Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Is It Time to Panic?

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: The Rangers have lost 3 in a row, including the last game where Yu had 14 strikeouts and 0 BB's.  There are only 27 outs in a ballgame for gosh dog dog!

Offense continues to be mediocre.  The Rangers' pitching staff is going to need the offense to score more than 3 or 4 runs every once in a while.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Sure they've lost 3 straight but it is very cool to see Elvis and Beltre still have fun during the games.  Sure Beltre looks angry after Elvis touches his head but he'll crack a smile right after trying to kick Elvis and then throwing his glove at him:



Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Don't look now but the A's are only 3 games back going into tonight's action.

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Saturday, May 25, 2013

Bad Call In Last Night's Win Versus Merman Demonstrates Why Replay Needed In MLB

Here's the terrible call, albeit in the Rangers favor, on a double play ball when the Rangers were on defense. Watch closely.  Moreland is on 1B waiting for the throw but for some reason Grimm steps in front of him and intercepts the throw.  And Grimm of course isn't on 1B so no double play right?  Wrong.  The ump thinks Moreland caught it:

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Hate to win a game when a terrible of call like that is involved.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But it wasn't a 1 run game or anything.  The Rangers offense woke up, as it's prone to do every 3-5 games, and put up 9 runs in support of Grimm's start.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Are the powers that be (Selig) really going to say replay isn't needed in MLB?  Really?

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Thursday, May 23, 2013

Rangers Win Series Versus DET, Then Lose 2 Out of 3 Versus A's

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Rangers managed only 5 runs in the 3 game series versus the A's.  The Rangers' offense still looks bad with flashes of being good every 3-5 games.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: The Rangers avoided the sweep versus the A's behind a good start by 30 year old Ross Wolf, making only his 3rd big league appearance.

And that's a trend for the Rangers this year, Tepesch, Grimm and now Wolf have stepped up and given the Rangers some quality starts.

And after all that the Rangers are still up on the A's 5.5 games.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: In the DET series in the Yu versus Verlander game with the Rangers well up Wash left Yu well past 100 pitches (130?).  Why?  Made no sense at all no matter the explanations given by Wash.

Next up the Mermen.

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Thursday, May 16, 2013

Rangers, Ogando Win Getaway Game Versus A's, Ogando on DL

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Ogando is on the DL.  Crap, he looked great his last few times out.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: If that's how Ogando looks injured hopefully he'll be even better when he comes off the DL.  Ogando took a no hitter into the 6th, not too shabby.   Nellie hit his 10th homer of the year putting him 1 behind the league leaders.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Next up DET, Yu vs. Verlander.

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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Beltre, Moreland Homer in 10th to Beat A's 6-5

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:  Doogie the Dutch Oven Holland wasn't bad but he wasn't as good as he had been his last few starts giving up 4 ER's.  Joe Nathan look shaky to say the least in the bottom of 10, he walked 3 (1 BB was intentional) and gave up a run, before getting the save with the bases loaded.  A border line call that went against Nathan with 1 out looked like it really got to him.  And then guess what?  After that the ump behind the plate didn't give Nathan any close calls.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Moreland is, dare I say it, on a tear.  He had 2 homers, one of which was in the top of 10.  He homered the game before.  And Beltre had just hit a solo shot earlier in the 10th.  That gave the Rangers a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of 10.

And for one of the seemingly few times this year the bats picked up the pitching staff, giving some decent run support

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Extra innings plus it being a west coast game is tough for Rangers' fans here in Texas, turns into a late night.

I think the pitching staff misses having A.J. Pierzynski behind the plate.

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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Rangers Aren't Going to Win Many Games When They Score 1 Run

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: They lost to the A's.  Again, the league seems to be figuring out Grimm, as evidenced last night.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:  Murph's average inched up again.  Moreland went yard again, accounting for the sole Rangers' run.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Holland has been great lately, he's given up only 1 run and 1 walk in his last 2 starts.  Let's see if Holland can pitch like he has been tonight.  A complete game shutout would be nice.

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Monday, May 13, 2013

Rangers Swept the 'Stros, Next Up Oakland

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Pierzynski is still on the DL of course.  Murph is still struggling at the plate hitting just .200, and there seems to be a lot of Rangers batting between .240-.275.  Also, other teams seem to be figuring out Tepesch and Grimm.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: The Rangers did sweep Houston.  Their lead in the division is up to 6.  And David, "Charlie" Murphy's average is at least inching upward, as are most of the players' averages.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: So let's see if the Rangers can put some more distance between them and the A's in these next 3 games in CA.

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Rangers Get a Day Off

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: AJ Pierzynski is going on or has already been placed on the 15 day DL.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Colby Lewis is set to make a rehab start for one of the minor league teams.  And the Rangers get to go play the Astros next.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: The offense is still not clicking but they have the biggest lead in the division they've had all year.

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Sunday, May 5, 2013

Rangers Sweep East Division Leading Red Sox

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Holland, Ogando and Darvish and the bullpen were great and kept the mighty Boston offense in check.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Murphy continued to struggle at the plate.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Hopefully Murph will start to turn it around.

And looking way ahead, the Rangers finally play the A's next week.

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Thursday, May 2, 2013

Rangers Lose First Series of Year to White Sox

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:  The Rangers lost 2 out of 3 to the White Sox.  The Rangers' offense only managed 3 runs in the 2 losses.  The Rangers aren't going win too many games when they score 1 or 2 runs per game, no team is.  Base running continued to be a problem for the Rangers.  Wash admitted that he left Tepesch in too long in the 2nd game of the series.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Up to that point in the second game of the series though Tepesch again looked good.  And in the the first game of the series the Rangers offense went off for 10 runs.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: The Rangers lead in the division is now only 1.5 games over the A's.

Next up the Red Sox and Napoli, who is tearing it up for his new team.

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When Last We Left Our Boys of Summer...

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