The Depot: Texas Rangers News, Notes, Live Blog And Live Cooking Demonstration (4/14 vs. Orioles)

OK, I made up the last part. We’re just trying to draw the crossover audience from SideDish.

Let’s get right to it. In reaction to LHP C.J. Wilson’s erratic performances in the first week of the season, the Rangers are enlarging their pool of viable eighth-inning setup options. Entering the season, Wilson was expected to be the primary setup man, with LHP Eddie Guardado as situational lefty and RHP Jason Jennings in a “utility” role. will still get chances, but manager Ron Washington acknowledged that both Jennings and Guardado are likely to get more key chances.

Washington said the Rangers met with Wilson after he lost a four-run, eighth-inning lead on Sunday, but declined to reveal any details. Wilson began 2008 as the Rangers closer, but struggled badly in the summer months and was demoted to a setup position, but never pitched in that role because of a bone chip issue that required surgery. Since the start of last season, his 6.34 ERA is the third highest among the 189 major leaguers with at least 40 appearances.

“It depends on where we are at in the batting order,” Washington said about how he will use his expanded pool of setup men.

If the Rangers are about to face mostly right-handed hitters, Jennings, who has not allowed an earned run in 3.1 innings, would likely get the call. If it’s a group that thrives against hard fastballs, Guardado would likely be the choice. If it is a team susceptible to a hard thrower, Wilson would be the most likely option.

7:08: The Cowboys schedule was announced about an hour ago and it includes a scheduling conflict with a Rangers game on Sept. 20. The Rangers are scheduled to play the Angels at 2 pm with the Cowboys’ home opener against the New York Giants scheduled for 7 pm. The conflict isn’t with the start times, obviously, but with potential traffic gridlock at the end of the Rangers game as the crowd is arriving for the Cowboys game. The Rangers are looking at scheduling options to move the game. The most realistic might be a split doubleheader on Saturday, but if either the Rangers or Angels are chasing playoff spot that’s not going to sit real well with either team. The most civilized option would be to have the Angels and Boston move the start of their three-game series at Fenway Park back a day to Monday, Sept. 14 when both teams are off, then the Rangers-Angels series could start on Thursday, Sept. 17 (currently a Rangers off day) and end on the 19th. That would give the Rangers a rare Sunday off day, but it requires MLB and three teams all cooperating. That’s a lot of heavy lifting.

7:15: RHP Willie Eyre is “probably not” an option for the bullpen on Wednesday, GM Jon Daniels said. The Rangers would still like to see Eyre pitch a two-inning stint at Oklahoma City before calling him to the majors. Eyre was scheduled to pitch two on Monday, but a stormy weather forced him to cut things short after one 20-pitch inning. Now, if the big league bullpen has another meltdown tonight, everything could change. But with the Rangers moving RHP Jason Jennings back to more of a setup role, having Eyre available for multiple innings would be significant.

7:22: Speaking of Jennings, the biggest issue with making him a full-fledged setup man is that nobody has any idea how he’d respond to pitching back-to-back days. He threw only 13 pitches last night, so it’s a possibility the Rangers might give the back-to-back thing a shot tonight.  Jennings is healthy but with two years worth of elbow problems in his rearview mirror the Rangers will try to be sensitive about abusing him.

7:31: Chris Davis is 4-for-5 with a pair of homers since his “day off” yesterday, which lasted until about 30 minutes before first pitch. He just dumped his second homer of the week into the right field stands. And now, Baltimore’s Alfredo Simon is done after 1.1 innings and three homers. He’s apparently hurt. I’m guessing whiplash.

8:04: Red Dot has been vanquished. Green wins by several dot lengths. Green currently being drug tested.

8:13: Brandon McCarthy has let a 3-1 slip away. Now would be a good time for that elusive “shut-down” inning.

8:22: Well, it wasn’t exactly a shut-down inning. But McCarthy did get out of it with no runs allowed, thanks to a baserunning blunder the exuberant Felix Pie. He was doubled off first on a fly ball to center. After McCarthy allowed a two-out single to Brian Roberts, he struck out Adam Jones.

8:26: Beginning to wonder if that bout of dizziness isn’t still lingering around Jarrod Saltalamacchia. He’s been woozy at the plate since returning from last week’s brief vertigo-ish symptoms, which were attributed to an inner ear infection. Saltalamacchia has struck out twice tonight and is 0-for-13 with seven strikeouts since the dizzy spell.

8:29: The Nos. 8-9 spots (catcher and shortstop) since the start of the Detroit series are a combined 2-for-26.

8:37: Should point out that Salty is actually in an 0-for-15 with the first two of those hitless at-bats coming pre-dizziness.

8:41: See, our friends who haven’t been reading right now are probably shocked to hear that C.J. Wilson is warming up in the sixth. But you, you were here from the start, and know that C.J. is no longer the complete master of the eighth-inning domain.

8:43: After a pair of two-out walks, McCarthy gets Gregg Zaun loooking at a 90 mph fastball on the outside corner to end the inning. Now, interesting decision awaits Ron Washington. Does he send McCarthy back out for the seventh with 92 pitches and coming off a 25-pitch inning? Uneven as the start has been, if the Rangers call it a night, McCarthy has qualified for a quality start. Most disturbing aspect of this start has been McCarthy’s inability to finish off innings. He has faced 12 batters with two outs and has allowede six of them to reach base (four hits, two walks). Gotta put them away.

8:56: McCarthy done. Say what you want, but only he and Kevin Millwood have posted quality starts for Rangers this season. Huge outing for C.J. Wilson. Huge.

9:02: Saw only two breaking ball in a 14-pitch inning for Wilson. Pair of strikeouts. Crisp. Clean. Efficient. This is what the Rangers want to see. Locate the fastball. Simplify the repertoire. Conserve pitches. Perhaps the club’s talk with him has yielded some results.

9:17: Wilson couldn’t make it through two innings. Two walks in the eighth force Ron Washington to turn to Frank Francisco with two outs in the eighth of a tie game.  The leaoff walk to Adam Jones after Wilson had him 0-and-2 is especially painful, even though Jones was then erased on a double-play grounder. Should have been put away earlier in count. Might have allowed Wilson chance to finish the inning.

9:34: Rangers may already be too dependent on the homer. Twelve of last 16 runs (over a three-game span) have come via homers, including all three runs tonight. Couldn’t do anything with a leadoff hit in the eighth.

9:41: So, what kind of effect do you think a walk-off win would have after this four game losing streak?

9:44: In the slumping Rangers category, add OF David Murphy. He’s now 0-for-13 for the season.

9:46: Did you know: The Rangers have been outscored 19-7 from the seventh inning on this season?  The Rangers have scored just one run in the eighth or ninth innings since the four-game losing streak started.

9:58: The bullpen just seems to get messier by the minute.

10:15: Typical Rangers. Scoreless from second inning on, the fall down by four in top of 10th and already have tying run at the plate.

10:23: Another rally comes up short. Rangers leave tying run on base as Hank Blalock and Nelson Cruz fly out to deep right and left, respectively. Read rest in Post-Game Show. Coming up next.