Texas Rangers

Washington, Wilson take blame for Rangers' loss

Manager Ron Washington admitted that he should have had Neftali Feliz ready to face Evan Longoria in the eighth inning, but instead Longoria hit a two-run homer off Arthur Rhodes that lifted Tampa Bay to a 5-4 victory.

"I'll take the blame for it all," Washington said. "My feeling was to get Neffy up, and I didn't act on it. I thought Arthur would be able to make a pitch to keep him in the yard."

The Rays hit three two-out home runs and responded in the bottom half of each inning in which the Rangers had scored. Two of the homers came off starter C.J. Wilson -- a solo shot by Sean Rodriguez in the third and a two-run blast by Matt Joyce in the seventh.

"I just threw the ball right down the middle,” said Wilson, became the first Rangers lefty to register four 10-strikeout games in a season. "I feel like I gave that game away. We were up, we had momentum, and I went out and … I don’t know."

Elvis Andrus also was upset that he didn't make a play just ahead of Longoria's at-bat. Rhodes had entered to face Johnny Damon in a left-on-left matchup, and got Damon to hit a blooper into shallow left field. Andrus raced back and had the ball hit off his glove for a two-out single.

"I was a little upset to miss one in that situation," said Andrus, who had entered as a pinch-hitter in the top of the inning. "I lost it a little bit in the roof. As soon as I saw the ball the second time, I tried to do my best."

-- Jeff Wilson

Rays 5, Rangers 4 (F)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer off Arthur Rhodes in the eighth inning, one of three Tampa Bay homers hit in the game with two outs, and the Rays sent the Rangers to a 5-4 loss Tuesday at Tropicana Field.

Rhodes entered for a lefty-lefty matchup against Johnny Damon after Mark Lowe got the first two outs of the eighth. Damon reached on a broken bat single that shortstop Elvis Andrus just missed as he raced back into shallow left field. Longoria, hitting in the cleanup spot for the first time in four games, hit a 3-1 pitch just beyond the left-field wall.

C.J. Wilson allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings but left with a no-decision. His undoing was two home runs, a solo shot by Sean Rodriguez in the third and a two-run blast by Matt Joyce in the seventh. Wilson allowed only three hits, walked four and struck out 10 to become the first lefty in club history to record four 10-strikeout games in a season.

Tampa Bay scored all of its runs in the bottom of innings in which the Rangers had just taken the lead.

The Rangers lost for the 11th time this season in a game decided in a team's final at-bat. Eight of those have come on the road. The loss also snapped the Rangers' three-game winning streak.

The offense did enough, getting two-out RBI singles by Adrian Beltre and Michael Young in the third and seventh innings as well as a one-out RBI single by Ian Kinsler in the seventh. Nelson Cruz scored in the eighth on a wild pitch to break a 3-3 tie.

-- Jeff Wilson

 

 

Tuesday pregame Rangers notes

Elvis Andrus said that he will be in the starting lineup Wednesday for the series finale at Tampa Bay after getting a day today to rest is left foot. Michael Young spiked Andrus on Monday as they converged on a chopper up the middle. Andrus said that the swelling in the foot has gone way down and there is more range of motion. Andrus wanted to play tonight.

Mike Napoli is catching again because, as manager Ron Washington said, he's 7 for 12 the past the past three games. Yorvit Torreabla, though, will catch Wednesday. Expect Napoli in the lineup at first base with left-hander David Price pitching for the Rays.

Manager Ron Washington refused to play the "what-if" game concerning Endy Chavez and Julio Borbon.  Borbon (left hamstring) has played one game on his rehab assignment and won't return until after this road trip.

Either right-hander Dave Bush or lefty Michael Kirkman will start Thursday at Cleveland if a blister prevents Matt Harrison from making his scheduled start. Harrison threw a bullpen session a few moments ago, a sign that he should be able to go Thursday.

-- Jeff Wilson

 

Tonight's Rangers-Rays lineups

Elvis Andrus is out tonight, though he wanted to play. The problem, besides the swelling in his left foot? He didn't get to the ballpark before manager Ron Washington made out the lineup, so Washington give Andrus a day. Ian Kinsler is back, though, as the designated hitter, which means Michael Young plays second for a second straight game. For Tampa Bay, Evan Longoria's run as a leadoff man is over.

Rangers lineup vs. RHP Alex Cobb: Ian Kinsler, dh; Andres Blanco, ss; Josh Hamilton, lf; Michael Young, 2b; Adrian Beltre, 3b; Nelson Cruz, rf; Mitch Moreland, 1b; Mike Napoli, c; Endy Chavez, cf.

Rays lineup vs. LHP C.J. Wilson: Ben Zobrist, 2b; Sean Rodriguez, ss; Johnny Damon, dh; Evan Longoria, 3b; B.J. Upton, cf; Felipe Lopez, 1b; Matt Joyce, rf; Kelly shoppach, c; Justin Ruggiano, lf.

-- Jeff Wilson

Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus out tonight

The Rangers' lineup has just been posted in the press box, and Elvis Andrus is not in it. Andres Blanco is starting at shortstop and hitting second in place of Andrus, who was spiked by Michael Young on Monday as they converged on a chopper up the middle in the sixth inning.

Andrus stayed in the game until he was replaced by Blanco for the bottom of the ninth. Afterward, Andrus' left foot was swollen and had a spike mark from where Young had gotten him. Andrus said he didn't know if he'd be in the lineup, and manager Ron Washington said he wouldn't take any chances.

Andrus said that he needs to communicate better with Young when he's playing second base. Ian Kinsler, the regular second baseman, and Andrus have an understanding that any ball up the middle is Andrus' to field.

In other lineup news, Mike Napoli is back at catcher. He has home runs in three straight games, and the Rangers are 11-4 when he starts behind the plate.

-- Jeff Wilson

A few postgame Rangers notes

Manager Ron Washington said there is no catching controversy brewing even though Mike Napoli is 11-4 as a starting catcher. The Rangers are 9-0 when he hits a home run. He had two Monday and added an run-scoring double to give him a five-RBI night.

"He does a good job, and he happens to be swinging the bat and putting some runs on the board," Washington said. "There’s no controversy with that yet. Whoever is behind there when I write out my lineup tomorrow will be out there. It just depends on what comes out of my pen."

Said Napoli, who is trying to simplify his swing but knows defense is his first priority: "It’s very important to me. I like working with pitchers. I understand the importance of being back there. It’s fun. When I was going through that struggle, behind back there and doing well helped a lot."

The last major league team to hit four homers in three straight games before the Rangers did it Monday was the Cubs in 2002, Aug. 10-12.

Endy Chavez homered in consecutive games for the second time in his career and the first time in exactly seven years. He also did it May 29-30, 2004, against Cincinnati.

Mitch Moreland hit the D-ring that runs around Tropicana Field 70 feet above the playing surface for a fourth-inning homer. He was the 22nd player to accomplish that feat. The home run was estimated at 426 feet, which outfielder David Murphy is definitely a short estimate.

The Rays will start Alex Cobb on Tuesday. He made his first career start May 1, allowing four runs, four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings while taking a no-decision in an eventual 6-5 Rays loss to the Angels.

-- Jeff Wilson

Elvis Andrus not sure if he'll play for Rangers on Tuesday

Shortstop Elvis Andrus could be out of the Rangers' starting lineup Tuesday if his left ankle remains swollen and sore after he was spiked by Michael Young as they converged on a sixth-inning grounder near second base.

Andrus remained in the game but was removed in the ninth inning, which the Rangers entered with an 11-5 lead. Afterward, he was limping around the clubhouse, and there was a mark and swelling from where Young had stepped on him.

"We'll see how I wake up," Andrus said. "I'm going going to say yes or no" about playing Tuesday.

Andrus said that he needs to communicate better with Young when the infielder is at second. Andrus said that regular second baseman Ian Kinsler understands that Andrus has all balls up the middle.

Kinsler was given a day to rest Monday.

-- Jeff Wilson

 

Rangers 11, Rays 5 (F)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Mike Napoli hit two home runs and had five RBIs, and the Rangers established a club-record power mark as they outlasted Tampa Bay 11-5 on Monday at Tropicana Field.

Napoli's first homer, a three-run shot in the third, broke the game open, and his second homer, an opposite-field solo shot in the sixth, marked the first time in club history that the Rangers have hit four homers in three consecutive games.

Mitch Moreland and Endy Chavez also swatted homers. Moreland's, the most impressive of the bunch, hit the D-ring catwalk beyond the right-field fence some 70 feet above the playing surface. Chavez's homer followed Napoli's first. Those three had combined to go back-to-back-to-back Sunday against Kansas City.

Derek Holland had plenty of run support, but he allowed a solo homer to Ben Zobrist and a three-run shot to No. 9 hitter Jason Ruggiano with two outs in the sixth inning to make a 9-1 laugher much tighter at 9-5. The game got tighter still as the next three Rays reached against Mark Lowe, but B.J. Upton struck out to end the inning.

Holland (4-1) allowed five hits and struck out seven, but he walked five. One of those walks was to Kelly Shoppach ahead of the Ruggiano homer. Holland threw 112 pitches, the last of which turned into the first homer and RBIs of the season for Ruggiano.

The Rangers added two runs in the eighth, including an RBI double from Napoli, to pad the lead.

The Rangers have won three straight games for the first time since April 9-11 and are four games over .500 for the first time since May 1.

-- Jeff Wilson

Rangers Webb pitches 3 1/3 in rehab start

Brandon Webb allowed five runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings in his first professional game since Opening Day of 2009.

Webb had made several starts in extended spring training action for the Rangers this year, but they don't count in any standings.

Webb hit 85 mph on the radar gun on one pitch in the first inning, but normally was around the 83 or 84 mph mark. He allowed two runs in the first, one in the second and one in the third.

He command got better as the game wore on, as Webb threw 32 pitches in the first inning but needed just 15 to get out ofthe third. He threw 11 pitches in the fourth before getting pulled with runners on the corners. He finished with 77 pitches thrown, 47 for strikes.

Webb struck out two, walked two and hit one. Two of the 10 outs Webb recorde were on the base paths.

- Anthony Andro

Memorial Day pregame Rangers notes

Not much new at the Tropicana Field, where the Rangers celebrated capturing the American League Division Series in October when they were here last. That, though, is in the past and wasn't given much thought upon their arrival here today.

Left-hander Matt Harrison expects to make his next start even though he has a blister on his index finger. Whereas Alexi Ogando's blister is on the very tip of his finger, almost under the finger nail, Harrison's blister is where his finger print is.

Right-hander Tanner Scheppers (back weakness) recently started throwing off a mound and will do that for two weeks before being considered for a game. He is continuing core strengthening exercises.

Elvis Andrus says that the one saving grace about Tropicana Field is that the dome shields players from the heat and humidity outside. Andrus then said he would like to see a dome built in Arlington. All those in favor?

-- Jeff Wilson