Despite what happened Thursday, Lance Lynn is thrilled to still be a Texas Ranger
Lance Lynn wasn’t very good Thursday, he admitted after allowing a season-high six runs in an 8-4 loss to the Houston Astros.
George Springer took the first pitch of the game from Lynn for a ball, and then lined the next one for a single. Jose Altuve lined the next one for a single. Michael Brantley lined the next one for an RBI single.
Each hit came off a fastball, as did the three-run homer Alemdys Diaz hit three batters later for a 4-0 Astros lead. That quick strike was enough to sink the Rangers and Lynn, who allowed only two runs over his final five innings.
“I should have adjusted a little quicker,” he said.
Lynn (4-2) struck out seven to match the club record for consecutive starts to open a season with at least six strikeouts (nine, also Yu Darvish in 2013). Lynn has 14 straight starts with at least six Ks dating to last season, nine off Nolan Ryan’s club record in 1989.
The Rangers closed within two runs three times, at 4-2, 5-3 and 6-4, but couldn’t keep the Astros bats down. Nick Solak went 3 for 4 with two doubles off Zack Greinke, Shin-Soo Choo hit a solo homer and Jose Trevino drove in two runs.
“If I would have kept them at four after the first, we would have had a chance but I wasn’t able to do it,” Lynn said.
He was making his first start since not being dealt Monday at the trade deadline. The postgame Zoom call was the first time the media had a chance to talk with him about not being shipped to a contender.
Staying put is what he wanted all along.
“I’m excited to be here,” Lynn said. “Like I said all along, this is where they gave me an opportunity to play the game at the highest level and I’m going to do everything I can every five days and in between there, whatever I can to do help the team win. That’s what it’s all about.”
He said on Saturday after a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers that he was going to be fine either way, and that he was going to be on the golf course Monday while general manager Jon Daniels was weighing offers.
The right one didn’t come, but a lot of people were keeping him up to date and pumping him for information.
“I was really annoyed with how many phone calls I got,” Lynn said.
One of them was from manager Chris Woodward, who was thrilled to not lose his best pitcher.
“It was more of a joking conversation, like, ‘Hey, man, you’re still here,’” Woodward said. “It was just a relief for both of us, I think.”
And, yes, Lynn did play golf.
“I’ve hit it better,” he said. “But I didn’t do terrible.”
