Rangers Get Shutout By Lowly A's

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

5 hits tonight. 5 hits last night. Total runs = 2.

2 stinkin' runs in 2 nights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Arias, in for the injured Kinsler at second, continues to play in shallow right field.

1 RBI in the last 2 nights. Hitting is the problem. Hitting! Not pitching, hitting. It seems like they either score 2 or 7. And they don't help a pitcher out that gives up an early lead. At least it seems like it is from my eyeball test without crunching any numbers. I'm probably wrong but, there's more below about the hitting.

Doogie Holland's confidence is again shaken by a poor showing.

Salty is still having problems throwing the ball back to the pitcher. He actually bounced one to Doogie tonight that got past him. Has no one else noticed this? Ranger pitcher is constantly stretching, jumping or otherwise reaching for throws from Salty to the mound. Watch to confirm.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

?

Hey did anyone see Feliz, "Nolan Jr.", strikeout the first 4 he faced last night?

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:

When is the highest paid hitting coach in baseball going to be asked some tough questions?

By Washington? No, probably not by Wash, he didn't hire him.

Is Daniels going to talk to him? Nope, he didn't hire him either(and Daniels was 17 years old when Jaramillo started working for the Rangers).

Nolan Ryan? No, he didn't hire him either.

Hicks? He's his boss but, he's newer to the franchise than Jaramillo and he's busy trying to sell the franchise.

Jaramillo pre-dates all his bosses(1995 is when he came on the staff! Hicks bought the team in 1998.). Who does he have pictures of doing what with what and/or who exactly?

And, has anyone really examined how his success with hitters coincides with the "steroid era"(let's say the "steroid era" is early 90's-2004? I don't know you tell me.) in baseball generally and the Rangers specifically? To use a phrase of JJ's, "I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin." Who're Jaramillo's biggest success stories exactly? ARod? Palmiero? Juando? Pudge? Canseco?

Hopefully the Rangers get their hitting groove back before they play 3 at Halo this weekend otherwise...

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That sucked total asss!!!

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

I watched the last 15 minutes to see the Rangers lose to the pathetic A's.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

Sorry, I got nothing here. Nelson Cruz even managed to get hurt on the last play.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:

Washington manages to use 6 pitchers for a shut-out, but at the end, with the pitcher struggling, does not visit the mound, does not switch pitchers, nothing. I know the hits were not that hard, but why use 6 pitchers right up until the end, and then not change when the game is at its more important point?

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- Rangers Past & Present by Batting Stance Guy

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- Rangers Finally Win Against Their Kryptonite (Det.)

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

Surely Kinsler can bunt a runner over from second to third with no outs? I guess not, he bunted the ball straight up to the catcher.

At the plate Jedi Josh still looks like the force has left him. In the field he used the force to climb the right field wall to make a great catch.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

In the 5th inning Tommy "Thunder" Hunter was down in the count 3-0 to Ordonez with the bases drunk and 2 outs. Thunder Hunter came back from the 3-0 count and struck out Ordonez ending the inning. That kept the Rangers down only one run. Is Thunder the new ace? His ERA is probably well under 2 in his last 4 or 5 starts.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:

Man! A Rangers fan down the first base line made a great one handed catch while holding and infant. Baby was unharmed. Responsible parenting? Probably not. Great catch? Yes. I haven't been able to find the video online yet.

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- Rangers Score More Than 3 Runs & Win!

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

I missed the game. Apparently the flu struck again and Millwood left the game after about 2 innings. (Correction: Millwood did have flu-like symptoms before the game but left the game because of a sore butt muscle.)

The Rangers are still 3.5 games back of the stupid Angels who won't stop winning. Seriously, the the Halos had won something like 9 of their last 10 and had won 8 straight before losing today to the Twins. Who the hell are the Angels playing? Are the other teams blindfolded, playing without gloves on defense?

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

The Rangers won.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenote(s):

Can't the Halos go on just a little losing streak? Maybe a little 3 or 4 or even 5 game losing streak, that would go a long way.

Among their fellow divisional rivals, the Halos & M's, the Rangers by far have the best record against the West division. The Rangers are 18-8 versus their division. The Halos are 14-17 and the M's are 16-15 against West division foes.

I think the Rangers still have about 10 games against the Halos. Maybe the Rangers will keep on beating the Halos like a drum in the remaining games against them.

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- Pig Swiney is the Only Thing That Can Stop Playoffs Now!

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

Swine flu in the clubhouse? Not good. Not overly concerned, but not good.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

The play, all of it. What has team ERA been the last week, and it's going to continue. Keep reading as to why.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenote(s):

Recently, your Texas Rangers have been on a hot streak - want to know why? The Summer has suddenly turned mild in these parts. IN fact, I would suggest their play is an inverse proportion to the average high temperature for a particular week. With predicted mild summer continuing, the Rangers make the playoffs this year. After that, I just don't know.

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- Get Out the Brooms! Rangers Sweep Red Stockings!

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

Your Texas Rangers are still 3 games back in the standings behind the Halos. Why? The freakin' Halos are 9-1 in the their last 10 games and have won 5 straight.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

Rangers are now on a 4 game winning streak.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenote(s):

Hopefully the Halos will come down to Earth soon and your Rangers will make up some games.

Also, interesting to note, the Rangers are only 2.5 GB of the Red Stockings in the Wild Card race.

The offense still is not putting up huge numbers. What about shaking up the batting order at putting Andrus in the lead off role?

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Two Broom Series in a Row For the Rangers; Rangers Sweep Halos in Weekend Series

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

The bullpen let Millwood down in the first game of the series and made it interesting down the stretch, but the bats rallied and pulled out the win.

The Rangers were arguably helped out quite a bit when Lackey (Halo's pitcher) was ejected 2 pitches into his start in the second game of the series. He threw behind lead off hitter Kinsler then hit him. Apparently, the ump thought that this was some sort of retaliation against Kinsler since he went yard twice against the Halos the day before.

After a great catch at the wall in the 7th (?) Jedi-Josh didn't return to the game with a strained groin.

Otherwise, really not much here. 

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

No defensive errors. No base running errors. They turned double plays. Pitchers got out of jams. 

Jedi-Josh seems to be back, both at the plate and in the field. 

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenote(s):

Still no Frankie closing the games.

The Rangers have won 7 straight and now own one of the biggest leads of any division leader in MLB.

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Get Out the Brooms, Rangers Beat M's in Last At Bat 3-2!

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

Rangers offense was kept very, very quiet through 8 innings.

Rangers had 8 runners LOB.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

Matt "Harry" Harrison spread out 7 hits over 9IP, giving up only 2 runs for the eventual complete game win.

The offense produced just enough, dramatically so in the bottom of the 9th, for the win.  

Hammerin' Hank hit a solo homer in the 9th.

Then Crash Davis went yard with Murphy aboard for the game winner later in the 9th to win it 3-2.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenote(s):

Rangers are only 1.5 games ahead of the Halos since the Halos have been keeping pace.

Again, this series starting tomorrow will tell us a little more about where the Rangers are.

BOX SCORE

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Rangers Comeback and Win 6-5 in the 11th!

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

A throwing error by Young, the old man gave the M's the lead in the top of the 11th, nearly costing the Rangers the game.

The Rangers left 13 on base. 

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

Young made up for his error in the top of the 11th with a lead off single in the bottom of the 11th. He'd score the tying run.

Hammerin' Hank hit the game winner.

Elvis continued to perform on O & D. He made another ridiculous, highlight reel play at short and had an RBI producing triple.

McCarthy was very serviceable, with 7IP and 4ER. The bullpen, without Frankie, gave up no earned runs.

Jedi-Josh went yard again.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenote(s):

McCarthy still doesn't seem to be equal to Danks but, hasn't been terrible either.

Frankie may be back sooner than later.

The 3 game series against the Halos is this weekend. A lot more will be known about the Rangers after this weekend. 

BOX SCORE

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