Game Report: Rangers 4, Padres 3

Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to help the Rangers build a 4-0 lead in Surprise, Ariz., before having to fend off the Padres Thursday. It was the Rangers third consecutive spring win. After allowing 48 runs in their first six exhibitions, the Rangers have allowed three runs in each of their last two wins.

The good: RHP Scott Feldman bounced back from a poor first outing to pitch two perfect innings. Feldman needed just 22 pitches to complete the task. He threw another 25 pitches in the bullpen because the Rangers simply had too many pitchers that needed to pitch.

The bad:  RHP Derrick Turnbow walked three batters and hit a fourth. The Rangers ended up issuing eight walks. In each inning the Padres scored, the Rangers aided the rally by allowing a walk. RHP Luis Mendoza allowed two walks in his two innings of work.

The ugly: OF Andruw Jones struck out for the 10th time in his 14 spring at-bats. His timing has been so off that he’s been fooled badly by pitches. Jones will lead off every inning of a controlled “B” game Friday morning and then play all nine innings of the afternoon exhibition against the Royals. The Rangers are trying to get him as many at-bats as possible before March 15 when Jones can opt out of his minor league contract and become a free agent.

Big Trouble at Lone Star Park

Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns the lease to conduct racing at Lone Star Park, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy today.

LSP’s 2009 race meet is set to begin in on April 9, but this development could prevent that from happening.

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Surprise Party: Rangers vs. Padres Live Blog

So, enough with the congratulations, already. I’m blushing. And the bald head really looks bad when it’s all scarlet and everything. Instead, let’s do some live blogging. Remember. Just jump and refresh for the latest stuff.

Bottom of 2nd: Scott Feldman has been perfect through two innings, throwing 22 pitches and 14 of them for strikes. Now, keep in mind he’s facing perhaps the majors worst-hitting team from 2008. Nevertheless, it’s a vast improvement over the nine hits and seven runs he allowed in 1.2 innings against the Cubs on Feb. 27.

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If You Have Questions, I’ll Try to Find Answers

Hey, y’all seem to like us; you really like us. Now, instead of Manny Ramirez, I’ve got a whole Sally Field thing going on. We’re a bit behind due to all the hellos we had to exchange. Biggest news of the morning is that Brandon McCarthy will indeed pitch on Friday, but it will be in a “B” game.  There had been some reports that McCarthy was going to miss his start because of shoulder stiffness. McCarthy said the shoulder was not an issue and wanted to actually start the “A” game, but the ability to monitor him a little more closely in the controlled environment of a “B” game makes sense right now.

On to new business, I’m going to be starting the live blog post in a moment. We’ll do it a little differently from my days at the DMN. The live blog will be one post, continually updated, so you’ll have to refresh your computer often to get the latest updates.

Finally, in an effort to catch up on the goings-on at Rangers spring training, I’m hoping to get briefings from the management troika of Nolan Ryan, Jon Daniels and Ron Washington this afternoon. We here at The Corner are nothing if not conduits of the people, so send me the one question about camp you’d want to ask of them and I’ll do my best to get at least a couple of them in.

Rangers Position Previews: The Horror…I Mean the Starters

Let’s get the analytical ball rolling with the sorest subject of them all.

The Rangers really didn’t make any significant moves to bolster their rotation (signing the likes of Jason Jennings and Kris Benson to minor league contracts is sorta like trying to cure cancer with a Band-Aid), yet I believe that there is a substantial chance that the rotation will significantly outperform their MLB-worst effort in 2008.

Why? As Woody Allen says, eighty percent of success is showing up. When it comes to Rangers starting pitching, that’s the key.

In the glory years of the mid-to-late 90′s the Rangers got 200+ innings out of at least two starters each year from 1996 through 1999 and usually another guy or two up in the 180 – 200 inning range. Lately, the club leader in innings has usually come in around 170 and they’ve been lucky to get two or three to top the 140 inning mark.

The Rangers need two starters to make 30+ starts and deliver at least 200 innings. They need two others to deliver at least 170-200 innings.

After the jump, we’ll take a look at the depth chart for starters with a brief capsule on what we might expect from these guys in 2009.
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Game Book: Mavs vs. Spurs

Zac Crain and I are scheduled to talk to the great Marc Stein soon, and we’ll post his thoughts about all things Mavs and NBA tomorrow. But first, some takes on the big Dallas victory over San Antonio last night. Jump ball:

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Five Things Worth Watching in Surprise

Weird feeling, walking into spring training three weeks after pitchers and catchers reported. I feel a little like Manny Ramirez. Man, that’s a scary feeling. But a man’s got to catch up on what a man’s got to catch up on, so here are five things I’ll be paying close attention to now that my little feet have hit the dirt in Surprise:

1. A hard-working but seemingly effortless Kevin Millwood. Any hope the Rangers have of surprising in the AL West this year hinges on improvement from the starting rotation. Last year, Millwood was simply awful. He had a soft spring, was hurt early, and never really recovered. The enduring image of him from the season is of him laboring through a sweat-soaked uni in the fourth or fifth inning of (insert game here).

Nolan Ryan essentially threatened Millwood last September to lose 20 pounds and go through a full spring, which meant a full slate of “A” games. Not sure whether the threat could have been carried through, but so far, Millwood made both of his scheduled starts, and, according to those I’ve spoken to in Arizona, he’s been smooth and effortless off the mound. In two outings, he’s had five scoreless innings, including three on Wednesday. I’ll have to wait until early next week to see Millwood in a game, but make no mistake, no player’s spring performance is more important than his.

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It’s Opening Day!

Welcome to our new little corner—the InsideCorner—of the intertube.  Happy you could stop by. Now, let me tell you a little about what we hope to do here at InsideCorner. Mainly, we aim to cover sports. Or, as our pal Bob Sturm might say “sporty, sport sports.”

But before you go all “Yeah, just what we need in troubled times is another blog,” please think of us as a blog in two ways only:

1. The format is pretty darn useful.

2. You still get to make comments and tell me what a lousy job I am doing (no reason for our beloved Nancy to have that task all to herself).

For more about what you’ll find at InsideCorner, please jump with me.

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