ARLINGTON, Texas — It seems like a long time ago that rookie left-hander Robbie Ross was the biggest question in the Texas Rangers bullpen heading into the season.
Just 19 games into his first year in the majors, Ross is now making history.
Ross pitched 2 2/3 perfect innings against the New York Yankees on Wednesday in relief of Scott Feldman, helping secure a 7-3 victory and his fourth win of the season.
At 15-4, the Rangers have won all six of their series and matched the 1989 team for the best start in club history.
Ross (4-0) is tied with St. Louis starter Lance Lynn for the major-league lead in victories. He's also the first pitcher in major-league history to earn four relief wins in his first six appearances.
"It's been very different," Ross said. "I didn't expect it. I didn't expect to come in as a reliever and have wins. I only expected to come in and keep the team in the game and try to get outs and things like that. Getting wins was never something I ever expected."
It's easy to understand his surprise. Ross had never pitched above Double A and had made just one relief appearance in 69 minor-league outings. But as Wednesday showed, what the 22-year-old is doing is no fluke.
Ross came on in relief of Scott Feldman in the fourth inning with Texas leading 4-1 and runners on second and third with one out. After Eric Chavez made it a 4-2 game with a sacrifice fly to left, Ross got Russell Martin to hit a liner to first to end the inning.
The Yankees got only one more ball out of the infield against Ross in the fifth and sixth innings as he went through the first six hitters in the New York batting order with relative ease, striking out Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher along the way.
Ross lowered his ERA to 2.25 and has allowed just five hits in eight innings. All four of his victories have come since April 14.
Not bad for a pitcher who still has to wear a pink backpack, chaps and cowboy hat to the bullpen before every game.
"We needed him to give us exactly what he gave us and do exactly what he did," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We needed him to get through those switch hitters and those left-handers and he did a good job of doing just that. He set it up perfectly to get to the rest of the guys and then give it to Mike Adams and Joe Nathan."
Ross was just part of the pitching equation Wednesday as the Rangers went to right-hander Scott Feldman for a spot start because of last Saturday's doubleheader in Detroit. Feldman pitched the Rangers into the fourth and the offense provided a lift by scoring four times off Phil Hughes, including a 441-foot homer by Adrian Beltre.
While Ross was slowing the New York offense, Texas was taking advantage of the New York bullpen as Mike Napoli and Mitch Moreland also homered en route to a 7-2 lead.
The Yankees had no such luck against the Texas relief staff. The only run the Yankees scored off a Texas reliever was a solo homer by Raul Ibanez against Neftali Feliz in the seventh. That snapped a streak of 19 batters retired by Texas relievers.
While Feldman wasn't a reliever Wednesday, he certainly takes pride in the job the staff has done. Texas has an American League-best 2.06 ERA from its relievers. New York came into the game with the bullpen ERA lead but allowed three runs against Texas.
"It's good when guys are throwing well," said Feldman, who threw 62 pitches and allowed six hits and two runs while striking out three. "I would have liked to stay out there longer, but the way the bullpen is going right now, we're able to make it a much shorter game. We brought Robbie in for a matchup early in the game and have the rest of the guys finish it off."
Feldman joked that the success Ross is having may have to do with the outfit he has to wear to the bullpen. Whatever it is, Ross doesn't mind. He's one of four relievers since 2000 to win four games in April.
And while the club has no plans to rid Ross of his bullpen wardrobe, he's earned the respect of his fellow relievers.
"He's impressed me even without all the results he's put up," Feldman said. "You can tell he was raised really well and he's a good guy."
