Closer's Controversy In Arlington; Bonds To Join Rangers In 2008?

The Rangers' final home series of the year kicks off tonight at the Temple, with rookie right-hander Armando Galarraga making his first major league start against Ervin Santana and the newly crowned AL West champions, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

While Texas may not have much to play for these days, they do have an opportunity to play the role of spoiler: the Angels are 92-64 on the year, which places them in a deadlock with Boston in the standings, and just 1/2 of a game behind the 92-63 Indians. A strong showing from the Rangers over the next three days could deny Anaheim home field advantage throughout the playoffs - conversely, a meltdown by Texas could aid the Angels' playoff run immensely.

And of course, if resident headcase Vicente Padilla were making a start in this series, he would probably try to knock Anaheim's playoff chances down a peg on his own - not by virtue of dominating their lineup, but by firing a 96 MPH fastball towards the head of (insert Angels player of choice here).

Rotoworld believes that manager Ron Washington doesn't "trust" relievers C.J. Wilson and Joaquin Benoit enough to consider them as legitimate options for the closer's job going into next season, and goes on to suggest that Washington might push for the Rangers to sign a second or third tier closer, such as Detroit's Todd Jones.

Herein lies one of the big problems with the save as a baseball statistic - people within the game get so wrapped up in this idiotic mindset that they absolutely must have a "proven" closer pitching in that ninth inning, that they pass over younger and better talent which carries the lone knock of being "less experienced." Give me a break.

Something else worth taking into consideration: Washington's "wish list" of players he'd like for Texas to sign via free agency includes not only a closer, but a center fielder, first baseman and right fielder. With the purse strings on the Rangers' payroll already being monitored closely by owner Tom Hicks, Jon Daniels needs to carefully pick and choose how he decides to spend his limited resources.

And with all the other needs on this club, shelling out $30+ million in guaranteed money to a closer is just plain foolhardy. Especially when you have two more than respectable candidates on the active roster already; perhaps three, if and when Akinori Otsuka returns.

Going back to my commentary last night on the situation, I mentioned that Washington wants the Rangers to go out and sign either Eric Gagne, Mariano Rivera or Francisco Cordero. Gagne's story is rather self-explanatory: since the July 31st trade that sent him to Boston, he's been responsible for no less than four Red Sox losses, and as a result, his stock has plummeted through the floor.

Even worse, Gagne has given up a horrific 7.13 ERA, 1.79 WHIP and .869 OPS in 24 IP since July 6th. At this point, I think it goes without saying that any team who throws a multi-year contract offer in his direction is treading on very thin ice. A huge October could send his value flying through the ceiling again, but don't bet your house on that happening.

One error on my part was assuming that Rivera was finally starting to show signs of decline, based solely off a quick glance at his Baseball Reference page last night which showed a higher ERA and WHIP compared to his past few seasons. On the contrary, further research reveals that Rivera has simply suffered from Michael Young Syndrome: since May 1st, Rivera has a 1.90 ERA, along with a 1.02 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 61.2 IP. Filthy.

But at age 38, does anybody really want to gamble that Rivera's health will continue to hold out, after years of heavy workloads at the hands of Joe Torre? And even if Rivera has several dominant years left in his legendary right arm, does anybody really think for one second that New York is going to let him walk via free agency, given his status and importance to the Yankees? Fat chance.

And as far as Francisco Cordero is concerned, this should say just about all that needs to be said.

Brandon McCarthy will not start Tuesday night's game against the Angels due to lingering irritation in his right forearm. The problem originally cropped up between his start in Oakland on September 15th, and his four shutout inning performance on September 20th against Baltimore.

After his start last Thursday night, McCarthy pegged his chances of making his final two starts of the season at 50-50; now, it appears he may be done for the year. Given the Rangers' haphazard usage of McCarthy this year, that's probably a good thing.

I'm still baffled at how reckless the organization has been with him at times: seriously, who the hell knowingly lets a prized young pitcher take the mound with shoulder soreness, for weeks at a time, without having an MRI exam performed?

In addition, Kameron Loe has been sidelined for the remainder of the season with right elbow soreness. He experienced more discomfort in the elbow after a bullpen session last Wednesday, forcing the Rangers to shut him down.

Right fielder Nelson Cruz exploded for an otherworldly .600/.625/.933 batting line during this past weekend's four game series with the Orioles. He went 9 for 16 with a home run, a triple and 3 RBI; however, this recent hot streak may be a classic case of too little, too late.

By the way, Michael Young now has 195 hits on the year with six games to play. Using his average of 4.11 AB/G in 2007 as a benchmark, he'll need to bat .243 the rest of the way in order to finish with 200 hits. He's hitting .341/.397/.438 since May 4th, so you'd like to think that's a fairly achievable goal.

The San Francisco Giants announced on Friday that they would not be bringing back future Hall of Famer Barry Bonds in 2008, bringing rise to speculation on where he'll play next year. As you may recall, Barry nearly signed with the Rangers last winter before agreeing to a one year, $15.8 million contract with the Giants on February 15th.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick again linked Bonds to the Rangers with his latest piece on Saturday, while Ron Washington expressed his long-standing desire to bring Bonds to Arlington:

"I'd liked to have had him here this year," Washington said, suggesting the Oakland A's are the logical destination. "If I had to make a judgment on where he'll be playing next year, the other side of the Bay. ... Barry wants to stay in the Bay Area."

Barry's obviously got something left, given his ridiculous .279/.483/.570 line and 28 HR this year in just 337 AB. There's no questioning that Bonds would provide a huge upgrade at DH - but at what price? Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it's worth noting that Baseball Prospectus's Nate Silver pegs the Rangers' odds at signing Barry at merely 50:1, with the Padres and Athletics the early runaway favorites to sign him. If he doesn't retire first, that is.

Meanwhile, the ever cynical Tim MacMahon of the DMN SeamHeads Rangers blog thinks Texas should sign Bonds - but more because of the fodder that he would provide to the Dallas/Fort Worth media, not his offensive capabilities. Then again, I'm not sure MacMahon has ever been relevant as far as Rangers baseball coverage goes, so take that as you will.

And finally, Yankees All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez and agent Scott Boras are refuting a controversial New York Magazine story published on Sunday. According to a "source with knowledge of the situation," Boras was in close contact with the prospective ownership group which was most likely to purchase the Chicago Cubs, and had approached them about the possibility of signing Rodriguez this coming off-season.

The supposed terms of the deal? Ten years, with an average annual salary approaching or exceeding the $30 million mark, and deferred money that would be put towards a future stake in the franchise's ownership.

Yankees president Randy Levine called the story "silly," and pointed out that active players are forbidden from possessing ownership of a team, as well as negotiating future ownership. Thankfully for all of us, commissioner Bud Selig took a few moments away from his strenuous day job to agree with Levine's interpretation of the matter.

In the meantime, the Rangers remain on the hook for $21,304,500 of A-Rod's contract over the next three years - $8,116,000 in 2008, $7,101,500 in 2009 and $6,087,000 in 2010 - unless he exercises the opt-out clause in his contract, making him a free agent.

When taking the time value of money into account, it's easy to see how Rodriguez taking his walking papers would be a major financial windfall for the Rangers, especially as they continue to look forward to this winter's rich free agent market.

Of course, if Ron Washington had his way, he'd put that money into the future retirement fund of Francisco Cordero.

Millwood Hurls Gem In 3-0 Win Over Baltimore

In the wake of Saturday night's brutal three hour and fifty-one minute loss to the Orioles, Texas badly needed a strong performance from Kevin Millwood on Sunday afternoon. Or at the very least, for him to chew up some innings.

What they got was both.

Albeit, a few months too late to help the Rangers accomplish much more in the big picture than slightly worsening their position in the 2008 MLB Draft. But with the way things are going these days, I'll take it.

Millwood was brilliant in Sunday's 3-0 series finale victory over Baltimore, as the embattled 32-year-old "ace" of the Texas rotation fired seven shutout innings to help the Rangers split their four-game set with the Orioles. His command of the strike zone was impeccable, with Kevin throwing 74 of his 102 pitches for strikes, and allowing just seven hits and no walks on the day; he also struck out five, including three in the top of the 7th inning.

Meanwhile, the offense gave Millwood just enough run support to work with: Jason Botts doubled with two outs in the bottom of the 2nd inning, which was followed by a Nelson Cruz RBI triple down the right field line, and a Gerald Laird RBI single. Texas padded their slim 2-0 lead further in the bottom of the 6th inning, when a Marlon Byrd RBI groundout scored Ian Kinsler from third base.

Joaquin Benoit made things slightly more interesting than they needed to be in the top of the 8th inning, after coughing up a walk to Nick Markakis and a double to Miguel Tejada to put the tying run at the plate with two outs. Thankfully, Aubrey Huff hit a little tapper in front of the plate which Laird was able to snag and gun to first, ending the scoring threat. And to top the afternoon off, C.J. Wilson closed things out in the ninth by inducing a game-ending 5-4-3 double play.

Millwood is now on the brink of dropping his ERA below the 5.00 mark for the first time since April 18th (the night of Buerhle's no-hitter), when he allowed five runs in five innings in Chicago to raise his ERA to 4.91. Five days later, Millwood gave up five more runs against the Mariners in Arlington, pushing his ERA to 5.46. After Sunday's magnificent start, he's sitting at 5.16, but has just one start remaining to reach the 5.00 barrier.

Despite the fact that Cowboys football has taken precedence as far as the DFW sports scene goes, manager Ron Washington has found a way to keep his team in the headlines - but more through his words than through his struggling team's play on the field.

First, there was Ron's less than rousing endorsement of starter Vicente Padilla during his weekly segment with 1310 AM The Ticket's Norm Hitzges on Friday morning, which found Washington ducking underneath Norm's question of "Do you want Padilla back next year?" by simply citing the numbers on Vicente's nearly immovable contract - obviously, that's never a good sign for a player's job security.

But that's not all: Ron also said that neither Joaquin Benoit or C.J. Wilson had earned the closer's role going into next year, and pushed for the idea of signing a closer via free agency, a point which he re-iterated before Saturday night's game:

"Will we get them all? I don't know," Washington said, "but we certainly need a closer.

"You're not going to go into a season expecting to win without somebody who can close a ballgame down. It's that simple."

[...]

"I'm not saying C.J. or Benoit can't do it one day, but they don't have the experience," Washington said. "They have the stuff to do it, but they have to earn their way to that position."

Apparently, Ron has his heart set on the Rangers signing either Eric Gagne (who has been an unmitigated disaster in Boston), Mariano Rivera (who's finally showing signs of decline, and probably isn't leaving New York anyway), or Francisco Cordero (are you kidding me?!) Any of the three would require a pricey multi-year commitment.

Moreover, the basis for Washington's argument seems rather bizarre: Benoit and Wilson aren't valid contenders for the closer's role going into '08, because they don't have enough experience? I'm not entirely sure if he's referring to the fact that they don't have enough experience as a closer, or as a major league pitcher; the latter would certainly not make much sense, since Benoit's probably one of the longest tenured employees in the entire Rangers organization.

But on the other hand, if Ron's trying to make the point that Benoit and Wilson aren't worthy of the closer's role because they don't have enough experience in the role itself - well, then that's just absurd.

Let me be perfectly clear here: I don't have a problem with Ron not wanting to commit one way or the other, seeing as how we're still more than six months away from Opening Day '08. But he doesn't even appear willing to give Benoit or Wilson any chance whatsoever, and when considering all the variables in play here, that's a very ignorant stance to take.

Of course, Wilson responded after Sunday's game by publicly lobbying to his manager as to why he deserves more consideration than he appears to be getting:

"I want to be the closer," Wilson said after pitching a scoreless ninth in the Rangers' 3-0 win over Baltimore. "Last year. Today. Next year. For two years, I've been saying that I either want to start or close games."

Ron might want to tread a bit more carefully here, lest he tick off his best left-handed pitcher further.

I'm a bit strapped for time tonight, but I hope to have more tomorrow, including further commentary on this growing closer's controversy, the worrying saga of Brandon McCarthy, and the possibility of Barry Bonds coming to Arlington.

Monday, September 24th Game Preview

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (92-64) at Texas Rangers (72-84)

E. Santana (7-13, 5.63 ERA) vs. A. Galarraga (0-0, 2.25 ERA)

7:05 PM CST in Arlington, Texas (Rangers Ballpark in Arlington)

TV: FSNSW | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Recurring Theme: Rough 8th Inning, Rangers Lose 11-9

Offense was certainly not a problem Saturday night, as the Rangers put up a quick 8 runs in 4 innings.��However,�the Rangers were only able to muster one more run after the Orioles late comeback.� Orioles�Manager Dave Trembley summed it up best,�"It was like a B game on the back fields in spring training."

Pitching�was nonexistent,��but a great offensive effort by these two teams gave fans plenty of reasons to jump up and cheer.� Orioles RF Nick Markakis led both teams with a 5 RBI night.� Edinson Volquez still handed the ball off to the bullpen with a chance to record a win, but his bullpen was not up to the task, by allowing 6 more runs�by the end of the game.

Ian Kinsler had a nice game for the Rangers by recording his 20th HR and 22 SB, which cements him as the first�Ranger player to do that since Alfonso Soriano in 2005.� Another interesting stat of the night: A total of 11 pitchers were used and 387 pitches were thrown by both teams.� Rangers lead this season series 5-4, but have lost 9 of the last 11.

Not much experience was on the field Saturday night for the Rangers, and Manager Ron Washington addressed that by saying, "Those were young kids we had out there.� We were hoping they could get us through, but it didn't happen."

The bats did the talking, but the pitchers didn't hold their end of stick.� Recurring theme?� You betcha!

Rangers Survive a Scare, Win 3-2

The Texas Rangers, in the midst of a 4 game losing streak, almost found another way to lose another game, but some nice defense sealed the win.� The real star of the night was Luis Mendoza who allowed only 4 hits and 1 run in 5 innings of work to record his first MLB win.

Baltimore went up early by a HR by Miguel Tejada in the 2nd inning, however, Jarrod Saltalamacchia gave the Rangers�the lead they wouldn't surrender with a two RBI single.�� Later in the fourth inning, Nelson Cruz added a run with a HR to make the score 3-1.� The Rangers had opportunities to add to the lead, with a great opportunity with the bases loaded, but Michael Young hit into double play to end the inning.

The Oriole rally came in the 9th inning as the bases were loaded with no outs, yes I know...this seems to be a normal recipe for disaster for the Rangers.� Well, they produced one run with a Scott Moore sacrifice fly.� Runners were on the corners with 1 out, and Benoit struck out Paul Bako, and during the next AB, Melvin Mora was gunned down by Gerald Laird on an attempt to steal second base.

Attendance was a bit up for the Rangers during this time of the season, with about 63% of the seats filled.� Bad news for the Orioles as they have been outscored by 111 runs in 30 games, which is�nearly a 4 run margin of defeat.� Rangers lead the season series 5-3.

Bullpen Collapse: Texas Falls To Orioles In 10, 6-3

Good grief.

I don't have the heart tonight to do a full recap of this abomination of a game.

In fact, it's not really necessary, as tonight's contest between the Orioles and Rangers can be accurately summed up with one simple word:

Garbage.

What a freakin' joke this team has become during the past week and a half. I know it's easy to "kick 'em while they're down," but what happened tonight was absolutely inexcusable.

Needless to say, it's a damn good thing for the Rangers' ticket sales that the Cowboys aren't playing until 7:15 PM on Sunday night, approximately an hour after Sunday's afternoon series finale with the Orioles is set to conclude - otherwise, the Rangers might be lucky to get an "announced" gate total of 10,000.

And by the way, even though the numbers differ slightly between ESPN and Baseball Reference, it appears that the Rangers' 2007 attendance totals are going to rank right at or slightly below their 2006 totals.

The moral of the story? You can run as many Dollar Hot Dog Nights and post-game fireworks shows as you like. You can unveil a brand new, semi-humorous marketing campaign, the brainchild of a slightly off-beat advertising firm from Austin, which is the king of slightly off-beat towns.

Hell, you can even put on a couple of AvoDerm Pinnacle Dog Nights, and piece together trainwreck segments consisting of roaming FSN reporter/yuck monkey Jim Knox dancing with a Great Dane on the outfield concourse.

But winning, and winning alone, will bring fans to the Temple on a consistent basis. And unfortunately for all of us, the wait continues.

Vicente Padilla has dropped the appeal of his seven game suspension, and began serving his punishment on Thursday night, thereby making me look somewhat intelligent for my prediction that he would do exactly that back on Tuesday evening.

However, Padilla will apparently not get a start in the Rangers' final three game series against the Mariners, with Ron Washington opting instead to go with Edinson Volquez, Kevin Millwood and Brandon McCarthy:

"He might come out of the bullpen," Washington said. "That's the only way he's going to pitch if he does. He certainly won't be getting a start."

Sheesh, you can practically sense the anger emanating from that quote. Padilla had been scheduled to start on Monday against the Angels, but has been scratched in favor of rookie Armando Galarraga, who allowed just one run in three innings of relief on Wednesday night in Minnesota.

Third baseman Hank Blalock played catch on Thursday, and reported further improvement in his sore elbow, but is still not healthy enough to return to the field:

"If we were fighting for a playoff spot I'd be playing third base," Blalock said. "But I don't want to be going into the off-season with my elbow feeling sore. Being out there on defense is secondary."

Whether or not Hank is able to return to third base before season's end, he plans to launch an extensive strength and conditioning program as soon as his elbow is 100%. In any case, those rumors calling for Blalock to move to first base appear to be somewhat premature in nature.

Right-handers Akinori Otsuka and Scott Feldman are likely done for the year, although for different reasons: Aki has abruptly ended his final attempt at a throwing program, and is currently focused on a rest and rehabilitation path to recovery, as he hopes to avoid elbow surgery. Feldman, on the other hand, has been out since September 9th with a bone bruise in his right knee, and is not yet throwing off a mound.

And finally, some especially great news for everybody: Sammy Sosa wants to return to the Rangers in 2008:

"It's not time for me to go home," Sosa said. "My first choice is here. I want to sit down and talk to them and see what we can do."

[...]

"I've played good and all the teams see the numbers I have," Sosa said. "Right now I have other options in my mind, but the Texas Rangers are the team that gave me the opportunity. I appreciate what they've done. I want to see what they have in mind. I'd love to come back, no question."

For those of you who are regular listeners to KTCK 1310 AM The Ticket, do you know that one drop where Norm Hitzges is repeatedly shouting "No, no, no, no, no, never, never, no, never!?"

Well, that pretty well sums up my feelings on re-signing Sosa. Seriously, it's been a great story, and like I've said before numerous times, I have a ton of respect for the way Sammy has carried himself this year. But it's time for Texas to move on.

Unless, of course, Jon Daniels forces a stipulation into Ron Washington's contract which prohibits him from using Sammy against right-handed pitching. Then, and only then, I might be interested.

And in the meantime, perhaps we can replace John Rheinecker with that aforementioned Great Dane.

Friday, September 21st Game Preview

Baltimore Orioles (65-87) at Texas Rangers (70-83)

Victor Santos (1-5, 5.95 ERA) vs. Luis Mendoza (0-0, 2.08 ERA)

7:05 PM CST in Arlington, Texas (Rangers Ballpark in Arlington)

TV: KDFI/My27 | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Gutless Wonders: Padilla, Rangers Swept In Minnesota

If Vicente Padilla's start on Wednesday night in Minnesota was truly his last of 2007, he couldn't have done a much better job of alienating himself from his teammates, his coaches, and most importantly, the organization that handed him a three year, $33.75 million contract last winter.

The Twins completed a three game sweep of the floundering Rangers on Wednesday evening at the Metrodome, with Texas falling by a 4-2 margin for the second straight night.

Since completing a home sweep of the Oakland Athletics on September 9th, the Rangers have lost eight out of ten, and surpassed the 81-loss mark with last night's defeat, ensuring that the club will finish below .500 for a third consecutive season.

Things began badly right from the start for Padilla, as it took him 32 pitches just to escape the first inning. Frank Catalanotto led off the game with a solo home run to right field, but Vicente quickly squandered the early lead by surrendering two walks and an RBI single to Justin Morneau, tying the game at 1-1.

What would happen next bordered on bizarre: Vicente led off the bottom of the 2nd inning by lobbing a pair of mid-50's MPH frisbee curves to lead-off batter Garrett Jones, both of which drifted outside of the strike zone. He would go on to walk Jones, who eventually scored on an RBI fielder's choice groundout to give the Twins a 2-1 lead. Michael Cuddyer homered next inning, putting Minnesota up to stay.

All told, Padilla lasted just five innings, throwing 97 pitches (only 54 for strikes) in the process while allowing three runs on three hits and five walks. His lackluster performance was only amplified further by his apparent disdain for throwing his best pitch, the fastball, and his sudden propensity for those brutal 55-60 MPH "slow curves." Needless to say, many throughout the organization are baffled today, from his coaches to his own catcher:

"He's more effective when he uses his fastball," Washington said. "I don't know why he went to the off-speed stuff as much as he did."

"When he pitches well, he pitches off his fastball," Connor said. "Tonight he didn't do that."

[...]

"Honestly, I don't know why he went to the [slow curve]," catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. "He had some trouble locating early, and it was one of those nights where he thought that was what was the best thing to go with."

Not only that, but Adam Morris quoted KRLD radio commentator Victor Rojas during last night's broadcast, who said that Padilla was "the biggest mental midget in the major leagues," and that "he just doesn't get it." Even the normally reserved Eric Nadel threw a few jabs at Padilla, suggesting that "not many of his [Padilla's] teammates like playing behind him." Wow.

Granted, the Rangers were doomed not just by Padilla's shoddy effort, but by their own mediocre offensive showing at the plate. Texas scored just one more run on the night, courtesy of a David Murphy RBI single in the top of the 7th inning. Minnesota's middle relief held the Rangers in check, and Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth inning en route to the sweep for the Twins.

Since I'm so thoroughly disgusted with this team right now, here's a very abbreviated "Quick Hits" edition of some news circulating around the Rangers right now:

• Ron Washington wants Sammy Sosa back in 2008. Ugh.
• Evan Grant's latest "Inside the Rangers" newsletter is out, which includes some more scathing thoughts on the latest Padilla fiasco. Definitely worth a read, if you haven't seen it yet.
• T.R. Sullivan has a nice "Top 10 September Moments" piece out on his blog, which certainly conjures to mind memories of better days.
• And finally, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Anthony Andro writes on Torii Hunter, who is excited at the idea of being signed by the Rangers this coming off-season. Sigh.

Thursday, September 20th Game Preview

Baltimore Orioles (64-87) at Texas Rangers (70-82)

V. Zambrano (0-2, 7.98 ERA) vs. B. McCarthy (5-10, 5.07 ERA)

7:05 PM CST in Arlington, Texas (Rangers Ballpark in Arlington)

TV: FSNSW | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Rangers Lose 4-2, Padilla Loses 7

The Rangers lost an error-filled game against the Minnesota Twins in the Metrodome, 4-2.� Michael Young collected three of the errors, and that is how a close game can be lost.� Torii Hunter came up big by scoring two runs, and putting himself in scoring position, although no one bothered to bring him in.� He might wonder if these are his last days in Minnesota.� Perhaps the last series opener against the Rangers before they lose him to free agency?� Perhaps the Rangers are prepared to snag him.� However, I think think for his age and price tag, the Rangers should pass.� Center field defense isn't shaky, and the run production isn't horrible, as we can score runs when necessary (sometimes) and the outfielders can score runs by committee.� We will see what happens.

Kevin Millwood was hit hard last night, but didn't really break.� Sure he allowed 4 runs, but only two were earned, thanks to Young.� The bad news is he allowed 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings of work, so not so good.� Said Young regarding his errors, "The first one doesn't bother me as much because it was a pretty tough play. But the next two were pretty basic."� Thanks, Mike, 'nuff said.

The Rangers had a chance to capture a lead, but failed.� With one run in, one out, and the bases loaded, Silva was able to get a double ball ball in action at the expense of Travis Metcalf.� Oh well, such is life.

Padilla was suspended 7 games for throwing at Nick Swisher, but come one...was it really THAT bad?!?�

Millwood fell down with Punto caught in a pickle, but was still able to make the throw to get him out.�� A bit embarrassed, but still able to make the play.� Millwood said,� "It was a fun play."

Team Record Close to Breaking:� 114 errors this season, most since 117 were committed in 2004.� Go Rangers!

NEWSFLASH: Padilla Suspended Seven Games After Brawl

According to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, right-hander Vicente Padilla has been suspended for seven games and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball after hitting Oakland's Nick Swisher with a pitch during the first inning of Sunday's game, instigating a brawl between the two clubs.

Padilla will appeal the decision, and is still scheduled to make his next start on Wednesday night in Minnesota. MLB Vice President Bob Watson (yes, the same guy behind the Terry Francona uniform incident) handed down the punishment, prompting the following response from GM Jon Daniels:

"I spoke with Bob Watson and he informed me of the suspension," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "Obviously it's disappointing to lose a player for that long, but Bob felt it was warranted based on the situation. We're disappointed Vicente put the team in that position to begin with."

Meanwhile, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Anthony Andro reports that Nick Swisher has been handed a three game suspension as well.

In all likelihood, Padilla will drop his appeal after making his start on Wednesday, will serve the seven game suspension, and will probably make his final start of the season on September 28th in Seattle.

Oops! Bullpen Meltdown, Kinsler's Error Sinks Rangers In Minnesota

Once again, the Rangers have managed to find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Rookie Edinson Volquez allowed just one earned run in six innings, but the Texas bullpen let two separate leads slip from their grasp in the final two innings of the game, and the Rangers fell in Monday night's series opener to the Minnesota Twins, 5-4.

Volquez rebounded beautifully from his rough evening in Detroit last Wednesday, when the 24-year-old Dominican Republic native surrendered five runs in six innings. With his usual low-to-mid 90's fastball and above average curve working in his favor, Edinson gave up just five hits and a walk in six innings to a very up-and-down Twins offense. After all, any lineup card that features the likes of Joe Mauer and Nick Punto in the same batting order is kind of pushing both extremes.

Minnesota took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning, courtesy of a throwing error by catcher Guillermo Quiroz. With men on 1st and 2nd and one out, the Twins sent both runners in motion, and Quiroz's throw bounced just past third baseman Travis Metcalf into left field. Torii Hunter scored on the play (after bowling over Metcalf), and Michael Cuddyer advanced to third base, but a pop out and a strikeout prevented further damage.

The Rangers tied the game in the top of the 3rd inning against Twins starter Kevin Slowey, as Michael Young scored Travis Metcalf from second base with an two out RBI single. Minnesota responded in the bottom of the 6th inning against Volquez, when Joe Mauer cranked a hanging 80 MPH changeup over the left-center field wall for a solo blast, just his sixth home run of the season.

Texas strung together a two-run rally in the top of the 7th inning to retake a 3-2 lead, but it would be a short-lived triumph. C.J. Wilson's recently acquired bad habit of allowing far too many baserunners came back to bite him in a big way; a seemingly harmless lead-off single from Jason Bartlett would eventually come around to score on a two out RBI single from Torii Hunter, knotting the score at 3-3.

Closer Joe Nathan took the mound for Minnesota in the top of the 9th inning, with his ridiculous 1.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in tow. He had also allowed just three home runs in 64.1 innings.

Make that four.

Travis Metcalf deposited what was either an 88 MPH cutter or slider into the left field bleachers, giving the Rangers a 4-3 advantage. At this point, victory seemed all but assured; after all, Texas had a major league best record of 62-0 when leading after eight innings, and the white-hot Joaquin Benoit was coming on for the save, holder of an obscene 1.45 ERA in 43.1 innings since June 15th.

Unfortunately, things don't always work out the way you planned. Michael Cuddyer led off the bottom of the 9th inning against Benoit by crushing a hanging 2-2 breaking ball into the left field seats, tying the game once again. Lew Ford drew a seven pitch walk, and a sacrifice bunt and subsequent strikeout put the winning run on second base with two outs.

What would happen next bordered on surreal, and defied any and all logical explanation. Jason Bartlett hit a completely routine pop-up to Ian Kinsler at second base, who backed up and prepared to make an easy catch to send the game to extra innings...

"...I just dropped the ball," Kinsler said. "It wasn't the dome and it wasn't the lights and nothing flew into my eye."

It was one of those moments where all you can do is just throw up your hands and begin to contemplate exactly why you've invested so much time and energy into a team that just seems so pathetically hopeless at times. To add a little salt to the wound, it's worth noting that it was Ian's first error in 50 games.

And did I mention that Kinsler entered the game as a defensive replacement to begin the bottom of the 9th inning? Bleagh.

The fallout from Sunday afternoon's brawl between the Athletics and Rangers continues to rage on; according to T.R. Sullivan, manager Ron Washington asked Vicente Padilla to apologize to his teammates during a pre-game meeting before Monday night's showdown at the Metrodome, something which he did follow through on. However, as you might expect, Jon Daniels isn't real happy with Padilla's conduct on Sunday:

"I'm expecting some kind of discipline on Padilla, but until I hear about it, I don't want to speculate," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "Obviously, if you look at the tape, appearances are what they are. Whether or not he was looking to do something, I'm not going to speculate.

"But we were in a spot as a team where we needed more out of him. Our bullpen was beaten up and carrying a big load. What he can do we needed him to do and he didn't do that."

[...]

"I'm not going to speculate on his intentions, but the result � leaving a game in the first inning is unacceptable," Daniels said. "He can't put his team in that position."

Sullivan goes on to mention that Daniels actually called A's GM Billy Beane after the game to try and smooth things over, as neither club's executives want this to escalate into a more violent feud.

In the meantime, both Nick Swisher and Padilla likely face suspensions, although MLB has yet to hand down any such punishment as of yet. Look for Swisher to get something in the area of two to three games, and Padilla to get something in the range of four to six games. Like I said last night, a slap on the wrist.

As if all of that wasn't enough, both Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Hank Blalock were held out of Monday's starting lineup due to neck injuries sustained during Sunday's brawl. Neither injury is being treated as particularly serious, but Saltalamacchia suffered what he has described as whiplash - Blalock could be back in the lineup on Tuesday at third base, but it may require a few more days for Jarrod to fully recover.

Kameron Loe's season is apparently finished, as the inflammation in his right elbow has slowed his rehab progress to a crawl. He's reportedly "nowhere close to being able to pitch in a game," and with just two weeks left in the season, it would make little sense for the club to try and rush him back prematurely.

Lefty Kason Gabbard has been shut down for the remainder of the season due to continuing stiffness in his left forearm. Gabbard attributes a portion of his recent struggles on the mound (7.84 ERA in his last four starts) to the fact that his forearm strain makes it difficult to throw his bread-and-butter pitch, the sinker. Yeah, I could see how that might be a problem.

And you know, for a guy who's already undergone four arm surgeries and had been complaining about his arm bothering him as far back as mid-August, it sure seems like the club may been just a bit reckless in their usage of Gabbard. While I certainly understand the Rangers wanting him to pitch through some pain, a guy with such a questionable health history as Kason probably needs to be handled just a bit more carefully. See also: Gagne, Eric.

With these added wrinkles to the starting rotation picture, the new plan is for Padilla to start on Wednesday in place of the fallen Gabbard. Kevin Millwood will go on Tuesday, with Brandon McCarthy and Luis Mendoza getting the starts on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Should Mendoza be needed in relief before then, Armando Galarraga or A.J. Murray could be in line for an emergency spot start opportunity.

T.R. Sullivan's latest mailbag is up, with questions and answers included on the adequacy of the starting rotation heading into 2008, the futures of Ramon Vazquez and Jamey Wright with the club, and of course, the usual token question on the approaching free agent center field class. Definitely worth checking out.

And finally this evening (or morning, however you look at it), from the "Are You Freaking Kidding Me?" department:

Pitching coach Mark Connor said he doesn't believe that Padilla did anything intentional.

"He's trying to pitch inside," Connor said. "He was pitching in and out the whole at-bat. If what happened the night before (reliever Bill White hitting Swisher) had not happened, then it's no big deal. But the guy was hitting our off-speed stuff the whole series. Vinny wanted to pitch him hard inside and away. I think that's all there was to it."

Mark Connor might have been the only person in McAfee Coliseum on Sunday afternoon who believed that beaning wasn't intentional. That being said, Nick Swisher should consider himself fortunate that the fight was broken up so quickly.

Because I have no doubt that given enough time, Padilla would have beaten the living hell out of Swisher.

Tuesday, September 18th Game Preview

Texas Rangers (70-80) vs. Minnesota Twins (73-77)

Kevin Millwood (9-12, 5.51 ERA) vs. Carlos Silva (11-14, 4.44 ERA)

7:10 PM CST in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Metrodome)

TV: FSNSW | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Athletics, Rangers Brawl In Wild 11-9 Shootout

On an afternoon where the NFL took center stage in the sports world, the Rangers and Athletics suited up in preparation for their series finale at McAfee Coliseum.

And then a football game broke out.

In a full-fledged shootout that saw eleven pitchers take the mound, two players get ejected and twenty runs cross the plate, Texas outlasted Oakland by an 11-9 margin on Sunday afternoon.

Vicente Padilla made the start for the suddenly floundering Rangers, losers of five straight coming into Sunday. Not only that, but their last three defeats had come at the hands of the hated A's (two of which were decided by two runs or less). With frustration undoubtedly boiling over in the clubhouse, Vicente decided to take matters into his own hands.

Whether that was a wise decision or not is something you'll have to decide for yourself.

Most North Texas sports fans were undoubtedly watching the opening moments of the Cowboys/Dolphins game on FOX when Padilla went to work against Oakland's less-than-vaunted lineup. That's a shame, because what would follow was exponentially more exciting than the Cowboys' dreadful three-and-out opening drive. With Nick Swisher looming in the on-deck circle, rookie Daric Barton lined a lead-off single to left field.

The red-hot Swisher came into the day batting .324/.409/.765 over his last nine contests, including a home run in each of the previous three games of the series against Texas pitching. Throw in the fact that lefties Bill White and Kason Gabbard each plunked him during the past two games, and you have all the firewood necessary for a very volatile situation.

Just call Padilla the match. Vicente buzzed a 95 MPH fastball inside at Swisher for ball one, fired a 93 MPH fastball for a strike, and then backed Swisher off the plate again with another 95 MPH fastball to bring the count to 2-1. Swisher glared towards the mound for several seconds while adjusting his batting gloves, then stepped into the batter's box once again. Padilla threw two more pitches to make it a full count, before finally depositing a 96 MPH fastball into Swisher's ribs.

Queue the theatrics.

Swisher instantly flipped his bat to the ground as he began a full sprint towards Padilla, who tossed his glove aside and dropped his cap to the ground. With catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia in hot pursuit, the enraged Oakland slugger dropped his shoulder into Padilla's thigh as he executed a quality lower body tackle, sending both men crashing to the infield grass.

Padilla ended up on top of Swisher, and was less than half a second from delivering a Nolan Ryan-esque punch upon the vulnerable skull of Swisher, when Saltalamacchia came crashing into the picture, knocking Padilla off balance and sending him clear of the scrum. Before any further physical contact could be made between the two combatants, both dugouts and bullpens had emptied, sending the crowd which had been nearly silent moments before into a frenzy.

The rest of the brawl was relatively diplomatic, with some harmless pushing and shoving taking place between the clubs but little else of note. A's first base coach Tye Waller awkwardly clung to Padilla's torso as he crawled from the ruckus, much like a baby koala clings to its mother.

Meanwhile, third baseman Jack Hannahan leapt into the middle of the player pile, almost as if he was trying to relive a moment from his Pop Warner football days. Hannahan ended up doing a somersault and landing on the legs of second base umpire Tim Timmons, which could well end up earning Hannahan a few days off from the league.

Swisher was ejected immediately, while Padilla was ejected following a brief conference between all four umpires. Given the circumstances in place, it seems almost certain that Vicente will be facing a suspension; after all, he leads all of baseball in batters hit since 2002 with 75, and showed no remorse for his actions after the game, as he apparently disappeared from the clubhouse before reporters could even show up. Not that he would have spoken to them anyway, mind you.

In any event, Padilla will probably end receiving a suspension similar to the five-game slap on the wrist handed down by the Commissioner's Office last season, after he was ejected for hitting Vladimir Guerrero and Juan Rivera in Arlington on August 15th. Two nights later, this happened. Yeah, Bud, because a punishment that essentially amounts to pushing back a pitcher's next start one or two days is such a great deterrent to preventing brawls.

Various members of the local media have wildly different takes on the whole situation: Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News seems to feel the whole incident is rather reprehensible, and goes as far as to suggest that the Rangers may not want to bring Padilla back next season. Jamey Newberg, on the other hand, is glad to see Padilla showing some fire on the hill. Granted, perhaps a bit too much fire.

And judging by the post-game quotes from the players, it appears neither side is particularly thrilled with the way things went down:

"The first pitch [today] was right at him," Geren said. "The third pitch was right at him. They threw one behind his back yesterday and hit him. The day before that, they hit him right in the knee. A guy hits three homers, you make better pitches. You don't hit him. That's not baseball."

[...]

Said shortstop Michael Young, who earlier this year was hit by a pitch as retaliation for a Padilla beaning: "I can't say I was shocked by [Swisher's] decision. ... I wouldn't be happy about that at all. Not at all."

[...]

"That guy isn't even worth talking about," Oakland second baseman Mark Ellis said of Padilla. "He has a bad reputation around the league. I know that decision didn't come from the manager. [Washington] has too much respect for the game and too much respect for [Swisher]. You want to know you gave that kind of order, you have to talk to the pitcher."

After the excitement of the first inning, the rest of the game was literally nothing more than a footnote. Jamey Wright took the hill in relief of Padilla, and ended up allowing both of his inherited runners to score. The Rangers put up a six-spot on the scoreboard in the top of the 2nd inning, but Wright and right-hander Mike Wood teamed up to allow five more runs, putting Texas down 7-6 after only three innings.

The Rangers trailed 8-7 going into the top of the 8th inning, but after five games of seemingly endless frustration, the karma scale would finally tip in their favor. After a lead-off single by Saltalamacchia, Travis Metcalf drew a walk, and Brad Wilkerson walked as well in the wake of an Ian Kinsler sacrifice bunt.

With one out and the bases loaded, Michael Young crushed a 94 MPH fastball from A's reliever Andrew Brown over the 400 foot sign on the center field wall, giving Texas an 11-8 lead. Texas would make Young's grand slam stand up, as C.J. Wilson and Joaquin Benoit teamed up to bring home an 11-9 Rangers victory.

So, how about them Cowboys?

Monday, September 17th Game Preview

Texas Rangers (70-79) vs. Minnesota Twins (72-77)

Edinson Volquez (2-1, 4.24 ERA) vs. Kevin Slowey (3-0, 5.44 ERA)

7:10 PM CST in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Metrodome)

TV: FSNSW | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

September In The Metroplex

Ah yes, mid-September. If you're not already familiar with how this time of year typically works in North Texas, let me sum it up for you in two words: Dallas Cowboys.

Even the most passionate Texas Rangers fans are likely feeling beaten down by this point in the season, especially with the club playing for little more at this point than a fading shot at a .500 record, their eventual position in the 2008 MLB Draft, and pride. And as much as I hate to admit it, I'm just as beaten down as the rest of you

One of these days, the Rangers will once again be playing meaningful baseball in September and October. When that day comes, they'll be more than just a footnote in the back of the Dallas Morning News Sportsday section, crammed behind pages and pages of coverage on the Cowboys' latest gridiron meltdown, or Mark Cuban's latest abrasive and edgy remarks to the media.

But until that day comes, this is all we've got.

I'd like to give Brandon my deepest thanks for filling in the last few days, as I try to simultaneously take care of some pressing real world commitments, as well as avoid the inevitable burnout phase that every writer, no matter how famous or insignificant, goes through at some point.

For all of the faithful readers of Baseball Time in Arlington out there, thank you. It's been a long, long year, but Brandon and I certainly hope you'll stay with us through the coming months as we look forward to the rapidly approaching hot stove season. We're going to continue providing some of the best Texas Rangers baseball coverage and analysis available.

Well, at least that's our hope anyway.

Tonight's game in Oakland has just gone final, with the Rangers falling to the Athletics 11-9. I suppose when your starter (Kason Gabbard) coughs up seven runs on five hits and seven walks in just four innings, that's not particularly conducive to winning ballgames.

Meanwhile, the Rangers have quickly slid backwards to a 69-78 mark on the year, while quietly dropping four games in a row. In an attempt to play catch-up, I'm not even going to bother trying to recap these past two contests; somehow, I doubt that's going to break anybody's heart.

Hank Blalock was apparently planning to make his return to third base for Friday night's game - that is, until a stomach virus delivered yet another setback to his recovery effort. Blalock's also been experiencing soreness in his throwing elbow, something which is hopefully temporary.

Texas has named right-hander Edinson Volquez as their Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year, and third baseman Chris Davis as their Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year. Volquez went 14-6 with a 3.67 ERA in 144.2 innings split between Single-A Bakersfield, Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma this season, while Davis hit .297/.347/.598 with 36 HR in 495 AB between Bakersfield and Frisco.

And finally, the Rangers have announced their Fall Instructional League roster, which kicks off next week in Surprise, Arizona. You'll find such notable names as Blake Beavan, Elvis Andrus, Kasey Kiker, Michael Main, Johnny Whittleman, Engel Beltre and Julio Borbon included on the list, as well as 28 more young prospects scattered across the lower levels of the organization.

Saturday, September 15th Game Preview

Texas Rangers (69-78) vs. Oakland Athletics (73-76)

Brandon McCarthy (5-9, 5.04 ERA) vs. Joe Blanton (13-9, 3.77 ERA)

3:05 PM CST in Oakland, California (McAfee Coliseum)

TV: None* | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

* According to T.R. Sullivan, Saturday afternoon's game will not be broadcast back to Texas. Go figure.

Rangers Downed by Deep Balls, Lose 5-1

Two easy swings of the bat created an insurmountable lead for the Tigers, as Gary Sheffield and Magglio Ordonez combined to drive in 5 runs via HRs.� Edinson Volquez had a�career high 6 Ks, but�when you factor in�the 7 hits, 5 runs, and 4�walks allowed, its easy to see how this game�slipped away from the Rangers from the�beginning.� Sheffield homered with Polanco on base for a two run HR, and later in the 6th inning, Ordonez hit a big 3 run shot to left center.� While the Rangers stranded�six baserunners, they still had their chances to pull even.� However, the�sole run came in the 6th inning by way of a David Murphy single that scored Michael Young.�

Facing Justin Verlander, the Rangers knew it was going to be a tough night.� However,�the Rangers were able to get 7 hits and only walk away with one run.� Verlander struck out 7 Texas batters, and was able to maneuver through two jams.� The Rangers put two runners on base twice with either one out or less, and were unable to manufacture a run.�

In the 4th inning, Hank Blalock was at the plate, and Washington had him swing away as opposed to playing small ball.� Yes, one would think Blalock would normally come through in this situation, but it was�still an attainable game, and they were going for the big hit.� The plan backfired however, with a fly out, fielder's choice, and then an inning-ending strikeout by Gerald Laird.� Later with one out in the 6th inning, Blalock disappointed again with runners on the corners.� He flied out to left and was not enough to advance the runners.� David Murphy picked up his slack and singled, scoring Young and advancing Marlon Byrd.� But with two runners on, Laird stranded runners again by popping up to first base.

I think it was a frustrating night because the Rangers were able to hit Verlander and they were not able to secure a win because Volquez struggled with location and the batters did not capitalize on opportunities.� On Volquez, Ron Washington said, "I thought he handled himself very well against one of the best lineups in the game.� This is a good experience for him, and he kept his cool."

Kept his cool?� Not so sure about that.� Perhaps he didn't see the Rangers downed by the deep balls.

Rangers Roll a Split, Lose 4-1

Hours after 26 month-old francshise record for most HRs hit in a game (7)�was tied, the Rangers came up a bit flat in the second game of the doubleheader.� Marlon Byrd produced the only run by the Rangers on a sacrifice fly to right field, but unfortunately, one run was not good enough.�

Tigers manger, Jim Leylend summed up the doubleheader perfectly by saying, "It's pretty simple -- it comes down to whether your team pitches or not."

The Rangers newly activated SP Brandon McCarthy was�dismantled in only 2/3 innings of work, the shortest start for a Rangers SP�in 3 seasons.� Was it that McCarthy's shoulder wasn't completely healed or did he just not show up in this game?� Either way, the Tigers were locked and loaded�by the first batter.� Curtis Granderson walked,�stole two bases, and was driven in by an RBI single by Sheffield (ended a 0-25 slump) to center.� Magglio Ordonez continued his MVP-like season with a single hit hard enough to score Sheffield from second after he stole the base.� Ivan Rodriguez kept the thumping alive by hitting a deep ball to left, scoring Ordonez fom first base.�

When Jamey Wright came to relieve McCarthy, the Rangers were able to finally get out of the inning after allowing�a walk,�3 hits, 3 runs and 3 stolen bases.�

That would prove to be enough for the Tigers to secure a victory, but they added one more run in the 2nd inning a Placido Polanco infield single was enough to score Brandon Inge from third base.

Most of the game was pitched pretty well from the Rangers, only allowing 5 hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings of relief work.� But the Tigers really went to work on moving runners around the bases.� Leyland had everything from stolen bases, sacrifice plays, walks, and wild pitches at his disposal tonight and that was the Achilles' heel for the Rangers.

There is always good news for the Rangers lately, because even though they ended their 6 game win streak with tonight's loss, they have still won 13 of their last 16 games.� If they can keep this pace up, they�could finish the season up at 84-78.� Who would have ever see that possible in May or June?� There is a lot of ball to be played still but 84 wins is still a reachable goal.� However, the Rangers have a pretty difficult end to the season facing Minnesota, Anaheim, and Seattle.� It will be interesting to see what the Rangers have left in the tank.�

Either way, they will need to roll more than just a split.

Good Times: Texas Rolls Past Detroit 13-6 In Game 1 Victory

Perhaps the Rangers need to start playing more doubleheaders.

Texas showed no signs of slowing down in the wake of their three game weekend sweep over Oakland, as the Rangers crushed the Detroit Tigers 13-6 in the first game of Tuesday's day-night doubleheader at Comerica Park.

The Rangers offense wasted little time in jumping on Detroit starter Chad Durbin, who was knocked from the game after allowing five runs (four earned) in just 2.2 innings. Jason Botts gave Texas an early 1-0 lead with a bloop two out RBI single to center field in the top of the 1st inning; the ball should have been caught, but Curtis Granderson either badly read the ball off Jason's bat or lost the ball in the sky. Either way, Granderson momentarily froze in center field, allowing the ball to drop in.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, that would prove to be just a small taste of what was yet to come. David Murphy led off the top of the 2nd inning with a deep line drive to left field, which grazed off the side of Marcus Thames' glove and hit the yellow line on the top of the outfield wall for a rather fluky home run. Again, another ball that probably should have been caught.

In the next inning, Marlon Byrd drove home Ian Kinsler with a two run blast that landed in the first row of the right field bleachers, and a two out double from Hank Blalock put an end to Chad Durbin's afternoon. Reliever Tim Byrdak came on, but David Murphy reached base on an error from third baseman Brandon Inge, and Blalock would score moments later on a wild pitch. Just like that, Texas held a 5-0 advantage, and they would never look back.

Things went from bad to worse for Detroit in the top of the 5th inning: Marlon Byrd cranked a one out solo shot to deep left center field for his second homer of the game, followed by a Jason Botts walk. Hank Blalock struck out, but David Murphy lined a triple down the right field line, and the duo of Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez deposited two consecutive Jose Capellan fastballs into the right field seats. With the Comerica Park faithful loudly booing, the scoreboard now read 10-0 in favor of the Rangers.

In the meantime, starter Vicente Padilla was doing everything that Texas could have asked for out of him. The big Nicaraguan right-hander pitched six shutout innings for his second straight outing, giving up just three hits, three walks and a HBP while striking out six Tigers. With a solid low-to-mid 90's fastball and a nasty, late breaking curve, Padilla gave the Rangers 99 pitches of excellence on the mound, something they desperately needed with their bullpen already short-handed.

With one out in the top of the 7th inning, Hank Blalock added insult to injury with a monster 440-foot solo homer to straightaway center field, which traveled clean over the trees in front of the hitter's backdrop. To their credit, Detroit wouldn't give up, and pieced together a decent rally in the bottom of the 8th inning against right-hander Mike Wood, cutting the Texas lead to 11-5.

The Tigers would draw no closer than six runs, however. Reliever Clay Rapada surrendered a home run to the light-hitting Freddy Guzman to lead off the top of the 9th inning. Just to put into perspective how rare that is, consider this: in 1,868 professional at-bats between the majors and minors, Guzman has hit just 13 home runs, or one every 143.7 at-bats. Wonder how Rapada feels about that.

Moments later, Guillermo Quiroz clubbed a pinch hit RBI double to right center field, his first hit as a Texas Ranger. Left-hander A.J. Murray gave up a harmless RBI single in the bottom of the 9th inning en route to bringing home the 13-6 blowout win. Final home run count for the day: seven.

Now that was fun.

Texas has very quietly won six straight games, as well as 13 out of their last 15. On top of that, the Rangers have a chance to sweep their third consecutive doubleheader in the nightcap, with Brandon McCarthy squaring off against the oddly named Jair Jurrjens. Dave Sessions also notes that this is the Rangers' fourth doubleheader of the season, which equals their total from 2004 through 2006 combined.

Practically the only disappointing item to come out of the victory was the fact that the red-hot David Murphy fell just a single short of the cycle, mere days after Frank Catalanotto fell a double short of accomplishing the same feat. At least Ron Washington didn't pinch hit Sammy Sosa for Murphy in his final at-bat.

Hank Blalock is still not ready to return to the field, as he continues to work on strengthening his arm after missing over three months due to surgery to heal his Thoracic Outlet Syndrome:

"Everything is still dependent on how he feels in the forearm area," Washington said. "He still felt it on Saturday when he went out and tried to throw, so hopefully by the time we get to Oakland, he'll be ready to go. That's not written in stone, it's on Hank's pace. When Hank tells us he's ready, he'll be in there."

At least it's not affecting his bat.

Kameron Loe's sore right elbow is continuing to bother him, and Luis Mendoza's sore left knee is hindering his delivery, meaning that neither pitcher's return is imminent. On a brighter note, the blister on Kason Gabbard's left thumb has improved to the point where he has been medically cleared to make his next scheduled start on Friday at Oakland. Edinson Volquez will go on Wednesday, followed by Kevin Millwood on Thursday, Brandon McCarthy on Saturday and Vicente Padilla on Sunday.

Although left-hander Bill White would not have been available anyway after throwing 38 pitches on Sunday, he has left the team to deal with a family medical emergency in Alabama; he'll likely be absent several days.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has a nice look at Ian Kinsler's second half resurgence, which he partially attributes to some new leg-specific exercises this past off-season, as well as his earlier return to the workout room. Since I wrote on Kinsler's power outage back on August 28th, Ian has hit .408/.491/.755 with 3 HR in 49 AB. I'll be more than happy to look like an idiot, in this case.

And finally, MLB.com's Tim Kirby has this note buried deep within his Game 1 recap:

Padilla did not speak to reporters following the game.

If Padilla can keep pitching like this, I could care less if he ever talks to anybody again.

Wednesday, September 12th Preview

Texas Rangers (69-75) vs. Detroit Tigers (79-67)

E. Volquez (2-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. J. Verlander (16-5, 3.56 ERA)

6:05 PM CST in Detroit, Michigan (Comerica Park)

TV: KDFI/My27 | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Rangers Move Into Third Place With Sweep Of A's

Total game time: Four hours, eight minutes.

Total rain delays: Two, totaling one hour, twenty-nine minutes.

Total number of pitches thrown: Four hundred and twenty-five.

But when it was all said and done, the Rangers were back in third place.

Texas completed a three game sweep of the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, marking the Rangers� first home sweep of the A's since the memorable �Dellucci Double� game on September 23rd, 2004.

With Sunday�s win, Texas claimed at least a share of third place in the AL West for the first time since April 24th, when Texas was 8-11 and 2.5 games back of first place Oakland. Now, both clubs are 15.5 games out.

How quickly things change.

The road to victory was long and difficult for the Rangers on Sunday. Before the game even got underway, a rain delay pushed back the start time sixteen minutes. Starter Kevin Millwood was eventually able to take the mound; both Millwood and his counterpart, lefty Lenny DiNardo, fired perfect first innings.

But with one out in the top of the 2nd inning, Mark Ellis lined a 73 MPH curve into center field, bringing Dan Johnson to the plate. With thunder already rumbling overhead, the skies suddenly opened above Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, and a sudden downpour sent fans scrambling for the concourses.

In the meantime, crew chief Angel Hernandez continued to hold his position at third base, looking towards the dark clouds overhead as his uniform became increasingly soaked. Several fruitless minutes passed, which consisted mostly of the Rangers and batter Johnson watching Hernandez expectantly, waiting with increasing aggravation for his call to leave the field.

A few lone fans sat under umbrellas and rain slickers in the seats as Millwood fired one last pitch, a 92 MPH fastball that drifted outside of the strike zone. Finally, Hernandez decided that the storm was more than just a passing shower, and ordered everyone towards the dugouts as the grounds crew went into action. His several minutes of indecision not only ensured that the infield would be absolutely soaked, but also provided for some great unintentional comedy.

One hour and thirteen minutes later, Kevin Millwood's afternoon was officially done, after recording just 30 pitches and four outs. Right-hander Frankie Francisco came on in relief and inherited Millwood's 2-1 count on Dan Johnson, retiring him on one pitch. However, he would proceed to issue three consecutive walks, forcing home Ellis from third base and giving Oakland an early 1-0 lead.

If you're thinking right now that this is a bizarre start to a game, you ain't seen nothing yet.

In one of the odder managerial decisions I've seen in baseball this season, A's manager Bob Geren decided to let starter Lenny DiNardo retake the mound in the bottom of the 2nd inning - after sitting on the bench for nearly 90 minutes.

That decision would end up blowing up in Geren's face; the Rangers collected four straight singles to begin the inning, giving Texas a 2-1 lead and putting runners on first and second with nobody out. DiNardo nearly escaped the jam with a sacrifice bunt and a ground out, but two more walks and a horrible throwing error by shortstop Donnie Murphy gifted Texas three more runs.

Geren finally made the call to yank DiNardo, and replaced him with former Ranger great Colby Lewis, who promptly served up an 89 MPH fastball down the middle of the plate to Sammy Sosa. With Michael Young and Jerry Hairston Jr. on base, Sosa capped the inning by belting a monster 442-foot blast into the second-level club seats in left field, putting Texas up 8-1. It was just the 12th home run in RBiA history to land in the club level.

Meanwhile, Frankie Francisco and Scott Feldman teetered on the edge of disaster, giving up a combined eight walks in 2.2 innings while allowing just one run to score. Newcomer Bill White earned his first major league win after providing two decent innings of relief, and Sammy Sosa drove home Ian Kinsler with an RBI single to left field, putting Texas up 9-3 after six innings.

Alas, leave it to John Rheinecker to make things interesting again. The 28-year-old lefty surrendered a seemingly benign base hit with one out in the top of the 7th inning, but that was followed by Michael Young booting a potential inning-ending double play. With the aid of two singles, a walk and a three run Mark Ellis double, Oakland trimmed the Rangers' lead to a dangerously slim 9-8 margin.

Thankfully, the Rangers secured the lead with a three-spot in the bottom of the 7th inning, and the duo of Wes Littleton and Joaquin Benoit teamed up to mercifully bring home a 12-9 Rangers victory.

And even though the game itself was a beating of the highest degree, I'll take the win. Every single time.

According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, Texas pitchers threw a combined 230 pitches on Sunday afternoon, setting a new all-time record for pitches thrown by a single team in a nine-inning win. Granted, pitch count records have only been tracked since 1988, but that statistic's still more than a little unnerving. The previous record was 229, set by the Colorado Rockies in a 14-13 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on April 16th, 2000.

Despite the Rangers winning five straight and 12 out of 14, there's still a long uphill battle ahead if they hope to reach the .500 mark before season's end. Not only does Texas have 17 games in the next 16 days, but relievers John Rheinecker (32 pitches), Frankie Francisco (55 pitches), Bill White (38 pitches) and Scott Feldman (35 pitches, right knee irritation) will be unavailable for Tuesday's doubleheader in Detroit.

Due to his abbreviated outing on Sunday, Kevin Millwood could be brought back in time to make a start during Tuesday's doubleheader; however, according to pitching coach Mark Connor, it's more likely that he'll go on Wednesday instead. With Brandon McCarthy being held to 35-40 pitches during his return to the rotation on Tuesday, the Rangers badly need Vicente Padilla to step up and give them at least six innings.

Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says that Kameron Loe is still experiencing pain in his right elbow, putting his scheduled start on Saturday in jeopardy. He had a cortisone shot last Thursday, but he's reportedly progressing "slowly," so there's probably a decent-sized chance he's done for the season.

Rookie Luis Mendoza's sore left knee is improving rapidly, after being struck by a line drive off the bat of Nick Swisher on Saturday night. MLB.com's Drew Davison says that Mendoza is the number two candidate behind Kameron Loe to make the start on Saturday, so at this point, it's sounding like Mendoza will end up going on Saturday.

And finally, T.R. Sullivan's latest mailbag column is out, which includes a few predictions as we look ahead next year - namely, Sullivan believes Mike Wood will be a "key guy" for the Rangers in a long/middle relief role, and thinks A.J. Murray will start next season in the Redhawks rotation. Beyond that, T.R. also throws out his projection for the 2008 Opening Day rotation, as well as a few other noteworthy items. Definitely worth checking out.

Tuesday, September 11th Game 1 Preview

Texas Rangers (67-74) vs. Detroit Tigers (77-66)

Vicente Padilla (5-9, 6.01 ERA) vs. Chad Durbin (8-6, 4.57 ERA)

12:05 PM CST in Detroit, Michigan (Comerica Park)

TV: KDFI/My27 | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM

Tuesday, September 11th Game 2 Preview

Oakland Athletics (69-74) vs. Texas Rangers (67-74)

Brandon McCarthy (5-8, 4.79 ERA) vs. Jair Jurrjens (1-1, 3.60 ERA)

6:05 PM CST in Detroit, Michigan (Comerica Park)

TV: FSNSW | Radio: KRLD 1080 AM