Texas Rangers

Memorial Day Rangers-Rays lineups

Ian Kinsler gets a day off today, his first since May 2 at Oakland. He is riding a six-game hitting streak after getting a hit in each game of the just completed homestand. Manager Ron Washington said that the day off had been planned and was give despited the recent hot stretch. Kinsler, though, is hitting .143 on the road.

Rangers lineup vs. RHP Wade Davis: Elvis Andrus, ss; David Murphy, rf; Josh Hamilton, lf; Michael Young, 2b; Adrian Beltre, 3b; Nelson Cruz, dh; Mitch Moreland, 1b; Mike Napoli, c; Endy Chavez, cf.

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

-- Jeff Wilson

Your Sunday postgame Rangers vs. Royals notes

All the big stuff was covered in other items in the blog, so here are the stats for those of you who like that kind of stuff.

The Rangers are three games over .500 for the first time since May 18.

The Rangers are 3-1-2 in their last six series.

The three-run deficit is the largest the Rangers have overcome this year. It was their first walk-off win of the season.

If you count his last three rehab starts, Nelson Cruz has five homers in his last nine games.

The last Rangers player to have a 3-0 homer in the regular season was Ian Kinsler, who did it Aug. 16, 2009. Nelson Cruz did it in the playoffs last season.

Ian Kinsler was hitting .364 on the homestand before getting tossed from the game.

Elvis Andrus has two walkoff hits in his career.

- Anthony Andro

 

Rangers manager talks about the Feliz slump

The word slump was thrown out by Rangers manager Ron Washington after another shaky Neftali Feliz outing Sunday. Feliz allowed a leadoff double to open the ninth. That run came around to score, and while it wasn't earned, it continued a bad trend for Feliz.

He threw 14 pitches, only seven of which were strikes. He also had a blown save Friday against Kansas City.

Washington knows his closer is struggling.

“All I want Neffy to do is be Neffy,” Washington said. “There’s nothing wrong with him. I thing is sometimes pitchers go through slumps just like hitters go through slumps. He’s in a slump and we’ve got to keep giving him the ball until that one day he goes out there and everything falls into place and then we can move forward.”

- Anthony Andro

Rangers Young gets presidential treatment from Bush

Former president George W. Bush had an interesting homestand with the Rangers. He almost got hit by a popup when Chicago was in town, and exchanged some funny words with Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

Sunday it was Bush giving out the praise, as he tipped his cap to Michael Young after the Texas hitter tied the game with a two-run homer in the eighth inning.

"We’ve talked a lot over the years," Young said. "I’ve had the chance to meet him several times. He comes to the games a lot. We always have good conversation. I saw him get pretty fired up. I thought that was pretty cool. That was sweet."

- Anthony Andro

Rangers third-base coach talks about decision to send Napoli

Texas third base coach Dave Anderson was back in the spotlight Sunday, but this time the results were a lot better than a broken arm for Josh Hamilton. Anderson decided to send Mike Napoli home from first base on the two out Elvis Andrus single in the ninth.

Here's what Anderson had to say about the move.

"The only thing that made it possible was he was going on the pitch. As soon as he went on the pitch and the ball is hit, you're taking a chance. It's two outs and if they make two good throws we're out. You're hoping for one of three things to happen: the guy miss the ball in the outfield, a bad throw to the cutoff man and a bad throw to home plate. They made good throws. We were just fortunate. He made a nice slide there and he was safe. More than anything else is you're taking a chance."

Anderson figured it would take something crazy to win the game.

"Sometimes you have to be aggressive out there and take chances," Anderson said. "How the game was going on, something crazy was going to happen to have this game over with. With two outs, you take a chance. You've got one of the better closers out there (Joakim Soria). To get another hit off him with two outs is going to be difficult to do."

- Anthony Andro

Sunday Rangers pregame notes

Brandon Webb will throw 60 to 75 pitches in his start for Frisco Monday.

Julio Borbon will also be in Frisco Monday. He's going to DH. He'll then head to Oklahoma City to join Round Rock. He will not join the Rangers on their current road trip.

Tommy Hunter is leaving for Arizona Tuesday. He's scheduled to throw live BP Wednesday and then pitch in a game after that.

- Anthony Andro

 

Sunday lineups

Elvis Andrus is getting a normal day off for the Rangers.

Rangers

1. Ian Kinsler, 2B

2. Andres Blanco, SS

3. Josh Hamilton, LF

4. Michael Young, DH

5. Adrian Beltre, 3B

6. Nelson Cruz, RF

7. Mike Napoli, 1B

8. Yorvit Torrealba, C

9. Craig Gentry, CF

Royals

1. Alex Gordon, LF

2. Melky Cabrera, CF

3. Eric Hosmer, 1B

4. Billy Butler, DH

5. Wilson Betemit, 3B

6. Mitch Maier, RF

7. Brayan Pena, C

8. Chris Getz, 2B

9. Alcides Escobar, SS

- Anthony Andro

Rangers Tateyama talks about his first major league save

Texas called on Yoshinori Tateyama to replace Matt Harrison in the seventh inning of a 10-0 game. Tateyama, who made his major-league debut Wednesday, pitched the final three innings for his first big-league save.

Tateyama said the save rules in Japan are the same as in the United States, but his first one here was special after collecting 27 in Japan.

"This is the first save in the United States so I'm really happy for that," said Tateyama, who allowed one unearned run on two hits. "More important to me, the I dedicate it to the team and it makes me happy."

The biggest problem for Tateyama now is what does is he with the ball from the save. He has a bag full of them from his major-league debut, and he doesn't want to get them mixed up.

"I was getting a bunch of them from the other day," he said. "I'm going to try not to mix them up. The first pitch and the one from the first save I'm going to take care of really well."

- Anthony Andro

Blister led to early exit for Rangers Harrison

Matt Harrison carried a shutout into the seventh inning Saturday but didn't have a chance to pitch any more because of a blood blister he developed on his left index finger during the fifth inning.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said Harrison tried to talk his way back into the game, but there was no need. The Rangers want to make sure Harrison is healthly enough to make his next start, which will come in Cleveland.

The left-hander, who improved to 5-4, had no problem with the decision.

"I went back out there for the sixth and it started getting bigger and bigger," Harrison said. "I wanted to go back out there for the seventh, but I guess they consulted with Nolan (Ryan) and they decided it was probably time to shut it down."

The Rangers have experience with blisters this year, as starter Alexi Ogando has had issues with a blister all season.

Harrison said he hasn't had a blister in about five years.

- Anthony Andro

Rangers' Saturday lineup with Josh Hamilton in LF

The MVP makes his return to the the field for the first time since breaking his right arm in Detroit in April. Hamilton will start in left, with David Murphy on the bench. The Rangers face RHP Sean O'Sullivan, who is 2-0 witha 4.91 ERA against the Rangers.

Rangers lineup

1. Ian Kinsler, 2B

2. Elvis Andrus, SS

3. Josh Hamilton, LF

4. Michael Young, DH

5. Adrian Beltre, 3B

6. Nelson Cruz, RF

7. Mitch Moreland, 1B

8. Mike Napoli, C

9. Endy Chavez, CF

Young is 4 for 8 lifetime against O'Sullivan with a homer.

- Anthony Andro