SAN DIEGO -- Maybe someday, if indeed the Rangers do change the way they approach pitching, Friday night will go down as an asterisk to history.
It was the first time the team used an "opener" and won a game.
The Rangers shut the San Diego Padres down, 4-0. On the surface, this is not such a big deal. The Padres have the second-worst offense in baseball and the fifth-worst record. Then again, the Rangers haven't exactly shown off world-class pitching this season.
Which is what made Friday significant.
Connor Sadzeck began the game as the one-inning "opener" and was followed by Yohander Mendez, who went five scoreless innings as the "primary" pitcher.