D

Post-Game Show: Mariners 4, Rangers 1

D-tails
• Boxscore, Standings

Three Up
• The All-Star break is only 24 hours away and the Rangers could really use it. As manager Ron Washington said: “I don’t think the break has ever hit and I’ve said ‘Dang, why now’?”
• SS Elvis Andrus took a pair of walks, including making something from nothing when he botched a bunt attempt with C Jarrod Saltalamacchia at second base. Still, the Rangers would probably have preferred he had gotten the bunt down.
• Did I mention that I really enjoyed breakfast?

Three Down
• The Rangers now trail Los Angeles by a half game in the AL West and do not have complete control over where they will be in the standings at the All-Star break.
• LF Marlon Byrd was twice put out on the bases, once trying to stretch a double and once misreading a fly ball that dropped in. Against the guy with the sixth best ERA in the AL (Jarrod Washburn, who entered the game at 3.08), outs on the bases were costly.
• DH Andruw Jones went 0-for-4 and is now hitless in his last 14 at-bats since starting Wednesday’s game at Los Angeles with three consecutive home runs.

Postcard From The Road: The Breakfast Was Worth Waiting For

The view from the breakfast table made me thirsty for water.

SEATTLE – The first time I ever came to Seattle for baseball, Rangers PR Poobah John Blake, noted master gourmand and cultural bon vivant, told me about a breakfast he once ate in Seattle. He talked about looking at waterfalls, while the waiter got up on a chair and dripped “honey from the sky” on his biscuit.

For Blake, it’s all about a nice presentation, anyway. But he didn’t stop at the presentation or the view. He just raved about the food. That was in 1997. I’ve pictured that honey dripping on my biscuits (that is not a euphemism) ever since. The problem was I always stayed in downtown Seattle and never rented a car. But thanks to a Microsoft convention this week, I had to stay out by the airport to get a decent rate, which meant I had to rent a vehicle. It also meant, the honey from heaven was finally within my grasp.

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UFC 100 – As It Goes Down

Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. For those of you who paid $55 to watch this thing, or for those of you who are paying nothing, welcome to a live-blog that will effort to actually cover this thing live as we go. Since I have never done an “actually-live” blog before, hopefully everyone can bear with me.

First, a few things for you to have handy if you so choose:

You may or may not have read my full preview of the PPV event that ran yesterday. It may or may not inform you on the overall feelings about this thing before we get started. One thing I would add to it is I have not seen Frank Mir look so ripped as he did in the weigh-in yesterday. Not that looks decide anything, but Mir is usually doughy, and the fact that he appears to be well conditioned speaks to the level of his preparation. Of course, he is still the under-dog according to the betting public.

If you are interested, Here are the actual betting odds for the proceedings. It appears GSP is the biggest favorite tonight, followed by Lesnar. That seems a bit odd.

Finally, if this is your first night on a computer, and you are not sure how to find Evan and the Rangers’ live blog, Click Here …

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The Depot: Rangers-Mariners Live Game Blog, News, Notes And Those Darned Musings

8:03: The pool remains open for another hour of night-time splashing and frolicking.

8:20: I’ve sowed my wild notes. You know the old saying: You can read what I’ve sowed.

9:24: Spending a few minutes crafting the “Postcard From The Road.”

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Rangers Notes: Ron Washington Wants To Put Nelly On Cruz Control At Home Run Derby

SEATTLE – It appears Nelson Cruz is going to participate in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby Monday in St. Louis. Manager has only request: Please bring your swing back in tact.

Cruz, who leads the Rangers with 21 homers is on the tentative AL list for the derby, which, in recent years, has been a curse for Rangers power hitters. Last year, Washington watched Josh Hamilton hit 28 home runs and wow the crowd at Yankee Stadium, then return to the Rangers with his power significantly diminished.

Hamilton hit 21 homers and had a .552 slugging percentage in the first half of the season. In the second, he managed only 11 homers and his slugging percentage fell below .500 to .498.

“You always worry about [swing changes caused by the Home Run Derby],” Washington said. “When you go up there and try to hit home runs, it’s a lot more work than people think. If he gets a lead, I just hope he will sit on it. Last year, Josh could have done that and still made the finals, but kept going. I wanted to reach into the TV and grab him. It’s nice for the fans, but I hope those guys remember they’ve got to go back to their teams afterwards.”

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Saturday Night Home Run Pool For The Non-UFC Crowd

While Bullet Bob Sturm is off blogging on the bloodbath of UFC No. 100, we’ll be here, as usual, blogging on a kinder, more gentle sport. But we can’t start live blogging without a home run pool, so here, for your pleasure is tonight’s homer pool. Remember: If you have won and have not received your prize, please send me an email to remind me. I don’t want to be the Bernie Madoff/Alan Stanford of Homer Pools.

And what do you need to run a homer pool? Well, you definitely need a lineup. Fortunately, we have that right here for you. The Rangers are facing LHP Jarrod Washburn, which means that left-handed hitting OF David Murphy was going to be out of the lineup anyway even if he didn’t have a sore right ring finger. Murphy said his finger is significantly better and coul dplay if needed.

So, here’s what the Rangers are sending out against Washburn: 2B Ian Kinsler, 3B Michael Young (20-for-60, 3 HRs vs. Washburn), CF Josh Hamilton (2-for-4 HR), DH Andruw Jones, 1B Hank Blalock (10-for-35, HR), LF Marlon Byrd, RF Nelson Cruz, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, SS Elvis Andrus and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Kevin Millwood.

If you kids behave, I might even set up the volleyball net in the pool.

UFC 100 Live Blog Tonight

I’m doing it. Don’t try to stop me. By the demand of at least 5 (but fewer than 10), we are doing the UFC 100 live blog here tonight, at the same exact time Evan live blogs the M’s-Rangers.

Do you recall life before InsideCorner?

See you at 9.

Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (7/11)

Robbie Ross: On Fire

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Rangers Take Cruz Around Seattle In 6-4 Win

SEATTLE - Before Friday’s game, Nelson Cruz was informed he’d been added to the AL All-Star team. After it, he found out Major League Baseball officials had contacted his agent to see if he might be interested in joining the Home Run Derby.

Nice moments, both, but neither compared to finally getting back in the Rangers lineup.

“I think I was more excited about getting to play than making the All-Star Game,” Cruz said after hitting a key homer in the Rangers 6-4 win over Seattle. “I’m here to play. I want to play everyday. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t play four days in a row.”

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