Baseball is My Boyfriend

Ranger lose Seattle series, hold 2nd place at break

Today's game was not a fun one for Rangers' fans to watch.  I missed Saturday night's game, so I missed another offensively flat outing, but today honestly wasn't that much better. 

Texas' only three runs came in the 6th inning on a pair of home runs. Hank Blalock hit a one-out homer to right with Andruw Jones standing on 1st after a walk.  After Marlon Byrd struck out, Seattle switched pitchers, and Nelson Cruz greeted the new arm with a solo shot to deep right. With this rally, my boys had erased a 3-0 defecit and looked to be surging toward a win.

Unfortunately, only one Ranger reached base over the next three innings while the Mariners' had their own two-run surge.  A two-out walk by David Murphy in the 9th renewed a glimmer of my hopes, but then Elvis Andrus committed the biggest sin in baseball --he struckout looking to end the game.

Josh Lewin and Tom Grieve are my favorite announcers, but I have to disagree with Tom's commentary on Dustin Nippert's outing.  Tom said Nippert's line "won't look good," but "he actually pitched well."  Um. Not really, Tom.  Sure, he had back-to-back 1-2-3 innings and struck out four, but the 1st and 4th innings were hideous.

The bullpen was only slightly better.  Derek Holland entered the game in the 4th inning with the bases juiced and Ichiro up to bat.  Holland got the speedy Mariner to hit a grounder back to him, but Ichiro beat the throw to first, and a run scored.  Holland walked the next batter, giving the Mariners a 3-0 lead.  Holland lasted two innings, walking just one and allowing just the two inherited runs (charged to Nippert).  Darren O'Day took over after Holland got the first out of the 7th inning. O'Day quickly logged the next out but then gave up a single to Ken Griffey Jr. and then another to Franklin Gutierrez. With two on and two out, Ron Washington brought C.J. Wilson in to face Chris Shelton.  Shelton promptly drove in a run on a single. Rob Johnson decided to do the same. The score was 5-3, and the Rangers just never recovered.

KISS: Hank Blalock, who was 2 for 4 with two RBI.

MISS: Nippert.

Tomorrow --  Nelson Cruz will represent Texas and the American League in the Home Run Derby. Cruz replaces Torii Hunter (injured) on the All-Star Game roster.  Ian Kinsler was robbed of joining him.  Dustin Pedroia has opted to skip the mid-summer classic to be with his wife during a difficult pregnancy.  Pedroia was voted in by the fans, yet it was the manager, Joe Maddon, who got to pick the replacement.  He chose to add Carlos Pena.  I guess you can't have too many (four) 1Bs in the All-Star Game, but you only need two 2Bs.

I will miss the Home Run Derby (for work) and probably quite a bit of the All-Star Game.  I've been tempted not to watch the game at all because I'm so irked by all the AL East bias.  I've calmed down about my boys being snubbed, mostly because I think they could all use a bit of a break.  They now have four days at home before the Minnesota Twins land in Arlington.

King Felix rules over the Rangers bats

Felix Hernandez is a formidable opponent. The Rangers have been known to get to him in the past, but the present is a much different story.  In May, Hernandez went 7 innings, holding the Rangers scoreless on four hits. Tonight, the Texas bats managed just one run on three hits.  And, honestly, that one run scored on a wild pitch.

It looked like that one run might be enough, though, as Tommy Hunter had a shaky but scoreless outing of his own. Hunter threw six innings, fanning four Mariners and allowing just four hits. The three walks are the only blemish on his line. 

Darren O'Day followed with a scoreless inning, C.J. Wilson could not keep the zeroes coming.  Ichiro slapped a double into left field, and David Murphy couldn't handle it.  Russell Branyan grounded out to the pitcher, and Javy Lopez flew out.  Next up was C.J.'s childhood hero -- Ken Griffey Jr. Wilson nibbled at the strike zone, and was quickly at a 3-0 count.  Then he got Griffey to chase one, and zoomed another one by him.  After a few more fouls, Griffey worked a walk.  Franklin Gutierrez cleared the bases with a jack to centerfield. 

It was evident C.J. was upset with himself, because when the next batter popped out to the third base side, C.J. jumped in front of Michael Young to make the catch, then he just kind of tossed the ball back toward the mound with a definite pout on his face.  I can't blame C.J. for getting upset, but ... I was still disappointed in the demonstration.

There is little to speak of in terms of Rangers' offense.  Hank Blalock was 2 for 3 and Young was 1 for 4.  Everyone else was hitless. The top of the order came up in the 9th, but they deployed their patented "everyone swing for the fences" strategy. It was ugly.  It looked like they'd already given up.  Perhaps they had.  I hadn't.  I really thought there was still a chance for a comeback.

KISS:  Tommy Hunter, who hung in there despite not having his best stuff. 

MISS:  C.J. Wilson.

Tomorrow -- Scott Feldman (7-2, 3.91 ERA) vs. Brendan Morrow (0-3, 5.05 ERA)

Despite the loss, the Rangers remain in sole possession of 1st place as the Angels were inactive today. They will take on the Yankees this weekend.

Jones tees off in Anaheim

The 5th inning is magical this road trip. So is Andruw Jones.

For the second night in a row, the Rangers hit the scoreboard hard in the 5th inning. They already had a respectable 5-1 lead, but I guess they decided it just wasn't enough. Two outs into the inning, Andruw Jones hit his second home run of the night. Hank Blalock followed with a single and then scored on a Marlon Byrd long ball. David Murphy tried to keep it going with a walk, but Taylor Teagarden struck out to end the inning.  Not to worry, though, Teagarden got in on the hit parade.  He hit his first home run of the season an inning earlier. 

In all, the Rangers had 12 hits, including five home runs, three of which came off the bat of Andruw Jones in his first three at bats.  He had two more chances to get a historical fourth dinger, but he popped out in the 7th and struck out in the 9th.  He still walked away with a smile though.  Anyone know what it would take to wipe that smile off his face?  It seems glued there.

Vicente Padilla did his part too. He pitched six strong innings of one-run baseball. He struck out four, walked one and allowed eight hits. Padilla might have finished the 7th if not for a comeback grounder that he attempted to field with his bare hand -- his pitching hand.  He promptly headed to the clubhouse with a bruised right palm.

Jason Grilli, Eddie Guardado and Darren O'Day helped out their starter. Each threw a scoreless inning.  Only one baserunner reached on their watch, and it was a free pass from Grilli.

Final score -- Rangers 8, Angels 1.

KISS: Who else could it be?  Andruw Jones only had three HRs in his career as a Dodger. He tied that number in one night as a Ranger.  He was 3 for 5 with four RBI.

MISS: Josh Hamilton slides from last night's KISS to tonight's MISS.  He was 0 for 5 with two Ks.  When he did make contact, the balls didn't leave the infield.

It should be a pleasant flight to Seattle for the first place Texas Rangers.

Tomorrow -- Tommy Hunter (1-1, 3.18 ERA) vs. Felix Hernandez (8-3, 2.62 ERA)

Rangers even series with 5th inning rally

Tonight was Dustin Nippert's first appearance in a Rangers uniform this season.  Unfortunately, it was a very short one. Nippert lasted just 3.2 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, including a home run to Juan Rivera. (Frank Francisco gave Rivera another home run late, so Nippert wasn't the only one serving up meatballs.)

The bullpen needed to be solid, and they were. Derek Holland (yes, moved back to the bullpen) came in and was downright dealing.  He went two innings, giving up just one run on one hit. If not for some errors, he might have gone longer, but Ron Washington could not leave the young lefty out there to face Mike Napoli who loves left-handed pitching to the tune of a .467 average and 1.400 OPS.  Jason Jennings entered and promptly hit the first batter and walked the next two, pushing across that one run charged to Holland's tab.

Fortunately, with Holland as the pitcher of record, the Rangers pounded out a two-out, six-run 6th inning rally. It started with a Michael Young single and a Josh Hamilton single. Andruw Jones brought both of them home, as well as himself with a drive to deep centerfield. With the game now tied, Hank Blalock doubled to left, and Marlon Byrd and David Murphy walked. The bases were juiced, and I made the call (to my online friends) for a bases clearing double from Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  Three runs actually crossed during/as a result of Salty's at bat, however.  Blalock scored on a wild pitch, and Salty hit a two-run single and then legged it out to double on the throw home.  I still get credit for the call, right? The scoring was over for the inning, but the momentum was clearly in Texas' favor.

The Angels got another run back in the 6th when Jennings walked in that run. But the offense had Jennings' back, adding a few more insurance runs in the top of the 8th on a Salty walk, an Andrus single, an Ian Kinsler double and a Young sac fly. The Halos struck again in the 9th before Frank Francisco slammed the door on an 8-5 win that pulled the Rangers back into a tie for first place in the AL West with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

KISS: Josh Hamilton, who has kept the promise he made to me in Des Moines last Wednesday night. He told me, "I promise you, I'll start hitting better than I have been."  Tonight, he was 3 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.  In his two games back, Josh is 5 for 9.

MISS: Probably Nippert. He just didn't have his stuff working for him tonight.  He lucked out of a loss as his team rallied.

Tomorrow -- Vicente Padilla (6-4, 4.75 ERA) vs. Ervin Santana (1-4, 7.43 ERA)

Padilla needs to come out strong and striking guys out Wednesday night. The bullpen has worked hard the last two nights and could use a reprieve before the team heads to Seattle.

Davis watch:  Chris Davis was 3 for 4 with a walk in today's game for the OKC RedHawks. He was just a home run shy of the cycle, and he had no strikeouts.  Way to go, Crush!

Millwood falls flat in opener with Halos

Kevin Millwood was due for a bad outing.  Rangers fans just didn't count on it happening tonight.  His ERA ballooned to 3.34 as he gave up nine runs on nine hits and three walks in Anaheim. He only went five innings and threw 78 pitches with too many mistakes.

The bullpen was called in early, and Jason Grilli and Doug Mathis held the Angels scoreless over three innings. Each allowed one base runner, but none of them crossed home. 

Josh Hamilton was a sight for sore eyes, tracking down some fly balls in center and going 2 for 4 at the plate. No other Ranger had multiple hits, and the team was held to just seven all night.  They managed four runs on a Hank Blalock single and an Ian Kinsler home run, but they couldn't rally enough for the win.  Of course, 11 strike outs didn't help.

There's not much else to say about tonight's game.  I'm ready to move on to Tuesday already.

KISS: I think I'll give it to Mathis.  He went two innings, allowing just one hit.  He's been a solid contributor in the bullpen.

MISS: Nelson Cruz was 0 for 4 with three Ks. 

Tomorrow -- Dustin Nippert (making his first appearance this season) vs. John Lackey (3-3, 4.70 ERA)

Davis watch: Chris was 1 for 4 with NO STRIKEOUTS in a 2-0 loss to Omaha.  His one hit was a broken bat flare over the short stop.  Good to see Chris going the other way. 

Tatusko notes: On July 1, Ryan Tatusko threw a one-hitter and was just two outs away from throwing the first no-hitter in Bakersfield in 15 years.  He went 9 innings, striking out seven and walking none. I hope it's just the first of many highlights for him.  But the question is, how do you follow that up?  Tonight he threw 6.2 innings, giving up two runs on six hits. He had three strikeouts.  Not quite as sharp, but Tatusko still has a pretty bright future.

Rangers complete sweep of Rays on national stage

Everytime my boys are on national TV, I'm exceptionally nervous.  They've been known to fold under pressure and make silly mistakes.  Tonight, they certainly bumbled a few plays and decisions, but they came out with a solid 5-2 win, proving they have earned their 1st place tie in the AL West.

Scott Feldman's ERA just keeps dropping everytime he goes to the mound. It's kind of funny, really, because Feldman doesn't have any flashy stuff that would make you sit up and notice him.  Yet he still gets the job done consistently.  Maybe that's why he appeals to me.  I like guys who have to work for what they have instead of those who are just naturally blessed.  Although, I certainly believe Feldman has some natural talent working for him, most of it is hard work on his part.  Tonight, he threw 105 pitches over six innings.  It looked like he'd go much longer after a six-pitch first inning, but he got into a few jams over the next few frames, and made an early exit.  But he left his team in good shape, giving up just two runs on three hits and four walks. He also fanned seven.

The bullpen finished the game out, not allowing a single Rays baserunner over the final three innings. Jason Jennings threw 17 pitches, including 11 strikes, and struck out two.  C.J. Wilson once again relied on the defense behind him to get him out of the inning.  Frank Francisco slammed the door with two flyouts and a strike out as an exclamation point.

The bats appear to be back as well, and it's good to see them playing a little small ball instead of going for the home run everytime.  Texas pounded away at Matt Garza and his 1.98 ERA, scoring five times on seven hits and two walks.  Garza will leave Arlington with a 3.70 ERA and his sixth loss of the season. Four of the five Rangers runs scored on sac flies, although the damage could have been much worse.  Twice, they had the bases loaded with no outs, but they never got more than two runs out of that situation. David Murphy, everyone's favorite 4th outfielder, was perfect at the plate.  He was 3 for 3 with one RBI.

KISS: Tonight's pitchers will share the honor.  Feldman battled through some bad defense and blown calls for a pretty good outing and his seventh win of the season.  Jennings, Wilson and Francisco made sure he got that win.

MISS: Hank Blalock, who has been hot much of the series, finished the game 0 for 4 with three Ks and eight batters left on base.  Yep, he was one of those who came up with the bases juiced on two occasions.

Tomorrow -- Kevin Millwood (8-5, 2.89 ERA) vs. Jered Weaver (8-3, 3.10 ERA)

That pitching matchup is going to be fabulous.  This series is paramount as the Rangers and Angels are tied for 1st place.  Both teams would love to have the lead by Thursday morning.  The Rangers lead the season series 5-1, but all six games have been in Arlington.  It will be interesting to see if the Rangers can take their five-game winning streak momentum and confidence into Angels Stadium.

Hamilton watch:  Josh had two hits (a triple and a double) in game one of a double header today.  He went 0fer in the second game, but it appears his rehab stint is nearly over.  I hope he's ready for some Halo pitching.

Davis drops: Per T.R. Sullivan, Chris Davis has been optioned to AAA Oklahoma City to make room for Hamilton's return.  I can't say I'm shocked, but I'm still sad.  I also believe this will really help Chris find his swing and timing again.  He's a much better hitter than we've seen this year.

All-Star rant:  I was dismayed (but not too surprised) when Dustin Pedroia was announced the starter of the All-Star Game.  Before Thursday, Ian Kinsler had a 7K-vote lead, but that's small cookies for Red Sox Nation, who stuffed the ballot box and gave their man a 73K-vote win.  It's sad, but not nearly as atrocious as the snubbing of Kevin Millwood (among other deserving AL pitchers).  Instead, Joe Maddon took Tim Wakefield, citing his long tenure as the reason.  Um, excuse me...I thought this game was played annually, thus showcasing the best players for THAT SEASON.  Wakefield's 13th worst 4.30 ERA hardly qualifies him.  On the same note, I will openly admit that Josh Hamilton did not earn his starting spot.  He is a loveable guy and a great player, but he hasn't even played half of this season thus far, and even when he was, he wasn't playing well.  Even though he's a rival, Torii Hunter should be going instead of Hamilton.  Hamilton was quoted as saying he knew he didn't deserve it, but because the fans voted him in, he would grant them their wish and go ahead and play.  Michael Young will also represent the Rangers in his sixth All-Star Game appearance. By the way, Kinsler still has a shot at going to the mid-summer classic via fan vote as the 33rd man.

Hunter earns first ML win on 23rd birthday

I usually feel pretty special on my birthday. Apparently, Tommy Hunter does too. Tonight, he had his pitches working for him, and he held the league leaders in scoring to one run on three hits. His effort earned him his first big league win in front of the hometown crowd (and a bunch of his family and friends) on the 23rd anniversary of his birth. What a way to celebrate!

Defense was hit and miss early in the game. Ian Kinsler committed his sixth error of the season. Jarrod Saltalamacchia overthrew second on a pickoff attempt.  Chris Davis hesitated on a grounder and ended up just getting one out when some thought he should have gotten two.  On the flip side, Marlon Byrd made a sweet catch in the outfield.  With an assist from Kinsler's acting ability, Byrd also successfully gunned down Carl Crawford at first to end the 1st inning.

Texas finally came up with their first runs of the game in the 4th inning when Andruw Jones reached first base on an error and then scored on a Hank Blalock home run.  The Rays rallied to within one the following frame, but that's all the closer they got.  For good measure, the Rangers added another run in the 6th on a Byrd double.

Jason Jennings, C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco labored to secure the win. There were only two baserunners (both on walks) during their 3.1 innings of relief. Jennings fanned two and Francisco got one, while Wilson relied on his infield for the outs.

KISS: Tommy Hunter outlasted former All-Star Scott Kazmir, throwing 90 pitches in 5.1 innings. He struck out five and walked three.

MISS: The bottom third of the order -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Chris Davis and Elvis Andrus -- was 1 for 8 with a walk and five Ks.

Tomorrow -- Derek Holland (1-5, 6.20 ERA) vs. David Price (2-2, 3.93 ERA)

Hamilton watch:  Tonight in Des Moines, Josh went 0 for 5 with a few "sharp" ground outs, a flyout and a game-ending strike out.  He wanted to be activated by tomorrow, but tonight Jon Daniels said it will probably be Monday at the earliest.  Josh's timing is good, but he still needs to nail down the contact.

It's all about Benjamin:  I noticed Casey Benjamin last year, but my interest in him was rejuvenated during the RedHawks' recent series in Iowa.  Admittedly, my interest isn't purely related to his athletic talents. :-)  Anyway...he served as bullpen catcher Wednesday night, and he was DH Thursday night.  Tonight, (of course when I'm not at the game) he's in the field. He started at 2nd and moved to left during a shuffle to replace the injured Brandon Boggs. He has been on base FOUR TIMES -- two doubles, a single and a walk.  Super, super sexy.

Speaking of the RedHawks/I-Cubs series, here are my photos from Wednesday and Thursday. (Note: Thursday is very Casey-heavy. That was not intentional.)

RedHawks win 1-0 in extra innings

Everyone in the RedHawks lineup got at least six at bats. A total of 14 pitchers were used between both teams. The Iowa Cubs bullpen was empty by the 14th inning.  The crowd whittled from nearly 10,000 to probably about 1,000.  But the RedHawks fans who stayed were treated to a win.

The two teams were scoreless through 13 innings, but finally in the 14th, the visitors got something going. Brandon Boggs drew a lead-off walk.  It took two pitchers to do this...and halfway through, he switched from right-handed to left-handed.  Greg Golson followed with a strikeout, and I feared we were on our way to another goose egg.  But Steven Murphy came through with a single. Jose Vallejo grounded into a force out, but Boggs and Murphy both advanced. Kevin Richardson drove in the lone run on a single past the second baseman.  Josh Hamilton closed the inning with a strikeout.

The Iowa Cubs tried to rally in the bottom half of the frame. After two fly outs, Warner Madrigal surrendered a double to Matt Camp. Fortunately, the next batter, the veteran So Taguchi, grounded out to third. 

The evening, though pleasant weather-wise, was finally over.

Tonight was my first look at many of the RedHawks players. Of course I was familiar with many names thanks to Scott Lucas, Jamey Newberg and Eleanor Czajka, but I was finally able to see some faces and some abilities.  Here are some of my impressions...

- Esteban German has great reflexes and surprising speed.

- Steven Murphy covers left field like no one else.  And he has a gun for an arm.  Amazing.

- Clayton Hamilton doesn't have a lot of velocity, but his change-up was like kryptonite for the I-Cubs. They could not figure it out.

- Neftali Feliz hit 98mph on the final strike he threw.  Wow.

- Greg Golson had no idea anyone called him "Tool Shed."  He got a good laugh out of that.

Josh Hamilton's rehab performance wasn't outstanding.  He batted lead-off as the designated hitter and went 1 for 7 with two strikeouts.  He had a warning track flyout and a few infield groundouts.  After the game, though, he stayed and signed for everyone who wanted an autograph -- which was a large crowd.  When he got to me, I had him sign the photo of us together on Opening Day. He said to me, "I promise you I will start hitting."  I told him I wasn't worried about him and that it looked like his teammates' bats were waking up.  He said, "No kidding. It's good to see them get going again."  I think he's antsy to rejoin his club, but Josh seems to have fun no matter where he is.

KISS: I'm gonna give it to the catcher, Kevin Richardson.  He was 2 for 6 with one RBI. Plus, he caught seven different pitchers over the course of 14 innings.  He's a trooper!

MISS: Greg Golson was 0 for 6 with four strikeouts.  I guess maybe the "tool shed" moniker freaked him out.

I'm heading back out for some more RedHawks action Thursday night.  According to one usher, the next two nights are sold out.  I'm sure much of that is due to the holiday and fireworks.  Also, there's a rumor that Aramis Ramirez will be rehabbing in Des Moines tomorrow night too. 

I'll put some pictures up soon.  I'm too tired to go through them yet tonight.

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P.S. It was awesome to see the Rangers get a win.  I kept up via phone all night, and I nearly cheered when I saw Hank Blalock had hit a walk-off homer.  The Rangers are back to 1/2 game behind the Angels. The Texas boys now get a day off before the Rays roll into town on Friday.

5 home runs + 5 Byrd RBI + 4 Elvis stolen bases = win!

Ian Kinsler hit a lead-off home run, and that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the night. The Texas bats apparently were tired of hearing about their disappearing act, and showed up in force tonight.  The Rangers drilled five home runs. Two belonged to Marlon Byrd.  Meanwhile, little E (Elvis Andrus) was showing off his wheels with four stolen bases. That's just one shy of the club record for stolen bases in a single game.

Scott Feldman got off to a bit of a shaky start.  He allowed two two-out baserunners in the first and then squandered his team's three-run lead in the second on five singles. After that, he settled down, and the Angels didn't score again on his watch. In fact, only one Angel reached base after that -- Kendry Morales on a walk in the 6th.  Feldman is a true gamer.  He could have let that second-inning rally get in his head, but he didn't.  Instead, he fought back and held the Halos down while his teammates went to work at the plate.

The Rangers' bats absolutely punished Joe Saunders.  They teed off for eight runs on six hits, including four home runs, inflating his ERA from 3.66 to 4.24. Chris Davis was the only Ranger without a hit. (But he only had one strikeout!!  It's all about the little victories, folks.)  Saunders also handed the Rangers five free passes.  Three of them came around to score. 

There was a bit of drama in the 9th.  C.J. Wilson loaded the bases with a double, a hit batter and a fielder's choice/error on Andrus.  He struck out Figgins, but Washington decided enough was enough.  He got Frank Francisco in.  Rob Quinlan, the first batter for FF, singled in two runs, but then Frankie struck out the next two, securing the win.

KISS: It's a tough call between Byrd and Andrus, so I think I'll let them share it.  Byrd was 2 for 5 with two home runs and 5 RBI. Andrus was 2 for 3 with four stolen bases.

MISS: C.J. Wilson's 9th inning drama took a little away from my enjoyment.

Tomorrow -- Kevin Millwood vs. Jered Weaver

Of course, I'll miss tomorrow's game.  I'll be at the RedHawks/I-Cubs game in Des Moines.  I made plans to go to this series a long time ago, and I always look forward to it. The bonus this week is that Josh Hamilton is rehabbing with the AAA team.  So, yes, Hambone is IN my home state.  Or will be soon.  :)  I'll be tweeting during the game, so if you have twitter, and you're curious about Hamilton's progress, follow me at www.twitter.com/mkc2317.

O'Sullivan sinks Rangers

Julio Borbon made his major league debut tonight, hitting sixth in the order and serving as the designated hitter.  His debut will wind-up being pretty forgettable -- an 0 for 3 with two strike outs.  Forgetting about this game might not be such a bad deal though.

David Murphy and Marlon Byrd hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the third to give Texas a 2-0 lead.  Unfortunately, those were the only runs for the home team while the visitors put up one run in the fourth inning and four more in the sixth.

Vicente Padilla had his stuff working through four innings.  Even with the one run he gave up in the fourth, he still looked good.  He'd only allowed one hit in the first three innings, and that runner was quickly erased on a double play.  The Angels got their bats on three during the fourth inning, including an RBI double. There was one more Angels hit in the fifth, but then the meltdown happened in the sixth --- Padilla allowed six consecutive hits without notching an out.  Two of those hits were home runs, which plated three runs for the AL West leaders.  Padilla was done.

Jason Jennings allowed one inherited runner to score, but then held the Angels scoreless for six more outs.  Jason Grilli relieved Jennings and allowed just one baserunner in his inning of work.  Eddie Guardado allowed two one-out singles before striking out Vlad Guerrero, and Doug Mathis finished off the inning.

Meanwhile, the Rangers offense could not get a rally built.  After the two third inning homers, the Rangers managed to get just four baserunners in scoring position.  But they could not bring those runners all the way home.  They only struck out five times, but there were more pop ups and warning track outs than I care to count at the moment.  Those are sometimes more frustrating than a K. Ok, maybe not, but it's close.

KISS: Marlon Byrd, who was 3 for 4 with one homer and an RBI.

MISS: Taylor Teagarden and Chris Davis, who were a combined 0 for 8 with one K.

Tomorrow -- Scott Feldman (5-2, 4.06 ERA) vs. Joe Saunders (8-4, 3.66 ERA)

Hunter's efforts go unrewarded

Tommy Hunter, called up to make a spot start in place of Matt Harrison, was the one bright spot in tonight's game.  That's no exaggeration.  The Alabama alum went 6.1 innings, throwing 94 pitches and giving up two runs on seven hits.  He didn't walk a single batter, but he struck out three.  It was all the Rangers asked him to do and more.

The same cannot be said for the offense, which was MIA yet again. I am completely embarrassed that this team was one-hit by Chad Gaudin and Heath Bell.  The same team that beat Dan Haren, John Danks, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee was shut out by a guy who came into the game with a 3-6 record and a 5.60 ERA. Does not compute.

Texas had just five baserunners tonight.  Five.  The entire nine innings. Michael Young and David Murphy served as four of those.  Young had a first-inning hit and a ninth-inning walk.  Murphy had a first-inning walk and reache on an error in the third.  Conversely, this team struck out 10 times and sent at least five balls to the warning track.  It's getting very frustrating to watch this team.

You have to wonder when they'll make a drastic move.  I'm guessing they'll wait and see what impact Josh Hamilton has when he returns from the disabled list.  He hopes it will be this weekend.  He will DH for Frisco Monday, workout with the Rangers Tuesday and play the outfield for Oklahoma on Wednesday (I'll be at that game!!).  His return can't come soon enough, but at the same time, I don't want him to rush his recovery. 

KISS: Tommy Hunter, who exceeded expectations and gave this team EVERY opportunity to win the game.  That's all you can ask of him.

MISS: Where do I even begin?

Tomorrow -- Vicente Padilla (6-3, 4.48 ERA) vs. Sean O'Sullivan (1-0, 3.00 ERA)

This week's series with the Angels is pivotal.  The Halos come in with a 1.5 game lead.  The Rangers swept them the last time they were in Arlington, but this doesn't feel like the same team that was there that day. It's a no brainer that I want Texas to take at least two. Moreover, I just want this team to find their bats again.

Holland's homefield struggles continue

Derek Holland made club history tonight, but probably not the kind he'd like.  He allowed the Padres 13 hits, which ties a club record for most hits allowed by one pitcher in a game.  His ERA at home is likely over 9.00 after this outing, in which he surrendered six earned runs in 5.2 innings.  It's hard to believe he struck out eight in that time, and it's much harder to get excited about it.  I still believe Holland has great potential, but these growing pains are difficult to take. 

The offense looked off again tonight.  They scored three times on five hits, including a Chris Davis home run. They also struck out 10 times, including six looking.  It was just an ugly, ugly night for the bats. I'm choosing to blame their late return from Phoenix on Friday morning for the offensive fail.  In my experience, fatigue doesn't hit you the first day after a sleepless night, it's the second day.  Hopefully, they can all rest tonight and get it together tomorrow. They'll need to, Tommy Hunter will be taking the mound in place of Matt Harrison, who is on the disabled list for soreness in his left bicep. 

Outside of one spectacular play by Elvis Andrus (which ended up as a double play), the defense was pretty flat as well. Michael Young tried to snag a grounder from the side, and he sailed a throw to first.  Earlier in the game, Chris Davis knocked down a grounder, but then made a poor throw to Derek Holland.  Although it wouldn't have mattered, Holland was about two steps behind the runner.

The Rangers are now in second place in the West, a half-game behind the Angels, after a 50-day run in first.

KISS: Doug Mathis, who was surprisingly solid tonight.  He pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just three baserunners.

MISS: The bottom third of the order struck out six times in nine at bats.

Tomorrow -- Tommy Hunter 0-0, 5.06 ERA) vs. Chad Gaudin (3-6, 5.60 ERA)

Hunter has appeared in just one major league game this season.  He went 5.1 innings against Oakland on May 29.  He gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks that day.

Andrus is perfect at the plate in 12-2 win

San Diego got on the board first tonight -- with Tony Gwynn Jr.'s first home run...a lead-off shot -- but the Rangers' offense pounded away, winning 12-2 behind Kevin Millwood.

Texas scored in every inning except the 5th, 6th and 8th (they didn't have to play the bottom of 9).  It's tough to tell if the offense is truly back or if they've just stumbled upon some bad pitching.  Either way, it was good to see some runners and runs.  Although, I dare say it was almost boring.  I don't love the drama of close games all the time (a thriller now and then is great), but tonight's was such a blow-out that I was ready for it to just be over.  Surely, the boys felt the same way, having landed in the Metroplex around 6 a.m. today. Poor C.J. Wilson returned to a flat tire on his truck, so his bed time was delayed even more.  Fortunately, he didn't have to pitch tonight, but if the others were feeling any effects from the lack of sleep, it didn't show.

Kevin Millwood, who likely headed back to Arlington ahead of his team, gave his standard 7 inning, 4 hit, 2 run, 5 K performance tonight.  Last year, that kind of line would have been a thrill.  These days, Rangers fans just expect it.  Millwood was pretty much given an ultimatum last fall -- shape up or you'll be shipping out -- and he responded.  He truly looks like this team's ace this season.  He is currently sitting in 5th place for ERA in the American League.  Only Zack Greinke, Edwin Jackson, Jered Weaver and Roy Halladay are ahead of him.   

A blast of offense sure helped.  The Rangers bats slapped out 13 hits, including two doubles, a triple and two home runs.  A two-spot in the bottom of the first gave them the lead, and they just kept adding to it the rest of the game -- 4 runs in the second, 3 runs in the third, 1 run in the fourth and 2 runs in the seventh. The only two in the lineup without a hit were Michael Young and Nelson Cruz.  Young made up for it with a sweet spin play on a grounder early in the game. The bases were loaded, so one run scored, but the damage could have been so much worse if the ball had gotten by him into left field.

KISS: Elvis Andrus, who had a 4 for 4 night after having yesterday off.  He drove in two runs and scored once.  He had an error in the field, but, really, who cares?

MISS: I should say Young, who was 0 for 4 with two Ks, but that defense saved him.  No one will get this tonight.

Tomorrow -- Derek Holland (1-4, 5.77 ERA) vs. Kevin Correia (4-5, 4.26 ERA)

Davis has an extra special night

It's an understatement to say Chris Davis has had a rough season, offensively.  There's probably no one more disappointed in his sub-.200 batting average than him.  Tonight, he busted out though, becoming the first Ranger with a three-hit game of the roadtrip.  In fact, he ended up with four hits, including what ended up being the tie-breaker in the top of the 12th.

Early on, extra innings didn't look necessary. Scott Feldman didn't have his best stuff, but he made his way through six innings.  In that time, he gave up three runs on four hits, including a two-run home run in the first frame. He also allowed a run to score on a wild pitch before exiting the game. t the plate, he was 0 for 2.

The bullpen had to battle through the next six innings. Darren O'Day gave up a run in his one inning. Frank Francisco served up a two-run homer in the 8th to tie the game. He had only notched one out, but C.J. Wilson came in to take over. He held the Diamondbacks down for 1.1, and Jason Grilli and Eddie Guardado kept the zeroes coming.

Meanwhile, the Rangers struggled to get men home in extras. The 10th and 11th had promise -- runners at 1st and second and two outs in the 10th and a runner on third in the 11th -- but no cigar.  The 12th looked dismal for a few moments when Marlon Byrd quickly grounded out and then Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out with Nelson Cruz standing on second.  Then, Davis came to the plate, and, a few pitches later, he drove it into deep right center.  8-6 Rangers.  David Murphy wasn't about to be the third out.  He followed up with a homer of his own. The Rangers ended up needing that run. Ian Kinsler singled and stole second and Omar Vizquel walked.  Arizona scrambled to their bullpen again, and finally got Michael Young to strike out.

Jason Jennings allowed a single and a walk to lead off the bottom of the 12th. Then he struck out Mark Reynolds and got Gerardo Parra to ground back to him. Two outs, runners on 2nd and 3rd, Jennings just needed one more.  Unfortunately, two runs scored before he could get that out.  9-8 was the final score.  The Rangers head back to Arlington with a half-game lead on the Angels and sole possession of 1st place again.

KISS:  Davis.  He deserves it after his night.  He was 4 for 5 with two RBI and a walk.  And, as usual, his defense was sparkling as well.

MISS: Frankie Francisco's blown save.  Instead of just winning in 9 innings, we had to max out the bullpen before a late late trip home.

Honored :: Omar Vizquel, with a hit in the first inning, became the record-holder for most hits by a Venezuelan-native.

On his way :: Josh Hamilton took batting practice today and reports are favorable.

Tomorrow -- Kevin Millwood (7-5, 2.62 ERA) vs. Walter Silva (0-0, 6.00 ERA)

Padilla shines as Rangers end skid

This team perplexes me. They can't beat recent call-ups, yet they've beat five aces this season, including Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee, John Danks, Roy Halladay and now, Dan Haren.

Vicente Padilla is no ace, but if you take out his disaster in Yankee Stadium, he's been very solid this season. Tonight, he went seven innings, giving up just one run on six hits and two walks.  And he didn't hit anyone.  Since it's Padilla, this must be said.  In fact, it should be said that he hasn't hit a batter since that fiasco in Yankee Stadium on June 2. That's impressive. Oh, and Padz was 0 for 2 at the plate with a strikeout, but he did lay down a nice bunt to advance the runner in the 4th inning.

While Padilla did his thing, the bats showed a little life. They only had four hits, but two of them came with runners in scoring position, something Texas has been very poor at in recent games.  The Rangers took a 2-0 lead in the 3rd. It looked like that might not be enough when the Diamondbacks grabbed a run in the 5th.  Fortunately, Frank Francisco and C.J. Wilson each had a solid outing. Francisco allowed just one hit while Wilson made sure the Diamondbacks stayed off the bases in the 9th.

Ron Washington used Francisco in the 8th, but that doesn't mean he's out as closer. He'd like to see how Frankie responds if he needs to be used again tomorrow.  In the meantime, I'm fine with Wilson in the closer role as well. 

KISS: I'm going to go with Padilla, Francisco and Wilson.  They battled on a night when the bats still weren't cooking and kept their team in the game.

MISS: Brandon Boggs, who was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Tomorrow -- Scott Feldman (5-2, 4.02 ERA) vs. Jon Garland (4-7, 4.99 ERA)

I made a mathematical error last night. The Rangers have not slipped into 2nd place. They are currently sharing 1st place honors with the Angels.  My apologies for the error. Sometimes my baseball math isn't so great.

A few minor notes...

- El Duque was activated today and joined the OKC roster.

- Neftali Feliz is now working out of the OKC 'pen, an indication that he may be called up to help the big boys in relief as well.   I'm not sure this is the right move for him developmentally, but I'm not the manager or owner, so I'll let them call the shots.

-  I'm really enjoying the numbers Blake Beavan (AA Frisco) and Ryan Tatusko (A Bakersfield) are turning in.  Beavan has made two starts since being promoted, though he doesn't have a record for either start.  He was smacked around a little in his first start, giving up five runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. He followed that up with a seven-inning, six-hit, one-run outing.  He has walked one and struck out 10 since his promotion. Tatusko has also made two starts in place of Michael Main, who was diagnosed with mononucleosis. He is 2-0 in those starts, giving up just one run on nine hits and two walks in 12.2 innings. He has fanned seven in that span.  He's currently sporting a 2.00 ERA.