Here's why the Cubs' win over Rangers on Friday was a total troll job
Three pitchers the Cubs used came from the Rangers in trades, but that's not all
As if losing 6-0 isn't rough enough, Rangers fans and possibly the front office likely had a tough time with Friday's loss to the Cubs.
To start, Ryan Dempster threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Remember, the Cubs traded Dempster to the Rangers in 2012. In 12 starts with Texas, Dempster posted a 5.09 ERA. The team would lose the AL Wild Card Game, and Dempster signed with Boston the following offseason.
The Rangers gave up minor leaguers Christian Villanueva and Kyle Hendricks for Dempster's 12 starts.
It just so happened that Hendricks started for the Cubs on Friday, and he was brilliant. In six scoreless innings, Hendricks allowed only three hits and lowered his ERA to 2.41 on the season. Heading into Friday night's action, only Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner have a better ERA. Seriously, Hendricks ranks third in all of baseball.

So that's a gut punch, but it doesn't end there.
In 2013, the Cubs sent Matt Garza to the Rangers, where he made 13 starts and pitched to a 4.38 ERA. The Rangers missed the playoffs by losing a one-game playoff to the Rays. In return for that, the Rangers sent Mike Olt, Neil Ramirez, Carl Edwards Jr. and Justin Grimm to the Cubs.
Though Olt and Ramirez are no longer with the Cubs, Edwards and Grimm are.
Edwards took over for Hendricks and worked a spotless seventh, striking out two. He now has a 1.54 ERA with 14 strikeouts and three walks in 11 2/3 innings since being called up. The 24-year-old is starting to look like a late-inning type.
Oh, and Grimm notched the final three outs to seal the win over the Rangers.
Combine everything above with the fact that the Rangers have now lost 10 of their last 13 games and with the possibility that the once-10-game AL West lead could shrink to 4 1/2 games with an Astros win and, yes, I'd say that's a tough pill to swallow. If you know any Rangers fans, buy him, her or them a beer or three.
















