Angels Roll Into Town, Roll Over Padilla & Co.

Marlon Byrd and David Murphy had gone back-to-back with solo homeruns in the 3rd and Vicente Padilla was cruising right along for five innings...

Then the 6th inning rolled around and Ranger killer Vladamir Guerrero & Co. pulled things together, stringing together a 4-run inning, highlighted by back-to-back homeruns by Juan Rivera and Kendry Morales. The Morales homer ran Padilla from the game, leaving with a line of 5 runs on 10 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts in 5+ innings pitched.



"I tried to control all of my pitches, but they were up a little bit," Padilla said. "I wasn't throwing as hard as my last outing. I have problems if I don't have my fastball. That's my best pitch."

The Rangers offense again squandered several opportunities to put runs on the board, leaving the bases loaded in the 1st inning. Their struggles struck again when, with 2 on and nobody out in bottom of the 5th, David Murphy popped out to 2nd base and Marlon Byrd grounded into an inning-ending double play.

"That was the game right there," said Byrd, who was 3-for-4 on the night. "Three great at-bats and one lousy at-bat. If I get those runs home, it changes the game. I've got to get those runs in there. If I do, it's 3-1, we have a cushion and who knows what happens. I got my pitch and didn't execute. Just not good hitting on my part."

The lost opportunity proved to be a privotal moment in the game as Padilla imploded in the top of the 6th.

"That was a huge momentum swing," Figgins said. "You almost have to be there to understand it, but I've seen it so many times. That double play completely changed everything. Double plays are killers, man. We came up after that and went to work. You could feel the change in the game."

The Rangers went hitless (0-for-5) with runners in scoring position for the seventh time this month and are now hitting just .225 with RISP for the month of June.

With the loss, Texas falls 2 1/2 games behind the Angels in the AL West.

Rangers Cap Interleague Play With A Dud, Falling 2-0

On the heels of yet another poor offensive effort, Texas turned in the worst statistical home performance they've had since the opening of the Ballpark in Arlington in 1994.

In the bottom of the 1st inning, Michael Young singled to center. It was the last hit of the night for the Rangers.

"I'm not going to take anything away from [San Diego starter] Chad Gaudin," Young said. "He went out there and threw a great game. As an offense you like to think we can push runs across no matter who we're facing, but it was a combination of us needing better at-bats and him throwing a good game."

"It's definitely hard to believe," outfielder David Murphy said. "It's getting to the point where ... what more can you say? We're just not swinging the bats like we're capable of. I wish I could tell you how to solve the problem."



The lackluster effort wasted a great pitching effort by Tommy Hunter, recently called up from AAA-Oklahoma to make the spot start. Hunter gave Texas 6 1/3 innings, allowing only two runs and walking none.

"It felt good but it was still a loss," Hunter said. "That stinks. I tried."

In an effort to shake up the lineup, Texas has recalled centerfielder and top offensive prospect Julio Borbon. He will hit sixth in the lineup Monday night in game 1 of Angels series. Relief pitcher Willie Eyre was sent down to Oklahoma to make room for Borbon on the roster.

Texas went 9-9 in Interleague play.

Rangers Drilled By Padres

Well, I guess we can tap the brakes on the idea that Texas' offense if back in full force...

Coming off a big offensive performance on Friday, Texas showed up with a big bag of nothing Saturday night, managing only three runs on six hits while striking out eleven times as Padres starter Kevin Correia continued his hot pitching.

"The last five starts, he's 4-1 with a 2.40 ERA," San Diego manager Bud Black said, accurate in the numbers for his pitcher. " ... His walks were down, his strikes were up and his pitch count per inning was down.



Derek Holland had yet another up-and-down performance, striking out eight batters in 5 2/3 innings but also allowed seven runs on thirteen hits. He again relied far too much on his fastball which the Padres (statistically the worst offense in baseball) took advantage of, teeing off all game long.

"We hit the ball well tonight," Padres 3rd baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff said. "He was working fastball, so why not look for it?"

"It was a collective effort," Black said. "Contributions all around when you get 16 hits."

Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia tried to put a positive spin on Holland's performance.

"For [Derek] this is a great experience," Saltalamacchia said. "He went up there and went after hitters. He's learning how to pitch in the big leagues. He's holding his own."

With the loss, Texas now falls out of first place (by 1/2 game) for the first time in 50 days.

Texas Locates The Missing Offense, Hammers The Padres

On a night when starter Kevin Millwood claimed to have, "the worst stuff I've had all year", the offense decided to break out the bats and give him more than enough support to notch his 8th win of the year.

"My fastball and location weren't very good," said Millwood, who hit two batters and walked three while battling for six tough innings. "It feels good to win, but I wanted to go deeper in the game and give the bullpen a break."

The bullpen was up to the task, however, as Jason Grilli, Willie Eyre & Doug Mathis each pitched an inning of hitless, scoreless baseball.



The offense appears to have found a bit of it's old spark, scoring runs in the first innings, giving Millwood plenty of room to breathe.

David Murphy had another big game, hitting a 3-run blast in the 2nd inning. Chris Davis also kept his hot hitting going, going 1-for-3 with a walk.

On the whole, Texas pounded out 13 hits and worked 6 walks, putting 12 runs on the board.

Kevin Millwood feels good about the 3-game winning streak saying, "It seems like we're getting back on track."

Before the season began, everyone seemed to think the pitching would be the key to Texas taking the next step. Suprisingly, it's been the pitching that has carried the heaviest load. It not appears as though it is the offense that will need to show better consistency if the Rangers are to truly make a run at the AL West.

Third baseman Michael Young thinks the offense will get things figured out.

"There's not a magic formula," Young said. "We're a confident group of guys. We're focused on having good at-bats, whether it's a two-pitch at-bat or if we work the count a little."

Omar Vizquel Becomes Venezuelan Hit King

On Thursday night, Omar Vizquel collected hit no. 2678, passing Hall of Famer and fellow countryman Luis Aparicio to become the all-time hits leader for a player born in Venezuela.

"Finally. ... Wow. I feel 100 pounds lighter," Vizquel said. "I can go out and enjoy the game again and forget about everything else."



With the hit, Vizquel may have put his final touches on a career that many believe will lead to his induction into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame.

Not only is Vizquel now a hit king, he is also a 3-time All-Star and an 11-time Gold Glove winner. He also broke Cal Ripken Jr.'s record for consecutive games at short stop without and error, has played more games at short stop than any other player in history and is the all-time leader in turned double plays.

Rangers Win In Extra Innings, Take 2 Of 3 In Arizona

Last night in Arizona, Texas put nine runs up on the board, the first sign of any real offense we've seen from the Rangers for virtually the entire month of June. Despite the offensive explosion, it almost wasn't enough.

Starter Scott Feldman again looked good for Texas, going six innings, allowing three runs on four hits. However, the usually reliable combo of Darren O'Day and Frank Francisco let a 6-3 lead evaporate into a 6-6 tie, thanks to a couple of big homeruns, including a 2-run bomb by D-Backs Third Baseman Mark Reynolds off the Rangers closer.

Ron Washington doesn't seem to be worried about Francisco.

"A good fastball hitter caught a good fastball," Washington said. "He threw him a fastball, and he got it. I thought Frankie's velocity was good and the ball was coming out of his hand good. Frankie is only human. That Reynolds kid has good power."

But in the top of the 12th inning, the much maligned Chris Davis picked up his fourth hit of the night, a big 2-run homer to give Texas the lead.



"[They] threw that first one by me, and I barely got it," Davis said. "I could hear his frustration on the mound. I stepped out and collected myself. Then he threw a changeup over the plate and I just threw my hands at it and hit it well."

Daivd Murphy followed Davis with a solo homerun and it proved to be a huge run, as Arizona fought back for a couple in the bottom of the 12th, coming up one run short.

"It's really nice to get out of here with a win regardless if there is a 'W' by my name or not," Feldman said. "A long plane ride home is better considering it was a battle, but we still pulled through."

Padilla Comes Up Clutch In Win Over Arizona

He may not be the most popular guy in the clubhouse but there's no telling just how far out of 1st place the Rangers would were it not for the guts and toughness of Vicente Padilla.

Last night, Padilla played the role of the stopper, pitching a seven inning gem, ending Texas' 5-game losing streak. Allowing only one run on six hits, Padilla outdueled D-backs ace and NL ERA leader, Dan Haren.

"That's exactly what we needed," outfielder Marlon Byrd said. "When you have a team that's slipping a little, you need one of your top pitchers to go out and do what he did tonight. If we get that one through five in our rotation, we'll be in great shape."



"When your team has five straight losses, it's good getting a win like this," Padilla said.

Texas again struggled at the plate. They managed to scrape together two runs early thanks to RBI base hits by Taylor Teagarden and David Murphy, but still left two men stranded at 3rd base with less than 2 outs. Luckily for the Rangers, Arizona was never able to get anything going against Padilla.

"We could just never get the big hit at the right time," D-backs manager A.J. Hinch said. "We did get runners on base, and we were in a position to score runs but we just didn't hit them in. Give credit to [Padilla] for competing at that time and getting a lot of off-barrel contact at the right time. It's unfortunate for us."

Padilla is 3-0 in his last four starts.

"He [Padilla] certainly had a challenge on his hands, and he was up for the challenge," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Every time he has been going out there, he has been getting better. We needed him to match up tonight, and he did."

"Contrary to popular belief, the sky wasn't falling," said third Baseman Michael Young. "We're a confident group. There are stretches when we aren't playing well, but the biggest thing is how you come out of it. We feel we can play well on any night. It was a nice win, we just have to continue to play well."

Texas is now 2-14 this season when scoring two runs or fewer in a game.

Rangers Lose 5th In A Row, Now Tied For First In AL West.

This season is beginning to look like so many other 'promising' seasons of years passed. Texas' hot May has given way to a cold June and, after building a 4 1/2 game lead against the Angels, now find themselves in a tie for the AL West.

Texas has gone stone cold at the plate, flailing wildly and coming up short with runners on. The Rangers are now 15 for their last 90 with runners in scoring position. Needless to say, hitting .167 with RISP isn't going to get it done, especially in Texas where the ballpark forces you to be an offensively-geared unit.

Last night in Arizona, the offensive struggles continued as D-backs starter Max Scherzer tied the Rangers offense up to the tune of two runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts. Texas was 2-for-9 with men in scoring position.



Hitting Coach Rudy Jaramillo thinks the hitters are putting too much pressure on themselves.

"There's too much going on in their minds to execute," said Jaramillo. "I see all these things, but once we learn to relax, we're going to stop swinging at pitches we can't hit. I wouldn't throw us a strike right now either. We need to relax, clear our minds, breathe slow and trust our ability."

Matt Harrison did nothing to help the offense, allowing four runs within the first two innings of the game, putting Texas in the hole early. After all was said and done, Harrison lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs.

"He wasn't very sharp tonight," manager Ron Washington said. "He just didn't have it."

"I'm very frustrated," Harrison said. "A terrible performance. I walked too many guys, I fell behind too many guys and I was missing up in the zone. We needed a good start tonight and I didn't give it to them. Very disappointing."

The comic relief moment of the night came in the 6th inning when catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia overthrew pitcher Jason Jennings when tossing the ball back to the mound in-between pitches. No one on the infield noticed, allowing a runner fron 3rd base to score.

Texas is now 7-12 in June.

Texas Swept In San Francisco

Kevin Millwood did everything he could to keep Texas in the game, going seven innings, striking out ten while allowing just three runs (one unearned).

But once again, Millwood was failed by his offense, which didn't manage a single base hit until the 7th inning and scored just two runs (thanks to a 2-run Andruw Jones homerun). Giants starter Barry Zito turned back the clock, doing to Texas what he did to them years ago when he was a member of the Oakland A's, keeping them confused to the tune of eight strikeouts over seven innings.



The Rangers are now hitting .218 for the month of June with a .277 on-base percentage and a .363 slugging percentage. They are averaging just 3.3 runs per game and have lost 11 of 18 games

"It's just a funk," Ian Kinsler said. "There's not much else you can say. We're facing adversity right now. Every team goes through adversity at some point during the season and you have to fight through it. Zito threw well. You want to give him credit for throwing the ball the way he did, but we feel we're better than that."

While it's true Zito did throw the ball well, how much of that was due to the flailing nature of an offense that seems to have forgotten how to work pitchers?

"We just got outplayed," Millwood said. "They pitched better than we did, they got big base hits when they needed to. It just seems we're in a little bit of a funk right now."

Notice both Ian Kinsler and Kevin Millwood used the word 'funk'. One has to wonder how long this team has before this 'funk' begins to be viewed as a 'trend'.

Holland Impressive But Rangers Offense Awful Again

Derek Holland had the best outing of his young career, giving Texas seven great innings of one-run baseball, striking out five. San Francisco is arguably the worst offense in baseball but a quality start is a quality start.

"Derek pitched his tail off," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "That's what we've got to look forward to. He was excellent."



But in the bottom of the 11th, Jason Jennings bounced a wild pitch past Jarrod Saltalamacchia, allowing the Giants to score, pulling out the 2-1 victory. Regardless, Jennings was not to blame for the Rangers dropping yet another game to an inferior team.

Giants pitcher Matt Cain took advantage of a Texas offense that has seemingly lost its identity, going eight innings, allowing one run and striking out eight. Texas managed three (!) hits over eleven innings, and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Texas is now hitting .224 for the month of June and seems to have forgotten how to hit with runners on base.

"I would never have guessed it," Rangers President and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan said. "I would have guessed we would have scored our normal progression of runs. Our hitting woes have been going on for a while. If we're going to win ballgames, we have to execute in all three parts of the game. Our defense has improved, our pitching has improved and offensively we have to capitalize on our opportunities."

The Big Unit & Co. Hold Texas Down In San Fran

Texas' one feared offense has disappeared and, if they are to stay in the race for the AL West crown, they'd better find it soon.

San Francisco scored three runs in the first three innings, jumping out to an quick lead thanks to a solo homerun by Aaron Rowand. Their starter, 300-game winner Randy Johnson, looked confident on the mound, controlling the Rangers hitters early.



Michael Young got Texas back in it with a solo homer in the top of the 4th. They added three more runs in the 6th, chasing Johnson in the process, thanks to an RBI single by Nelson Cruz, followed by a 2-run double by Marlon Byrd.

However, Texas was only 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position (one of those hits in infield single that didn't score a run) and, after starter and San Fran native Scott Feldman gave the lead back in the bottom of the 6th, were never able to recover.

Ron Washington knows missed opportunities like early lead-off hits by Ian Kinsler (double in the 1st) and Hank Blalock (triple in the 2nd) have to result in runs if Texas is to truly be considered a serious threat in the AL.

"The two we needed most were the ones we didn't get in the first and second inning," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Those were the ones that came back to haunt us."

With the loss, the Rangers lead in the West is now down to 1/2 game over the Angels.

"We can't worry about the Angels," outfielder Marlon Byrd said. "They're going to win games, it's as simple as that. If we win, we'll be fine. If we don't and they get on a streak, they'll catch us. That's where we're at. We just need to take care of our business."

Houston Bullpen Stops Rangers Offense From Claiming Series Sweep

Michael Young gave Texas an early lead, teeing off for a solo homerun, his 9th of the season.

The contact-adverse Chris Davis dialed up his 13th homer of the year in the 2nd, another solo shot.

After adding one more in the bottom of the 4th thanks to a throwing error which scored Nelson Cruz from third, Texas' offense went cold. They never regained their stroke.

"That's what baseball is about -- momentum," Ian Kinsler said. "We tried to come back, tried to put some runs on the board, but we didn't."



Houston's bullpen combo of Wesley Wright, Alberto Arias, LaTroy Hawkins and Jose Valverde went a combined five innings, allowing no runs on only three hits, while striking out five.

Vicente Padilla got himself into a couple of jams, finishing his day after going six innings and allowing three earned runs. While Vicente looked good for stretches, he threw 62 total pitches in the 1st and 6th innings, forcing him from the game earlier than he would've liked.

"They came out and worked Padilla hard," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He still came out with a tie ballgame, but it felt like the momentum changed. We still came out of the sixth with a tie."

Reliever Jason Jennings was unable to hold the lead, surrendering a go-ahead homer to Hunter Pence in the top of the 8th, then allowed another run to score via an RBI triple by Michael Bourne.

The Rangers finished their homestand 4-5, losing 3 games in the process to the charging L.A. Angels. Texas has a 1 1/2 games in the AL West.

Pudge Sets A Record, Vizquel Ties A Record, Rangers Win In Extra Innings

History was made Wednesday night as Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez caught his 2,227th game, setting a new record which was previously held by Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk.



When Rodriguez stepped to the plate for his first at-bat, he recieved a standing ovation from the more than 32,000 fans in attendance.

"It was awesome," Rodriguez said. "What happened today out there was unbelievable. A standing ovation my first time up, it was awesome. I got some goose bumps when that happened. The video that they did in the third inning was unbelievable. I want to say thanks to the Rangers organization for what they did here for me and the Houston Astros also about these days. It was nice. It was an unbelievable moment."

Omar Vizquel also made a move on history, picking up his 2,677th career base hit, tying fellow countryman and Hall of Fameer Luis Aparicio for the most hits ever by a player from Venezuela.



"I never thought I'd be involved in a situation like that," Vizquel said. "So many good players have come from our country."

While the game seemed secondary to all the added intrigue, it still managed to deliver a few fireworks of its own. Both teams went back and forth for the entire game, niether ever able to fully gain any sort of advantage.

There were five total lead changes in the game, the last coming in the bottom of the 10th as David Murphy went opposite field for an RBI single to give Texas the 5-4 victory.

"It just felt great," Murphy said. "I really do believe that the walk-off is the best moment in baseball. The team gets to celebrate on the field, it brings everybody together and gives you a little momentum going into tomorrow."

Matt Harrison, just back from the DL pitched well enough, giving Texas five innings, allowing three runs.

"My arm felt really good," Harrison said. "It was frustrating falling behind a lot of hitters, but I made pitches when I had to. Overall I felt pretty good, but I wish I could have gone out there at least another inning.

C.J. Wilson pitched very effectively, giving Texas two shutout innings. Since his early season struggles, Wilson has been much more consistent on the mound.

While Texas' offense remains a bit of an inconsistent mystery, they did manufacture some runs, stealing three bases on the night, all of which resulted in runs coming across the plate.

Manager Ron Washington seemed proud of the sustained effort given by his team.

"We kept battling and finding ways," Washington said. "When it was all over, these guys found a way to pull it off."

Both Nelson Cruz and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit solo homeruns for Texas.

Pudge Make History But Night Belongs To Rangers

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez may well be the greatest Rangers player ever. Over the course of 12 seasons, Pudge won 10 Gold Gloves, started 10 All-Star games and won an AL MVP award. He's ;largely considered the great throwing catcher of all time and has never been anything but a quality teammate.

Tonight, Pudge tied Carlton Fisk's record for most game caught in MLB history, a truly remarkable feat when you consider the wear and tear an everyday catcher must endure throughout a season, let alone 19 of them.

“It’s a little strange seeing him in an Astros jersey here in this stadium,” Astros right fielder Hunter Pence, an Arlington native, said of Ivan Rodriguez. “He definitely is kind of a staple for this whole atmosphere. When I think of coming to the ballpark I remember as a child Pudge (was) guaranteed he was going to be there. He has the intensity. I just remember seeing him hit so many homers and throw so many guys out. He’s a big part of what the Rangers are.”



But despite Rodriguez's feelgood story, tongiht belonged to Kevin Millwood and the Texas Rangers.

Millwood had it working, giving Texas 7 innings of 4-hit baseball, allowing only one run (a solo homerun to, of all people, Ivan Rodriguez) and striking out six.

Millwood has now allowed just three earned runs over his last 27 2-3 innings.

Ian Kinsler, mired in a massive 4-for-33 slump, hit two solo homerun, including one to open the game, giving Texas an early lead. It was Kinsler's ninth career leadoff homerun.

Michael Young also hit his way out of a slump going 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. Young had been 3 for 24 the past six games.

With the 6-1 win, Texas, for the third consecutive season, claims the Silver Boot, the trophy given out each year to the winner of the Rangers-Astros series.

Rangers Elect Harrah, Sierra To Hall Of Fame

Today, the Texas Rangers two new members into the teams Hall of Fame: Toby Harrah and Ruben Sierra.



Toby Harrah was a member of the inaugural Rangers team of 1972, coming over when the Washington Senators relocated to Arlington. Harrah is Texas' first-ever All-Star, making the club in 1972 as their lone representative. He would make three All-Star games as a Ranger.

Harrah was truly the face of the franchise for much of the 70's, often greeting fans before the game, signing autographs with a smile on his face. Harrah ranks in the Top 10 of All-time Rangers in RBI, Walks, Runs Scored, Triples, Doubles, Stolen Bases and Hits. He is the single-season leader in Walks.

Toby Harrah also spent time as a coach for Texas, even spending the 2nd half of 1992 season as the teams manager, compiling a 32-44 record.



Ruben Sierra is still considered by many to be perhaps the most talented players to ever wear a Rangers uniform.

Despite generating a fair amount of controversy during his first stint in Texas (1986-1992), Sierra was Texas' first 5-tool player, their first real homegrown superstar player.

Sierra is the Rangers' all-time leader with 44 triples, and ranks in the top 5 in club history with 180 homers, 742 RBI, 481 extra base hits, 645 runs, 1,281 hits, and 2,166 total bases. He is also among the leaders in doubles (6th, 257), slugging (6th, .473), at bats (6th, 4,580), games (7th, 1,190), and stolen bases (9th, 90). Sierra had five seasons with 20+ homers, three years with at least 100 RBI, and scored over 100 runs twice in his Rangers tenure.

Sierra was a 3-time All-Star with Texas and led the league in several categories (1987: At-Bats, Sacrifice Flies - 1989: Games, Triples, RBI, Slugging %, Total Bases and Extra-Base Hits) finishing 2nd in the 1989 MVP balloting.

Rangers Struggle Against NL's Best

With the Los Angeles Dodgers coming to town for a 2-game set, Texas looked to measure themselves against the National League's best.

In game one of the series, Vicente Padilla worked out of a few jams, pitching five innings of shutout ball, setting the tone for the night.

"Padilla attacked the zone and kept guys off balance with off-speed stuff," Dodgers centre fielder Matt Kemp said.

The trio of Padilla, Jason Jennings, and the newly acquired Jason Grilli controlled the Dodgers, blanking them 6-0, Texas' 2nd consecutive shutout.

Texas also showed a little offense for the first time in several games, getting an RBI single from Michael Young and a 2-run blast from Hank Blalock, both of whom had been struggling at the plate.

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In game two of the series, both Scott Feldman and Dodgers starter Randy Wolf were mowing hitters down, both of them pitching five shutout innings. But an issues with the stadium lights forced a 1 hour and 41 minute delay, forcing both pitchers from the game.

L.A. manufactured a run in the top of the 6th which was match by a big, opposite field homerun by Andruw Jones. But in the 7th, with Jason Grilli on the mound, Matt Kemp hit a big 2-run blast, giving the Dodgers the lead and, ultimately, the victory.

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In the rubber match of the series, Derek Holland looked very much like a rookie pitcher, walking four and allowing four earned runs over five innings pitched, including a 3-run homerun by Casey Blake. 72% of Holland's pitches were fastballs and Los Angeles took advantage, making solid contact.



Holland is 0-3 with a 7.08 ERA after four starts for the Rangers.

The Rangers offense again appeared disjointed and out of sync, scattering just six basehits over nine innings. The group of Kinsler, Murphy, Byrd, & Andrus went a combined 0-for-13 with two strikeouts.

Texas has now lost 8 of their last 13 games and are averaging 3.3 runs per game during that stretch.

Michael Young says there's nothing to worry about.

"There's nothing in here that says anybody is going to panic with our offense," said Young. "We're a confident group we can make adjustments."

Texas has a day off tomorrow to regroup before hosting the Houston Astros for a 3-game set.

Millwood Turns In Top Notch Performance, Ends Rangers Skid

Kevin Millwood looked liked an staff ace, Darren O'Day again looked like one of Texas' better aquisitions, and C.J. Wilson picked up yet another save as Texas nailed down a very uncharacteristic 1-0 shutout victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

"It was Millwood tonight," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We needed it, and we needed it bad. We know the offense is going to get it going, but we needed Millwood to step up, and he stepped up."

Millwood pitched 7 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, scattering five hits. He also recieved Gold Glove-caliber play out of his defense with MIchale Young, Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus each making huge plays. Texas is now 22-10 when do not commit an error.

"We played great defense, and we had to when you strike out just one," Millwood said. "That shows we can win in different ways."



The Rangers lone score came via a sacrifice fly off the bat of Marlon Byrd which came on the heels of back to back base hits by Nelson Cruz and David Murphy.

While Texas' offense has been in a bit of a funk, the players don't seem any reason for panic.

"We're winning games," Murphy said. "If we go on a big losing streak, that's something to worry about. But if you look at the guys we have around here -- Ian Kinsler, Michael Young and those guys -- you know this offense is not going to be held down for long. I'll take my chances with them."

Texas is now 4 1/2 games ahead of both Seattle and Los Angeles in the AL West.

Texas Draft Picks Include A Familiar Name

While this years amateur player draft may well be remembered for the two top pitchers taken by the Rangers (Matthew Purke and Tanner Scheppers) another interesting name, a name many Rangers fans will be instantly familiar with, was also called.

Ruben Sierra Jr, son of former Rangers All-Star Ruben Sierra Sr. was drafted on day 2 of the draft in the 6th round. Sierra has been attending San Juan (Puerto Rico) Educational School and is an athletic center fielder with plenty of upside, especially considering his bloodlines.

Sierra Sr. was a 4-time all-star with more than 300 homers and 1300 RBI.

"I don't know what Senior's scouting reports were when he was 18 years old, but our scouts like the future of Junior," GM Jon Daniels said. "He's an athletic, left-handed hitting outfielder. Right now, we view him as a center fielder but it wouldn't surprise me if we move him to right field in the future."

Scouting Report on Ruben Sierra Jr.
Sierra is a super athletic baseball player with a lean athletic body. He is very good in the outfield and uses his blazing 6.38 speed to cover a lot of ground. He has a big arm in the outfield and easily reaches 93 mph from the outfield. At the plate he has good bat speed and has pop to all fields. He has easy power when centered and projects well with the bat. His game approach at the plate needs a few adjustments but he shows potential with all five tools. Definite draft follow for 2009. Good bloodlines.

Texas drafted 31 players overall, 21 of those being pitchers.

"We felt the strength was pitching going in and, from an organizational standpoint, we were more willing to take some risks," Daniels said. "I always get a kick out of the phrase 'safe picks,' because there really aren't safe picks. But I thought [scouting director Ron Hopkins] and his staff were well-prepared and did a good job knowing the makeup and ability of the players we selected."

Rangers Sign El Duque

In an effort to add another arm to a rotation that seems to be losing pitchers almost weekly, the Texas Rangers have signed Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez to a minor league contract. Hernandez will report to AAA-affiliate Oklahoma where he will presumably get some time in before getting a call-up to Arlington.



Hernanadez missed all of last season with a foot injury but in 2007, went 9-5 with a 3.71 ERA with the New York Mets.

El Duque is 90-65 in parts of 9 Major League seasons, 9-3 in the postseason, was voted the ALCS MVP in 1999, and has been a part of four World Championship teams.

Texas Drops Another To Toronto

Never let it be said that Rangers manager Ron Washington minces words...

"We got it handed to us tonight in all phases of the game," Washington said. "[Blue Jays starter Brian] Tallet shut us down. We were too aggressive. We usually figure it out and catch up, but we didn't."

Texas' offense could manage nothing, hitting an anemic 2-for-28, getting shutout (9-0) for the 3rd time this season.

Doug Mathis, called up from the minors to take the place of the injured Brandon McCarthy, didn't do much to help things, allowing five runs (four earned) in five innings pitched.



"I didn't help myself too much," Mathis said. "I got to do a better job going to attack hitters. I was falling behind hitters.

The defense didn't help matters much either. The normally surehanded Elvis Andrus committed a huge error in the second inning when he booted a sure double play ball, keeping the inning alive. Toronto shortstop Marco Scutaro made him pay, driving in two runs on a single that gave the Jays a 4-0 lead.

Texas has now lost four in a row to Toronto dating back to their last series with them in May.

Texas Adds More Pitching With 3rd Round Draft Selection

Player Name: Robbie Erlin
Position: Starting Pitcher
School: Scotts Valley (Calif.)
School Type: High School
Academic Class: Senior
Birthdate: 10/8/90
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Bats: Right
Throws: Left
Report Date(s): 4/17/09
Game(s): Sobrato HS

-Fastball: Erlin will occasionally touch 91 mph, but usually sits in the 89-90 mph range.
-Fastball movement: The fastball is pretty straight and light.
-Curve: It's solid average to plus and he throws it 70-73 mph.
-Changeup: Will flash it a few times, but it requires some development because he'll need it at the next level.
-Control: He has very good command, especially for a high schooler.
-Poise: He's got excellent makeup and it shows on the mound.
-Physical Description: Erlin is a smallish left-hander, sort of like a Billy Wagner (without the velocity).
-Medical Update: Healthy.
-Strengths: One of the better deliveries from a high schooler, with good arm action. He repeats it very well, allowing him to have excellent command of his fastball and curve.
-Weaknesses: Doesn't show much of a changeup right now. His size likely will turn some teams off.
-Summary: Erlin was getting more and more buzz in Northern California as the spring wore on. He's not the biggest guy in the world, but with an oustanding delivery, good makeup and above-average command to go along with a fastball that touches 90 and a curve that can be a plus pitch, he's an intriguing high school lefty. He'll need to improve his changeup at the next level and his size will probably give some teams pause, but an orgnization willing to look past that might take this signable southpaw fairly early.

Pick 62 Yields College Third Baseman For Rangers

Player Name: Tommy Mendonca
Position: Third Base
School: Fresno State University
School Type: College
Academic Class: Junior
Birthdate: 4/12/88
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Report Date(s): 3/27-3/29/09
Game(s): Lipscomb

-Hitting ability: Mendonca is a left-handed hitter with a stable, high-hand stance. He can hit, but he swings and misses quite a bit.
-Power: Fresno State has a good hitter's park, but he still should have average power in the future. It's unclear how it will translate to wood.
-Running speed: He's a fringy-average runner, though he can get down to first in decent time.
-Base running: An average runner, he's a tick better than his grade for his pure speed, though running isn't really a big part of his game.
-Arm strength: Has a solid-average arm.
-Fielding: A plus fielder overall at third.
-Range: Has plenty of range to stay at the hot corner.
-Physical Description: Mendonca profiles as a power-hitting third baseman who is strong up in the shoulders and has a good, athletic build.
-Medical Update: Healthy.
-Strengths: Power plus fielding ability make him an intriguing third base prospect.
-Weaknesses: Can he cut down the strikeouts? His propensity for swinging and missing could hurt his status a bit.
-Summary: Mendonca fits the profile as an athletic, left-handed power hitting third baseman. He takes advantage of a friendly home park, but the power should translate OK. Couple that with good defense at the hot corner and you're looking at one of the more interesting college infield prospects in the class. Only his tendency to strike out will hurt his status some, but he still should go well.

Rangers Add Another Arm With 1st Round Compensatory Pick

Player Name: Tanner Scheppers
Position: Starting Pitcher
Team: St. Paul Saints (independent team)
Birthdate: 1/17/87
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 200 lbs.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Report Date(s): 4/16/09
Game(s): Golden West Community College

-Fastball: Scheppers threw his fastball anywhere from 93 mph up to 98 mph and was sitting at 95 mph most of the time.
-Fastball movement: He's got cut and sink on his heater.
-Curve: Has the potential for a good power curve. He was a little tentative in letting it go at times in this first live outing but has shown it as an above-averge pitch at times.
-Changeup: Threw a few hard changeups at around 88 mph, but he doesn't need it at this point.
-Control: Considering the long layoff from pitching in a live situation, his command was pretty good. An improved and smoother delivery clearly helped.
-Poise: Pitching with a junior college defense behind him, Scheppers was in complete control on the mound.
-Physical Description: Scheppers, initially a shortstop, is a tall and athletic right-hander. He has put on good weight and was visibly stronger compared to his junior season at Fresno State.
-Medical Update: Healthy, it seems. A shoulder injury shut him down last year and hurt his Draft status. He didn't sign with the Pirates after being taken in the second round.
-Strengths: An outstanding fastball with plenty of arm strength, an improved delivery, added strength. He throws hard and without effort.
-Weaknesses: It's all about the medical reports. He'll need to prove to everyone as he pitches indy ball that he's 100 percent healthy.
-Summary: Pitching in intrasquad action at Golden West C.C., Scheppers was creating a ton of buzz on the West Coast. The former Fresno State standout, whose Draft status took a hit because of a shoulder injury last year, was throwing free, easy and hard in early looks. With a plus fastball and the potential for a plus curve, if Scheppers continues to show he's healthy while pitching for the St. Paul Saints, he's going to shoot up Draft boards everywhere.

Rangers Select Lefty In 1st Round Of Amateur Draft

Player Name: Matthew Purke
Position: Starting Pitcher
School: Klein HS (Tex.)
School Type: High school
Academic Class: Senior
Birthdate: 7/17/90
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Report Date(s): 3/12/09
Game(s): Cypress Creek HS, Texas

-Fastball: Purke showed velocity a tick above average, sitting at 92-93 mph. He topped out at 95 mph.
-Fastball movement: It has tailing life to the arm side.
-Curve: It's kind of between a curve and a slider. It has more of a curve break, with good rotation and depth. He thew it about 78 mph with late break to it.
-Changeup: Has a good changeup.
-Control: He has good command and moves the ball around the zone well.
-Poise: He's pitched in big games and rises to the occasion.
-Physical Description: Purke is a lean, wiry, thin-waisted left-hander. He's projectable, but needs to add some strength.
-Medical Update: Healthy.
-Strengths: Three average to above-average pitches. Good command, projectable body.
-Weaknesses: He's a little too slender, leading some to worry about durabilty.
-Summary: When conversations arise about the top prep lefties in the class, Purke is on the short list. With three excellent offerings and command of them, to go along with a projectable frame, Purke's name comes up early and often. There might be a small concern about his durabilty because he's a little too slender, but that won't be enough to keep him from being taken high up on Draft day.

It is believed that Purke (who is already commited to TCU) will want some serious money up front to skip college.

Adam Lind Has Big Night For Toronto, Takes Game One From Rangers

Starter Scott Feldman wasn't very sharp last night, pitching up in the zone for most of the game. Regardless, Feldman battled for six innings, allowing four earned runs, all of which were scored off the bat of Blue Jays left fielder Adam Lind, who went 2-for-4 with two homeruns and four RBI, pacing Toronto to the 6-3 victory.

"When he(Lind) is locked in, he's as good as anyone I've ever seen," Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells said.

Catcher Rod Batajas added: "He goes up there and he's successful without even trying."



Texas' offense never did get the big hit they needed, stranding 17 runners on base. They managed just three runs, all of them coming in the bottom of the 6th.

"It was tough," third baseman Michael Young said. "I thought we came out flat and didn't take advantage of the opportunities we had tonight. We're back from the road trip, today and tonight we got situated, tomorrow we need to come back with a better effort."

Rangers Pick Up Option On Manager Ron Washington

When Ron Washington was hired by Tom Hicks back in November of 2006, he told the Rangers owner that he thought it would take three years to fully implement his plan for the team. The first two season were a struggle, with Washington coming days away from losing his job.

But in his third season as Rangers manager he has guided Texas to first place in their division, 4 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels.



His success has prompted Rangers brass to pick up the 2010 option on Washington, giving him the ultimate vote of confidence.

"This was an easy decision", said general manager Jon Daniels. "We're excited about the direction the club is going under Ron's leadership, and we look forward to a long, productive relationship with him as our manager."

Nolan Ryan added, "Since I've been here, he's been consistent. Players respect him."

Since losing 9 of their first 15 games, Texas has gone 27-14 maintaining their 1st place position since May 5th.

McCarthy Out "Several Weeks" With Shoulder Injury

Texas found out today that starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy has a stress fracture in his right throwing shoulder. The injury is very similar to one that sidelined him for alomst a month back in 2007.

"It's not good," McCarthy said. "It's not what you want to hear at this point, but what can you do. It's frustrating because it's frustrating. I really don't care what the situation is. It's a pretty good kick to the gut."

McCarthy is 5-2 on the season for Texas and has shown flashes of the pitcher the Rangers thought they were getting when they traded for him three seasons ago.

"It's frustrating," GM Jon Daniels said. "I feel for him."



This will be McCarthy's fourth time on the disabled list in the past two seasons.

In other pitching news, Matt Harrison, who has been sidelined with a strained left shoulder, threw a bullpen session this afternoon and is expected to come off the disabled list. He's slated to start on Thursday against Toronto.

Also, Frank Franciso remains day-to-day with a sore shoulder. Jon Daniels has stated that he's been speaking with other teams about a possible deal from some bullpen help but wouldn't rule out the possibility of a starter if the right deal came along.

"I'm open to it," Daniels said. "It's something we'll look into, but it's easier said than done. My expectation is we'll go with the guys we have. If there is a quality guy available, we'll look into it, but it's easier said than done."

Hamilton Needs Surgery, Out 4-6 weeks

Texas' All-Star centerfielder, Josh Hamilton, will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair a partially torn abdominal muscle. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

Initially thought to be a sports hernia, the torn ab is actually 'good' news for Hamilton.

"Given what it could have been, this is better than some of the alternatives," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said.

"It's great in that we thought it might be longer," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We thought [Hamilton] might be out until September. Now we have a chance to get him back after the All-Star break. At least it won't be until September. At least we know what we're dealing with and we have a time frame."



Hamilton has already missed a large portion of the season because of a bruised left ribcage, an injury he sustained after crashing into the centerfield wall while making a game-saving catch against the Angels on May 17.

Hamilton has struggled all season at the plate, hitting only .240 with 6 homeruns and 24 RBI.

"Obviously, Josh is a massive part of our club," shortstop Michael Young said. "The bad news is he'll be out that long, good news is he'll be able to come back healthy and ready to go. Whenever you have an injury that requires surgery, the best hope is to make sure you get it taken care of as soon as possible."

The surgery will be done in Philadelphia by Dr. William Meyer.

Texas Ends Road Trip With Series Win In Boston

In a week where he found himself placed on waivers, Vicente Padilla mustered up some real guts, giving Texas a huge effort in their 6-3 win over Boston Sunday afternoon.

Padilla went seven innings, allowing only two runs, earning his fourth victory of the year.

"It's part of the game," Padilla said about being placed on waivers. "Baseball is a business, and that's the way it's supposed to be. I just have to keep working, and if I don't pitch for this team, I'll have a chance to throw for another one."



Nelson Cruz had a big day at the plate, finishing a single shy of hitting for the cycle. He finished the day 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and a homerun, his 17th of the year.

Michael Young hit his eighth homer of the year in the first inning to get Texas an early lead. David Murphy also had a big day, picking up two RBI on three base hits.

"I'm very happy with the way our guys recovered [from Saturday's 8-1 defeat]," said manager Ron Washington. "After every loss we've had, they've always recovered. That just shows how much character we have."

Darren O'Day shut Boston down in the eighth leaving C.J. Wilson to close the game out in the ninth inning, picking up his fifth save of the year.

But Ron Washington seemed to be most impressed with how his embattled starter came out and competed.

"It all centered around Padilla going out there and pitching well," Washington said. "He did a great job keeping those guys off balance throughout the game. Not many people can do that to those guys. They usually find a way to make pitchers work and get them out of the game.

"But today, he gave us exactly what we needed."

Texas Almost No-Hit In Boston Massacre

The story in game 2 of the series in Boston was Red Sox starter John Lester. Lester retired the first 22 hitters of the game before allowing a double to Michael Young. Regardless, Lester went the full nine innings, allowing only two hits while striking out 11 in the 8-1 victory.

"It felt good," Lester said of his outing. "I was able to throw strikes with a lot of different pitches tonight and command both sides of the plate, which helps. [Catcher Jason Varitek] did a great job of honing that and making sure that I didn't get ahead of myself and try to think two, three pitches ahead, and just focus on that one pitch."

The Rangers players seemed ready to just chalk it up to 'one of those nights.'

"That was just lights-out," Michael Young said of Lester's performance. "That was one of the best games I've seen in my career by a pitcher, topping at 98 [mph], pounding the strike zone. [He] used all his pitches, back-doored his cutter, threw his cutter in, curveball, changeup. You have to give him credit. He flat out threw a good game."



Conversely, Derek Holland, who started out strong (allowing only 1 run in 4 2/3 innings) imploded, surrendering three more runs in the 5th, admitting he lost his feel after having a balk called him.

"I kind of let it get to me," Holland said. "The balk just stayed in my head the whole time, and I lost my composure out there. You just let one thing build up, and it's kind of a snowball effect."

Kris Benson did no better, allowing four more runs to score in the 5th. One of the runs came off the bat of the struggling David Ortiz, a solo homerun that just barely wrapped around Pesky's Pole in right field.

But for all the offense Boston put on the board, the night belonged to John Lester.

"I know his record doesn't show how good he can pitch, but I think the Red Sox fans know how good he can pitch," Ron Washington said. "Tonight was one of the nights he did it."

Millwood Dominates Boston, Pitches Texas To Victory

Reliever Darren O'Day made thing interesting in the 9th, walking the first two batters of the inning before retiring the heart of Boston's lineup (Youkilis, Bay, Lowell) in order.

Starter Kevin Millwood looked sharp, working out of an early jam in the 1st to go 7+ innings, allowing only one earned run. Boston's vaunted lineup was out of sorts for most of the night with Millwood mixing up his pitched well and getting a some quality defense him.



"I think any time you're confident in your defense, you are going to pitch better and you are going to be more willing to throw more strikes and not worry about letting guys hit the ball," said Millwood. "You aren't trying to strike everybody out, you're just trying to keep it off the sweet spot."

Ian Kinsler supplied most of the offense, drilling a 3-run shot over the historic Green Monster in left field.

"It's always a nice feeling to hit one over that big thing (the green monster)," said Kinsler.

Chris Davis also had a great game and is hopefully starting to round into form at the plate. He went 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI.

The win was Yexas' first in their last 9 tries in Boston.

Rangers Get Big Win, Then Let One Slip Away

Last night Texas got yet another great pitching effort out of Scott Feldman, who avoided a near disastrous 3rd inning (in which he loaded the bases only to have Michael Young and Chris Davis bail him out by turning an inning ending double play on Alex Rodriguez) to go 6 1/3 innings, striking out 5 and allowing only 2 earned runs.

Said Feldman of the big play in the 3rd: "That was huge for me. I really lost the feel for what I was doing out there. I just totally lost the feel for it. And then I made a pretty good pitch, and the play that Michael [Young] made was probably the play of the game, and it really saved us."

Texas got their offense up and going early, scoring three in the 1st and one more in the 2nd, getting Feldman and early lead, allowing him to settle in and make good pitches. At one point, Feldman retired 10 or 11 hitters he faced.



"I thought he mixed well," manager Ron Washington said. "He didn't put anything where they could get the part of the bat on early. They were beating the ball into the ground, and that's when you know Feldman does have his best stuff."

Texas spread out the offense, getting RBI from Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Marlon Byrd, and Chris Davis.

C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco came in to pitch 2 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, with Francisco picking up his 12th save of the season.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the 5th inning of today's gaem, Texas had amassed a 5-1 lead, thanks in part to a big 2-run double by Chris Davis in the top of the 4th.

Unfortunately, Brandon McCarthy was unable to make the lead stand up, allowing five runs to plate in the bottom of the 5th.

"It seemed like he just lost his location and couldn't throw the ball over the plate like he was earlier," Ron Washington said. "In baseball, that happens."

While Jason Jennings gave a good showing of himself by pitching three scoreless innings, C.J. Wilson wasn't able to continue his hot pitching, serving up a go-ahead, 2-run homerun by Melky Cabrera. C.J. found out the hard way what happens to baseballs when the wind is blowing in new Yankee Stadium.



Wilson still can't believe the ball left the yard.

"I was like, 'Oh, popup,'" Wilson said. "That's why I didn't really react. I was like, 'Oh, OK, fly ball -- oh [man], I forgot where we are. That's not good.'"

Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the 9th for the Yanks, shutting Texas down for his 12th save of the year and giving New York the series win.

Padilla Placed On Waivers

In a shocking move, the Texas Rangers have placed their no. 2 starter, Vicente Padilla, on outright waivers. Apparently, much of this stems from the Rangers growing frustration with Padilla and their inabilty to rely on him to make correct decisions both on and off the mound.

Padilla's short fuse is well documented and most around baseball view him as a headhunter. He lived up to that charge last night, hitting Mark Teixeira twice in first four innings of the game. The second time, Teixeira went on a profanity-laced tirade before being ushered to first base by manager, Joe Girardi.

"That is not the right way to play the game," said Teixeira after last nights 12-3 victory. "That guy [Padilla] has been doing that [throwing at batters] his entire career."

Teixeira went on to point out that when he was in Texas he would often be hit by pitches as retaliation from other teams after Padilla had hit one of their hitters.

"Anyone who knows Vicente knows that is the way he does it," Teixeira said.



With Padilla on waivers, Texas can outright him to the minor leagues (assuming he's not claimed) but because of his service time Padilla does retain the right to refuse the assignment which would then make him a free agent.

The Rangers, however, cannot rescind the waiver if Padilla is claimed (in an effort to then try and arrange a trade), and don't need Padilla to clear waivers to trade him. That's what makes me think this may simply be more about trying to clear Padilla's remaining $8 million off the books in an effort to both save money and also clear a spot in the starting rotation for rookie Derek Holland.

It should also be noted that teams aren't required to clear players through waivers for trade purposes until after the July 31 trade deadline.

Regardless of how this story plays out, a very clear message has been sent by Rangers management. Nolan Ryan, John Daniels, et al are trying to build an organization based on quality play and players with a high level of class. Padilla has long been known as a bit of a maverick and has typically kept to himself in the clubhouse. A message has been sent that no one is above the team and, regardless of whether this is the end of Padilla's time with Texas or not, any sort of behavior which has a negative effect on the chemistry of the clubhouse will not be tolerated.

Padilla Struggles In First Start Back From DL, Rangers Drop Game 1 To The Yanks

It has been said by many a baseball 'insider' that Texas' current roadtrip through New York and Boston is their first true test to determine if they're truly a playoff contender. If that's true, Texas may still be a year away.

Vicente Padilla, returning from a stint on the DL for a sore shoulder struggled with his command from the beginning, allowing seven earned runs in only 3 2/3 innings.

Padilla also set off some fireworks by drilling former Ranger Mark Teixeira twice, the second eliciting a tirade of vulgarities from Teixeira, who needed manager Joe Girardi to come from the dugout to calm him down.



Derek Holland did no better, surrendering a homerun to the resurgent Hideki Matsui, surrendering two earned runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Tack on a three-run blast by Jorge Posada off Warner Madrigal in the sixth inning and you've got yourself a route to the tune of 12-3.

Texas' lone offensive output came off the bat of Nelson Cruz, who hit his 15th homer of the season, a 3-run shot in the top of the third.

Yankees starter A.J. Burnett pitched seven strong innings, picking up his second win of the year against Texas, his fourth overall.

- Just hours before the game, Josh Hamilton was placed on the 15-day disabled list for a sore groin. This is his second trip to the DL this season and it's looking more and more likely like this could end up being a lost year for Hamilton.

- Yankees short stop Derek Jeter went 3-for-4 and scored the 1,500th run of his career.

Rangers Ends Big Month On A Sour Note, Drop One Late To A's

Texas looked flat on for six innings on Sunday, falling behind 4-0, mounting zero offense against Oakland starter Dallas Braden.

Kevin Millwood battled for six innings, leaving down 2-0 but despite being credited with a quality start, didn't have his best stuff and needed 116 pitches to get through the sixth.

"I was just a little inconsistent out there," Millwood said. "I threw too many pitches, especially in the first and second inning, that ran me out of gas. I still feel like I'm pitching well but not getting the results. It is what it is. All I can do is control what I can control and not worry about anything else."

In the bottom of the seventh, Texas finally put a rally together, scoring two runs thanks to a double down the left field line by Jarrod Saltalammachia. They came back in the bottom of the eighth and tied the game, getting RBI singles by Hank Blalock and Marlon Byrd. Unfortunately, David Murphy struck out followed by a popout by Saltalammachia, ending the inning.

Feeling his team had a little momentum, Ron Washington inserted his closer, Frank Francisco in the top of the ninth, hoping to get yet another scoreless inning out of the righty. But, for the first time in 30 appearances dating back to the middle of August last season, Francisco allowed a run, surrendering a solo homerun to Adam Kennedy.

"Frankie has been lights out all year long," said Michael Young. "We expect him to be great, they just got a big home run off him. If we have that situation again, I like our chances."

Before serving up the homerun, Francisco had not allowed a run in 17 2/3 innings this season, the longest streak this season by a pitcher without giving up a run.

"We can't expect him to be perfect," outfielder David Murphy said. "We're disappointed with the way it happened, but by no means did we expect him to be scoreless the entire season. He's allowed to make a mistake now and then."



Texas wasn't able to get the run back as Ian Kinsler grounded into a double play to end the game. Kinsler had yet another rough day, committing and error, going 1-for-5while having yet another homerun stolen from him by Oakland centerfielder Ryan Sweeney and ending the game with the aforementioned double play.