Lisalverto Bonilla is 1-0

Lisalverto Bonilla did more than manager Tim Bogar expected him to do in his first ever major league start on Saturday.

“I was really happy with how he did,” Bogar said according to texasrangers.com. “He walked four left-handers, but, for the most part, he pounded the strike zone. It was a pretty exciting game for him. He was using his offspeed pitches to get the outs. He threw his slider very well and used his changeup. If he is locating his fastball and getting it over, it makes the other stuff better — and he did that today.”

Even veteran relieve Neal Cotts had good things to say about Lisalverto Bonilla.

“He threw a tremendous game,” reliever Neal Cotts said. “I don’t know what the expectations were, as far as pitch counts. But he competed and kept us in the game. The offense came through and he got a win.”

With the start from Derek Holland yesterday and the start from Lisalverto Bonilla today, the Rangers pitching staff is looking stronger than expected down the stretch run. If Derek Holland can be healthy coming into 2015 with Yu Darvish, then the Rangers are going to have a pretty good 1-2 punch. Lisalverto Bonilla may not be in the starting rotation to begin the 2015 season, but he along with Miles Mikolas, Nick Tepesch and Nick Martinez have gotten some great major league experience this season.

As previously mentioned by me on this website, I am still inpressed with the amount of fight that the Rangers are showing. Unlike most of their fans, the Rangers players have not thrown in the towel on trying to win games, and that is what I want to see from my team.

Tomorrow Colby Lewis goes for his 10th win of the season, and the Rangers go for the series sweep of the Braves. Let’s Go Rangers!