Magic Number is 9, 12 More Games to Go

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Kins cannot seem to help getting picked off on the base pads.

Josh is having vision problems apparently, needless to say that's not good for someone in his profession much less someone who's going to be a free agent at the end of the season.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Beltre is awesome.  Yu is throwing wicked stuff and is hardly walking anyone. And the Rangers just won 2 out of 3 versus the Halos.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: The Rangers have 7 games left against the second place A's.  Still a boatload of baseball to be played.

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19 Games Left in the Regular Season, We Have Half a Tank of Gas, Half a Pack of Smokes, We're Wearing Sunglasses and It's Dark, Let's Role*

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Yeah, the blown save sucked last night.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Keep in mind Joe Nathan had a record number of consecutive saves going before last night.  And he should NOT have been booed by the hometown fans last night when he left the field.  He should have received a very much deserved standing ovation.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: *The above is a bad paraphrasing from the Blues Brothers.  After most of the season completed, the Rangers are up 3 games on the A's in the division with 19 games to go.  Get ready, it should be a fun ride.

Josh is playing tonight.  AB (Adrian Beltre) DH'd last night.  Yes, Joe Nathan blew the save last night.  As a good friend said, that's good timing, now he's due to string together another 30+ save streak just in time for the home-stretch and the playoffs.

Seattle has been pretty darn good since the All-Star break, so no one should be taking this series against them for granted.

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Hello Playoff-Like Baseball; Rangers Lose Pitching Duel to Rays in 11th Inning 3-1

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: The Rangers' offense managed only one run against the Ray's starter.

The Rangers' relievers fell behind the count to too many batters.  That combined with too many BB's by relievers eventually caught up to the bullpen in the 11th.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Of course that one run by the Rangers was a solo homer by Mr. Ranger, Michael Young  who continues to have a hot bat in September.

And Holland gave up only 2 hits in 8 IP, the first of which was a solo homer by Longoria, the only run Doogie gave up.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: As a friend noted, this was a tense game from beginning to end.  Hopefully next time the Rangers are in a tight game like this Adams, Ogando and/or Nathan will be available.

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I Hate The Texas Rangers (Not Really, Just Joking, Kinda)

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: I really got nothin'. Although, I think Kins may have been run down or picked off between each base this year, way to go.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Oh yeah, they won tonight and Beltre and Murph continue to be the All-Stars of this team.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: I hate the Rangers (not really, just joking, kinda).  Let me explain, here's why I wrote that.  We have been spoiled by these last 2 full seasons, hopefully going on 3 where they make the playoffs, again (knock on wood).  In other words, these Rangers teams the last 3-5 years under Wash have spoiled us.  And for that I kinda hate 'em.  Now we as fans, it seems like, almost expect to make the playoffs each year.  And those are mighty high expectations.  Just remember that no matter what may come this year, or the next, or the many more years after, that we had at least these years.  I'm just saying don't take them for granted and I'll kinda hate the Rangers for spoiling us.

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Welcome to the Majors Mr. Profar, Rangers Beat Up on Tribe 8-3

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Doogie Holland gave up 6 hits in his first 3 IP.  He was going so bad that Wash came out and gave him a talking to.  It seems Wash is having to go out to the mound when Doogie is pitching a lot.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: The rest of the way the Dutch Oven only gave up one more hit, going a total of 7 innings.

Oh yeah, Jurickson Profar, the much ballyhooed minor leaguer, made his major league debut.  And in his first at bat he went yard.  First Texas Ranger to ever do that ( another player did it back in the 60's when the organization was in DC and called the Senators).  Next at bat he had a sharply hit double.  The at bat after that it sure looked like his new teammates hid his helmet and bat in the dugout and caused him to be late coming to the plate.  And Profar got the pie in the face during his postgame interview on the field.  Pranks have been and will be played on newbies, fun to see.

Not to be outdone, Hamilton, Beltre and David "Charlie" Muphy all went deep in the top of the 5th in a span of 6 pitches.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: After losing to the Tribe last night the Rangers' offense bounced back nicely.

There was an airshow apparently going on in CLE and you could hear the planes flying over.  From the sound of it the airshow was taking place in the ballpark's parking lot and the planes were flying 100 feet over the top of the ballpark.

With the win today Wash tied the late great Johnny Oates for the second most wins by a Rangers manager.  Not too shabby.

I know it's only one game but, if Profar is half as good as they say what does that mean for the players on the roster currently and for Profar?  Kins just signed a big extension before this year. And Elvis and Beltre aren't free agents until 2015 and 2016 respectively.  So where does Profar fit?  Convert him to an outfielder?  Don't get me wrong it's a good problem to have.

Going into today the A's have won 7 straight and are 3 GB.  Who are those guys and why won't they lose a ballgame?

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Despite Errors Rangers Beat Cle 5-3 Friday Night

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Two errors in the same inning by Elvis helped the Tribe score a run.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Get this, Josh walked twice.  In the same game!  Beltre continued to have the hot bat as did Muph and Kins.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Why won't the stinkin' A's lose a game.  Now the A's have won 7 straight and still are hanging tough, 4 GB

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Rangers Win Pitching Duel 1-0 Versus Rays

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Obviously the offense didn't have what we have come to expect from the Rangers in August, that being a great offensive output tonight.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Yuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!  7 IP, scattered 6 hits, only 2 BB's and  10 K's.  Not too shabby.  And Kins had a solo shot to account for the only run of the ballgame.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: OK, the Rangers have the best record in the AL but, the pesky A's are hanging tough and are still only 5.5 GB.  The Rangers have 4 more games at home against the A's the last full week of the season and 3 more after that against them at Oakland, by the way.  So, those might be mighty important ballgames if this holds up.

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Rangers Beat Cy Young Favorite David Price, Rays 6-5

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Doogie Holland looked shaky early.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: After a talking to by pitching coach Mike Maddux, Holland settled down.  Oh yeah, Beltre was a triple away from hitting for the cycle.  Again.  In less than a week.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: The ballgame was on ESPN and all the ESPN announcers could talk about was how great Maddon and Price are.

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Beltre Hits for the Cycle, Rangers Win 8-0

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Rangers had an error in the game, albeit by Harrison.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Harrison had a no hitter going into the 7th and left the game only giving up 2 hits.  Awesome.

Beltre, who's been on a tear of late, hit for the cycle.  Again, awesome.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Hello best record in the AL.

And the Red Sox apparently officially threw in the towel and traded away Gonzalez, Beckett and Crawford to the Dodgers.  I wonder if this means Bobby Valentine will get another year with a new group of players or if they'll give him a pink slip at the end of the year.  Ready to have Bobby V as a TV talking head again?

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Offense Continues to Roll, Rangers Win 10-6

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: The Rangers, with Oswalt starting in place of an ailing Yu, again gave up a first inning run.  Again.

And Oz apparently doesn't know how to execute a run down between 3rd and home. When the ball was hit right back at the mound and the runner, going on contact, was caught in no man's land Oz had the ball and just stood there near the mound and threw to 3B.  Don't just stand there, run at the base runner.  And Beltre was somehow given an error on the play when he threw around the base runner to home even though Soto caught the ball but dropped it trying to apply the tag.

Scheppers looked good at first, getting 2 quick outs, then shaky, loading the bases in the top of the 9th.  Then, Elvis had a throwing error that scored 2 that made it 10-6.

This game was closer than the final score indicates.  A huge offensive explosion in the bottom of the 8th (Rangers scored 6 runs) broke a 4-4 tie and put it out of reach.  Gotta wonder how different the game would have been if the Twins' starter isn't thrown out in the early innings.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But the early run wasn't a crooked number so I guess that's something.  Beltre went yard again.  Josh had a double that scored 2 early and had 5 total RBI's in the game.

Oh yeah, Nathan came in to clean up the mess and got his 23rd consecutive save and Wash notched is 500th win as Rangers' manager.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: After Oz plunked Mauer, the Twin's pitcher threw a ball at Josh's head (it missed him).  The ump threw out the pitcher and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire.  I don't know if both dugouts had been warned prior to the the brush back pitch to Josh.  If so, then retaliate at your own risk.

Oh yeah, the vaunted Halos were 8.5 GB  and had lost 13 of the 20 games they've played in August going into tonight.  Where's John Kruk gushing about how the Angels are the team to beat in the West now?

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