Derek Holland glad to shutout Baltimore Orioles in nerve testing series finale at Camden Yards
After going into a double-header, the Texas Rangers, and, the Baltimore Orioles were both eyeing a series finale winner.
While the O’s had the advantage of being at Camden Yards, the visiting South side team was in the hard wrought position to send in their non-premier pitcher, Derek Holland.
While the Rangers carried the offensive advantage, the defence and pitching attributes were considered highly for a winner’s edge in the encounter. In what turned out to be a low scoring game, Holland impressed his peers and critics as he delivered the Texans
a second victory from his start. The 24-year old hurler provided the club with a shutout performance in his six innings’ stint.
The ball thrower moved in to the rotation after Matt Harrison got the club its first one of the series in the double header, a day earlier. Holland’s triumph meant the Rangers were on to a series clinching victory. The pitcher had a lot of things to say
after the game and he expressed his feelings openly.
"It's tough to follow Harrison", Holland said. "He has been outstanding, doing his thing, and you've got to stay right there with him and build on it. You just go out and battle and do what you have to do to compete against the other team".
The ace struck out six hitters in the game. Furthermore, he allowed two walks and five hits in 110 pitches. Even though he got himself into a lot of sticky situations in the encounter, he managed to bail himself out of the jam.
Rangers Manager, Ron Washington, said:
"I liked the way he was able to pitch around trouble. He got into some situations where a big base hit would have turned the game around. I always say that all pitchers get into trouble, but the good ones get out of trouble. He kept making his pitches. He
didn't lose his cool. He stayed calm and focused".
With two victories already in the bag, it seems like the young pitcher is well on his way to set a good record this year.
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