ARLINGTON, Texas – Kyle Bradish bolted from the mound to first base, fielded the flip from Ryan Mountcastle and smacked his glove hard with his right hand.
The fourth inning was over and Bradish kept the score tied. Through 80 pitches. With heavy traffic threatening to flatten him.
Bradish completed five innings with one run allowed before relinquishing the ball to the bullpen. He was a decided underdog against Rangers All-Star Martín Pérez, but he minimized the damage during maximum stress.
The rest was up to his teammates, who also are used to their non-favorite status and wear it like a badge of honor.
It hasn’t weighed them down as they try to climb the standings.