Just wait, Jon Gray said. Wait until he gets his velocity back. Then you will really see something.

The Rangers can wait.

They are satisfied with this version of Gray. Despite not receiving the official decision on Sunday, he performed well enough to provide support for an offense struggling against left-handed pitchers. This contributed to a comeback 3-2 victory over Kansas City in 10 innings. The win marked the beginning of a 10-day road trip spanning three cities and resulted in a series win, propelling the Rangers to a record of 19-16 and three games above .500 for the first time in a month.

Although his fastball velocity may have slightly decreased compared to last year, he is consistently throwing it within the strike zone and avoiding giving up free baserunners. Even at 94.5 mph, his fastball remains highly effective. 

Additionally, he has been utilizing his slider more frequently, which has become a potent swing-and-miss pitch. The effectiveness of his slider is further enhanced by his ability to locate his fastball accurately. The combination of these pitches makes him a formidable force.

Manager Bruce Bochy credited Jon as the key contributor to their victory, acknowledging his performance as the primary reason for their success in the game.

Not according to the box score. It will show that Kirby Yates, pitching for the first time in a week, got the win with two plucky innings of relief work. It was good stuff, though just on par for a guy who has yet to allow a run in 2024. Yates was already in the game when Jonah Heim tied it in the ninth with a homer just inside the foul pole and was still the pitcher of record when Nathaniel Lowe battled back from an 0-2 count to single home Manfred’s Man Designated Runner Leody Taveras in the 10th. David Robertson backed up Yates to pick up the save.

But the point is, the offense didn’t arrive until more than three hours after the scheduled first pitch. The teams sat through an 82-minute rain delay, then the offense, anemic against lefties, couldn’t solve minor league callup Daniel Lynch IV or Angel Zerpa. 

The Rangers loaded the bases in the soggy first, then left everybody stranded on Josh Smith’s grounder to first. And then it seemed like they just didn’t want to be out in the rain. Corey Seager struck out three times. Adolis García struck out twice. Between the end of the first and the seventh, the Rangers didn’t advance a runner to second base. It was a bad afternoon at the plate.

Amid all this, Gray battled through a slippery mound and a slippery baseball to hold Kansas City to a pair of single runs, both starting on Bobby Witt Jr. hits and finished with Vinny Pasquantino RBIs. Both runs scored in the first three innings.

“And then he got that look of determination,” Bochy said. “He was frustrated with the early runs and said ‘that’s enough.’ He just bowed his head and didn’t let them do anything. He adjusted to what he and what was working. He’s just getting that bulldog thing in him.”

Mostly, it’s this: He’s not allowing walks. Because of it, he’s not facing nearly as many jams, not throwing too many pitches and going deeper into games. It was the second time this week that Gray had gone at least seven innings and allowed no walks. It was a career first for him to do it in back-to-back starts. It was the first time a Ranger had done it since grizzly Lance Lynn in 2020.

“It’s taken some self-awareness,” Gray said. “I’m not wasting pitches. I’m getting down to business early on. I think I’m in a good place.

“When the velocity comes all the way back, it will be even better.”