There was a moment in yesterday’s 8-2 win over the White Sox when Kumar Rocker could have folded and given it all away. But he didn’t. It took a dose of luck and a dose of good pitching.

The Rangers had a 3-0 lead, when the White Sox scored two in the bottom of the second. Texas responded immediately with two more to make it 5-2.

This is the moment Rocker tends to fall apart. He gave up a leadoff single and a walk, bringing up the tying run. He coaxed a groundout out of Andrew Benintendi to put runners at first and third, then walked Braden Montgomery to load the bases.

This is where the game could have changed dramatically. But he struck out Colson Montgomery for the second out, to bring up the hot-hitting Chase Meidroth. And this is where the luck came into play.

With the count 3-1, Rocker throw a sinker that was clearly below the strike zone, maybe by more than an inch. 

Lucky for Rocker, the umpire called it a strike. And Meidroth didn’t challenge it. Had he have challenged it, it woulds have walked in the third White Sox run, kept the bases loaded, and rattled Rocker. 

Instead, he struck Meidroth out on the next pitch, and the Rangers bats kept piling on. Two in the fifth, one in the sixth, one in the eighth, and two in the ninth. 

Rocker didn’t fold. He didn’t give up three-first inning runs. Instead, he went 5.2 innings for a win. 

*****