Post-Game Show: Rangers 9, Angels 7

D-tails
• Boxscore, standings

Three Up and Three Down from Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Wednesday where the Rangers beat Los Angeles for the fifth time in six meetings this season, improved their record against the AL West to 15-4 and moved within a half game of first place in the division.

Three Up
• Marlon Byrd was the MVP of the Angels series. He went 5-for-9 with three homers in the first two games. On Wednesday, his leadoff walk in the sixth began a five-run rally as the Rangers took control of the game. Byrd was 1-for-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch.
• Hank Blalock, playing for the first time in the series, homered in the fourth for the Rangers’ first run of the game. His double, which followed Byrd’s walk in the sixth, gave the inning real legs. Oh, and did we mention that walk-off two-run homer?
• Julio Borbon picked up his first major league hit, a single with the infield drawn in, to score the first run of the sixth inning. He then took second on the throw home.

Three Down
•RHP Frank Francisco may not be ready to resume closing. Given a three-run lead to work with in his first ninth-inning save opportunity since returning from the DL, he allowed a leadoff double (turned into an out by Chone Figgins overzealous base-running) a pair of walks anda two-out, three-run game-tying homer to Juan Rivera.
• RHP Kevin Millwood was effective for six innings in 100 degree weather, but ran into trouble after he crossed the 100-pitch mark. He retired only one batter in the seventh and a six-run lead had shrunk to three.
• Just as the Rangers are about to get OF Josh Hamilton back, OF Nelson Cruz has come up with a stiff back. It forced him out of the game in the sixth inning. Cruz is tied with Ian Kinsler for the team lead in homers.

The Depot: Rangers-Angels Live Game Blog, News, Notes And Assorted Other Stuff

5:34: I’m jumping in the pool. Cannonball!

5:44: First a word of thanks to those who participated in making last night’s 343 comments a nine-inning record performance. The seemingly unbreakable 588 mark set last week was set in an extra-inning game (even though we were well above 400 by the end of nine). That said, blogging is a world of “what have you done for me lately?” So, along those lines, we’ve got plenty to talk about tonight. Let me warm you up by revisiting Marlon Byrd’s big night on Tuesday and what it may mean long-term. Second, there is the little matter of finalizing the All-Star pitching staff. Does Kevin Millwood belong? And finally, you may find the omission of Julio Borbon from the lineup for a second straight night odd; I don’t. I thought it was just a little strange to bring Borbon up in the first place for a week when the problem hasn’t been the outfield. Oh, and by the way, Frankie Francisco is the closer again.

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Julio Borbon Not In Lineup Today, Probably Not Friday; Don’t Even Ask About The Weekend

ARLINGTON - Outfielder Julio Borbon isn’t in the starting lineup for the second straight day and it is looking more and more like his first stint in the major leagues will be spent mostly as a bench-warmer.

With loads of left-handed pitchers coming up and the impending return of OF Josh Hamilton from the DL, there just doesn’t seem to be anywhere to squeeze in playing time for Borbon.

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Kevin Millwood Vs. Jered Weaver: An All-Star Pitching Matchup, But Will They Be All-Stars?

In addition to the slightly-less-than-oppressive heat currently blanketing the area, tonight features real incentive for fans to stream to Rangers Ballpark In Arlington.

It’s Dollar Hot Dog Night.

That seems to bring out the crowds, much more so than say a AL West showdown between the first-place Angels and the contending Rangers. But, for you handful of baseball purists out there, if you want to see a great pitching matchup, tonight’s game offers a legitimate possibility of one. Kevin Millwood, fifth in the AL in ERA, faces Jered Weaver, who is sixth. The difference between the two is .01096 earned runs per nine inning. But for easier-to-read purposes, Millwood is at 2.64; Weaver at 2.65. Both have eight wins. Both have more than 100 innings pitched. Both are having All-Star caliber seasons.

Which leads me to my next question: Will both be All-Stars? Will either?

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Get Your (Homer) Pool Cues Right Here

Hey, listen, I’m running out of stupid puns for the Homer Pool headline. Any help would be most greatly appreciated. When you are down to using parentheses, you are really scratching rock bottom.

Anyhoo, here’s your Rangers lineup against Angels RHP Jered Weaver as Texas tries to get back to within a half game of first place in the AL West:

2B Ian Kinsler, 3B Michael Young, LF David Murphy, CF Marlon Byrd (5-for-12 against Weaver), DH Hank Blalock (8-for-21, HR), RF Nelson Cruz, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 1B Chris Davis, SS Omar Vizque and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Kevin Millwood.

The waterslide is open and slicked down so you won’t burn your little tushes on the way into the water. The belly-flop contest comes up later. I’m a champ.

Frank Francisco: Officially Rangers Closer Once Again

ARLINGTON – This is how manager Ron Washington announced that RHP Frank Francisco will resume his closing duties as closer:

“He’s back,” Washington said with a smile.

Francisco, who has spent two stints on the DL this season with a sore shoulder, has not pitched in a ninth-inning save situation since he returned. But on Tuesday, for the second time in a week, the Rangers had LHP C.J. Wilson enter in the eighth and Francisco pitch the ninth. Wilson had served as surrogate closer while Francisco was out.

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Houston Astros Claim German Duran Off Unconditional Waivers

The Astros, dealing with a lack of depth in the minor league system, have claimed INF German Duran off unconditional waivers. So, he has been lost to the Astros.

Linkin’ Park: Lurking Around The Web For You

You can open your eyes, it’s over now.

The Rangers have finally emerged from a nightmarish month of June still six games over .500 and 1.5 games behind the Angels in the AL West. As the calendar finally turns to July, Ranger fans will have to move on from watching their team post a putrid, horrific, abhorrent June record of….. 11-15.

That’s it? Oh, that’s not so bad. After all, the Rangers were 10-18 on May 1 just last year. And Jamey Newberg reminds us it was much worse than that not too long ago.

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The Byrd Man Of Arlington: Marlon Byrd Steps Into Offensive Void, Leads Rangers Out Of Losing Streak

Until Josh Hamilton returns – and maybe even for a period of time after – the struggling Rangers offense needs somebody to be willing and able to carry a heavy burden.

Marlon Byrd offers up his stout shoulders.

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About Last Night: As Texas Rangers Bats Broke Loose, Feldman Held It Together To Top Angels

ARLINGTON - Quality start? (Say that aloud, like Jim Mora yelling, “Playoffs?”) The Los Angeles Angels roughed up Scott Feldman for three runs before he could get through six outs on Tuesday night, no less six innings. And they threatened to pile on more in the second inning.

Feldman amazingly didn’t allow another hit, got his quality start and earned his sixth win of the season with the help of Texas’ latest assault on Joe Saunders. The 9-5 victory before an exhausted gathering of 20,042 at Rangers Ballpark marked Feldman’s eighth quality start of 2009 after leading the club with 13 last season. The Rangers’ forgettable June ended with them 1.5 games behind LAA and going into Wednesday night’s game seeking another home series win over the Angels.

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Who is Miguel De Los Santos?

Email of the Day:

Bob,

I am in desperate need of your Sturm-O-Sports Brain. Please help…

I often review minor league baseball stats as I am interested in who could be potential stars for the Rangers. In the 15 years that I have followed baseball I have never seen a stat that stood out as much as this one:

Miguel De Los Santos | Pitcher | Class A DSL Rangers

15.2 Innings Pitched
1 ER
2 Hits
41 SO

That’s not a typo. 2.7 k’s per inning! In 4 Minor league seasons (mostly Dominican League and seemingly injury plagued) he has 151 SO in 92IP.

Do you know anything about this guy? I must learn more. Why is he not at least at the AA level? I know it’s only single A, but still almost a SO for every batter he faced is pretty amazing and not something you see everyday.

Thank you,

Jeremy

I couldn’t believe it. But the numbers are absolutely true.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (7/1)

Bulldog Robbie Ross in Surprise

Here and there along the way, I’d heard people in the Rangers development wing throw out Robbie Ross’s name as a guy who they thought had made a lot of progress since coming into the system. The diminutive lefty selected in the second round of the 2008 draft didn’t appear in a game last year, finally signing in mid-August. He went on to Fall Instructs where he was overshadowed by Michael Main and Joe Wieland who seemed to be the breakout pitching stars at that point.

This spring, I had a chance to see Ross myself for the first time and I noted that he was an extremely competitive kid who worked quickly and loved to attack hitters with a lively fastball. He was even aggressive with a two-seamer he was just beginning to work on. On the downside, he seemed to have a little trouble repeating his delivery. He didn’t break with a full-season club, but while he stayed back in extended spring training, it seems that he impressed the development staff and while it’s very early, his early results in the Northwest League suggest that he’s aggressively throwing high quality stuff right now. He’s got an achilles heel — he seems to be a bit homer prone — but his 14.09 K/9 is pretty sweet.

There’s a long way to go and a lot of work to do, but I’m going to enjoy watching how Ross develops over the next couple of years. He’s got the stuff and the mentality to become something special.

LHP Yoon-Hee Nam is featured in a story on Baseball America today. Check it out here.

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