After waking up this morning, I had a few thoughts racing around my brain and wondered if you were thinking some of the same things. Some thoughts:

* Obviously that was a huge win to end a five-game losing streak. What was most encouraging is that it was a complete effort with good defense, big hits, early runs and solid pitching.

* LHP Derek Holland got out of a few jams, but overall pitched well. Yes, some balls were up in the zone (too many) and that's something he'll be working on in between starts. But I liked his body language and the way he attacked hitters. He got a quick lead and held it. Holland is important to this team down the stretch. It's going to be critical that the rotation gets as many days between starts as they can. The club does not want to skip starters even with off days, so Holland has to go out when it's his turn and give his team a chance to win. He did that last night.

* Jeff Francoeur was brought in to hit against lefties. He showed why on Wednesday. Francoeur was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI (in the first inning). It was just his fourth game with three hits or more all season and his first as a Ranger. He jumped on Toronto lefty Marc Rzepczynski in the first inning and just kept hitting. Francoeur isn't going to get to play all the time, especially when the team is healthy, so he has to take advantage of the opportunities he has. That right-handed bat could be big down the stretch.

* Vladimir Guerrero has been swinging the bat better for a few weeks now and it's showing up in his production the last eight games. In that span, Guerrero is 10-for-32 (.313) with four runs scored, three doubles, two very long homers and 6 RBI. With Josh Hamilton out of the lineup, the Rangers need Guerrero to produce.

* The A's kept pace with a 4-3 win over Seattle on Wednesday, but they do not play on Thursday. So the Rangers will either gain a 1/2 game or lose a 1/2 game. The last time the Rangers' lead dropped below 7 games was June 24, when Anaheim beat the Rangers to drop the lead to 6 games.

* Ian Kinsler clearly has an impact on this lineup. He started the game off with a blast and no matter where he hits, he finds a way to make something happen.