A.J. Griffin, Mitch Moreland power Saturday’s Rangers Reaction

The Blow Out Series between the Rangers and Indians continued on course Saturday night at Globe Life Park. The Rangers scored five in the first, including Mitch Moreland’s grand slam, to blank Cleveland 7-0. The Rangers improved to 76-54 and increased their lead atop the American League West to 7 1/2 games over the Astros and Mariners, who are now tied for second. The Rangers didn’t win their 76th game last season until Sept. 14.

The first three games of the series have been lopsided — the Rangers won 9-0 Thursday and the Indians won 12-1 on Friday. So does this mean the Indians win a laugher in the finale Sunday? Derek Holland will have something to say about that (See: No. 3 below).

Three thoughts from Saturday’s 7-0 shutout:

1. Mitch magic — Moreland’s first-pitch grand slam put the Rangers up 5-0 in the first inning and gave A.J. Griffin plenty of breathing room. It was Moreland’s second-career grand slam (Aug. 22, 2012 vs. the Orioles’ Tommy Hunter). He has 11 homers since the All-Star break, which is tied for the club lead with Adrian Beltre. He’s one homer shy of tying his career-high of 23. He has 55 RBIs, which are the third most he’s had in a season.

“It’s always good to get those,” he said of the grand slam. “The four pointers are always nice to add in there.”

It’s the first time Texas scored as many as five runs in the first since Sept. 29, 2015.

“It’s always nice to put some runs up early, especially against a good team like that, a good pitcher,” Moreland said of Indians’ right-hander Carlos Carrasco. “To be able to scratch a few early and set the pace, set the tone, let A.J. fall into his rhythm. It’s always nice to do that.”

2. Early cushion — Every pitcher enjoys an early lead. I mean, who wouldn’t? But seems especially beneficial for Griffin, who cruised through six scoreless innings. Only twice did the Indians get a runner to third and those came on triples in the first and sixth innings. The Rangers’ five-run first allowed Griffin to pound the zone, work aggressively and not worry, to an extent, about throwing perfect pitches. Griffin is only the second pitcher since 2000 to allow multiple triples in a scoreless outing of at least six innings. The Rockies’ Aaron Cook also did it in 2006.

“We were trying to move the fastball around the zone, up and down, all around,” he said. “Keeping the changeup down to get them to swing over it. I threw some of my better changeups I think today and mixed in the curve ball and cutter. It was just execution of the gameplan.”

3. Holland is home — Banister doesn’t need to see much more from Derek Holland in Sunday’s finale against the Indians. In the lefties second start since returning, Banister said he’d take exactly what the club got from Holland against Cincinnati on Tuesday: one run on four hits over six innings. Although the Rangers lost 3-0, Holland’s return was extremely encouraging sign for the rotation. Right-hander Colby Lewis hopes to return to the rotation Sept. 3. Lewis makes his second rehab start Monday for Double A Frisco in Midland. Their returns from the disabled list, of which they were placed on consecutive days in late June, should be a boon to the Rangers rotation which has struggled beyond Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish.

“I’ll be pleased if Derek walks out there and the look is very similar,” Banister said.

Holland hopes to continue pitching efficiently as he did against the Reds. He threw 73 pitches in six innings, striking out five and walking one.

“My goal is to be consistent all the time, not just go out there after one start and throw a parade because I did good,” he said. “I want to continue to do that each start.”

He and the Rangers are hoping he can extend his pitch count and go another inning or two.

“If I just continue to do that, obviously the defense is on their toes, I’m executing my pitches and I’m getting ahead of hitters,” he said.

This story was originally published August 27, 2016 at 11:30 PM with the headline "A.J. Griffin, Mitch Moreland power Saturday’s Rangers Reaction."