Kyle Gibson’s ERA after Opening Day was 135.00. It’s now 2.16 for one of AL’s best.

Among the many former Texas Rangers over the past 14 seasons, Martin Perez ranks as one of my favorites.

The left-hander from Venezuela first popped on my radar at instructs in 2008, after I’d had a conversation with then-manager Ron Washington about yard work. Next up was Don Welke, the late scout who was raving about Perez, then a teenager from Venezuela.

Perez is with the third team of his career, the Boston Red Sox, and looks the same on the mound now as he did with the Rangers from 2012-2018.

He never lived up the Welke hype, but, then again, who did? Perez went 43-49 with a 4.63 ERA and one Tommy John surgery while with the Rangers. He’s a much better dude than his numbers indicate.

Perez pitched Thursday night against the Rangers, and did well. He just didn’t get much help defensively or from the bullpen.

Here’s some Rangers Reaction from a 4-1 victory.

Gibson among the best

Kyle Gibson exited the first Opening Day start of his career with a 135.00 ERA. That’s what happens when a pitcher allows five runs and records only one out.

After allowing one run in six innings Thursday, his ERA sits at 2.16.

“That first game was weird, whether it was nerves or anxiety,” Gibson said. “I have gotten many texts about I’ve been able to lower my ERA from 135.00 to what it is now.”

Simply put, Gibson has been one of the best pitchers in the American League.

He has allowed only three earned runs in the 33 innings since the season opener, which translates to a 0.82 ERA in his past five starts. Each one has rated as a quality start.

Oh, yeah. He has yet to allow a home run.

“He’s become one of those guys to where any time he throws, we have a chance to win this game,” catcher Jose Trevino said. “That’s the exciting part.”

Gibson picked up his third win of the season, but the Red Sox made him work for it.

He was taxed for 98 pitches in six innings a start after the Chicago White Sox made him throw 99 pitches in six innings.

The terrific start to his season comes after he posted a 5.35 ERA in 12 starts last season. That came after a second straight offseason in which he was unable to work out as he normally would because of E. coli and ulcerative colitis.

A normal offseason allowed him to work on his mechanics and he added a cutter in addition to working out hard and building more strength and endurance than he had been able to do.

“If you’re asking me where I was Dec. 1 the last three offseasons, this is the first one I was going legit baseball activity,” Gibson said. “[Previously] I wasn’t healthy in a spot where I could go and feel comfortable to pitch and put myself through that strenuous activity and lifting.”

Trevino’s first one a big one

Almost every player in the game will go through a long hitless streak, and Trevino is just coming out of one.

The catcher endured and 0-for-20 skid that he snapped Tuesday, and his average the past 10 game is only .162. But he collected two hits Thursday, including his biggest of the season.

Trevino smacked his first homer of the season with two outs in the sixth, a two-run shot that snapped a 1-1 tie and helped make a winner of Gibson. Isiah Kiner-Falefa added a solo shot in the seventh.

More than he was happy to help win the game, it seemed it was happier knowing he was giving the pitchers he always catching some run support.

“To provide a little offense for them, I think that’s good,” Trevino said.

For anyone who has been around the organization since the Rangers selected Trevino in the sixth round of the 2014 draft (Oral Roberts), it’s easy to see how far his bat has come the past two seasons.

It has taken a lot of work and some trial an error. Look at his stance, one of the most unusual in baseball. But it’s working, to the point where he has batted second and fourth in the lineup at times the past two seasons.

“He feels like his main job is to get outs behind the plate, but he puts a ton of work into the offense,” manager Chris Woodward said. “To see the success, to see the quality of the at-bats he’s having, get a big hit to win a game, I’m super happy for him.”

Holt family’s helping hands

Brock Holt freely admits that his wife, Lakyn, is the brains behind his charitable endeavors. He supplies the platform as an MLB player to help raise funds for sick kids.

Together, though, they have dived head-first into helping children in Boston and now in Dallas-Fort Worth with the create of the #holtoffcancer initiative.

The Holts are attempting to raise funds for the Pediatric Oncology Unit at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth as well as his continued efforts through the Jimmy Fund in Boston at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Holt played for the Red Sox from 2013-2019.

“The Jimmy Fund and the Red Sox have gone hand in hand. Both have been very important organizations to each other,” he said. “It’s just been a special, special place for me and my wife that we’ll always continue to try and help out however we can. It’s something that we wanted to continue to do and also throw some local ties into it with Cook Children’s here in Fort Worth. It’s become a huge part of me.”

Anyone wanting to help can purchase a #holtoffcancer cap or T-shirt, which feature the gold ribbon synonymous with pediatric cancer with a cowboy hat and a thick Sam Elliott-like mustache that Holt grew out during the offseason.

The cost is $20 through J&A Sports in Stephenville, where Holt when to high school. The site was experiencing some technical difficulties Thursday night, but keep trying.

It’s too good of a cause to not help.