceration and stood by him because of the talent in his right arm. He is a pre-arbitration player for one more season, so keeping him isn’t a financial burden, and it would seem wrong to not tender him a contract or to try to sneak him through waivers.

Even injured he might not make.

There’s no harm in waiting on Bush. The Rangers have plenty of hard throwers, like Sadzeck, and aren’t pining for right-handed relief help.

The Rangers will be glad they have him come July.