Post-Game Show: Angels 3, Rangers 2

D-tails
• Boxscore, standings

Three Up
• Overlooked in the story about OF Josh Hamilton alcohol-fueled embarrassment from January is his improving performance on the field. He was 2-for-4 Saturday and both of his outs were hard hit. Hamilton is 9-for-21 (.421) with a .500 OBP on this road trip. He has a homer and a pair of doubles in six games.
• RHP Kevin Millwood, pitching for the first time in 12 days, held the Angels to a pair of runs despite allowing nine hits. For those concerned about Millwood struggling in the second half, he has a 2.57 ERA in three starts.
• C Taylor Teagarden threw out both runners who tried to steal on him. The Angels, who are second in the AL in stolen base attempts this season, are 0-for-3 against Teagarden this season.

Three Down
• As accountable as OF Josh Hamilton was in admitting an alcohol-abuse relapse in January, the revelation seemed to gut-punch the Rangers shortly before the game.
• The Rangers struck out 13 times and are inching closer to a 1,300-strikeout pace. With 874 in 109 games, they are on pace for 1,299.
• 3B Michael Young saw his 14-game hitting streak end with an 0-for-4 performance that included a strikeout with runners on second and third and one out in the eighth.

The Depot: Rangers-Angels Live Game Blog, News, Notes And Josh Hamilton Discussion

3:11: We will attempt to try and answer any questions you may have regarding Josh Hamilton, but let’s try to remember that at the bottom of all this is a man trying to deal with an addiction that has at various times in his life wrecked his career, his relationships and his family. There is no need to do any name-calling here in regards to the Rangers, Hamilton or Deadspin, which printed the photos of Hamilton. It’s an unfortunate incident, but in addressing the media today, Hamilton at least took responsibility for his actions. I will continue to update the Hamilton story over the course of the game and will note those updates in the blog.

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Saturday Home Run Pool

Kind of an eventful morning here in Los Angeles and I’m not sure if the frivolity of the HR Pool is a great idea or not, but, hey, call it Predictive Therapy for Rangers fans.

Here is the lineup against Los Angeles RHP Jered Weaver: 2B Omar Vizquel, 3B Michael Young, CF Marlon Byrd, DH Andruw Jones, RF Josh Hamilton, 1B Hank Blalock, LF David Murphy, C Taylor Teagarden, SS Elvis Andrus and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Kevin Millwood.

Texas Rangers Josh Hamilton Verifies Photos Of Him In Bar Are Real; Drank Alcohol In January

UPDATED, 4:20 p.m. CDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. – In one of the most surreal press conferences in Rangers history, a remorseful Josh Hamilton on Saturday acknowledged that photos of him partying in Tempe, Ariz., in January were real, that he drank alcohol that night and that the Rangers have been aware of the situation ever since.

“I’m embarrassed about it, personally, for the Rangers, for my wife, my children and my family,” Hamilton said at his locker with a handful of his teammates joining the crowd of media that had formed. “It reinforces one of the things that I can’t have is alcohol. It’s unfortunate that it happened. I was out there getting ready for the season and took my focus off the number one factor in my recovery – my relationship with Christ. I hate that this happened. I am human.”

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Cowboys ’08: Week 13 Vs. Seattle

Today we have Week 13/Game 12 in our review of the 2008 Dallas Cowboys season. After today, we merely have the 4 game stretch in December that will define what these guys will be remembered as, but for now, one more encouraging performance in November.

Against the Seahawks who were having a dreadful year by their standards, the Cowboys had almost no trouble. This will represent the 3rd consecutive win for the Tony Romo-led Cowboys since he returned from his injury. You could almost make the case that this season is completely back on track. In fact, I believe I might have written a few things that indicate that I thought that they were back. We all know how that worked out.

But for the time being, enjoy Thanksgiving 2008, and the Cowboys 34-9 win over Seattle. Here are my day-after game blog from that Friday morning:

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (8/8)

Last year, Mitch Moreland led the Midwest League in batting average, OPS, slugging percentage, extra-base hits and RBIs. By virtually every objective measure, Moreland was the best hitter in the Midwest League…and he wasn’t ranked as one of the league’s top-20 prospects according to Baseball America.

When Moreland was at Mississippi State, he was one of the SEC’s best power hitters but he lasted until the 17th round of the 2007 draft. Many scouts believed that his swing was full of holes and would be exposed in wood bat competition. Even the Rangers seemed suspicious of his bat, inviting him to fall instructs…to pitch.

Professional pitchers are still looking for the holes.

With Class-A Clinton last year, Moreland struck out just 67 times in 466 at-bats while drawing 60 walks. This year, he has 66 strikeouts and 42 walks in 451 at-bats between Bakersfield and Frisco and if there ever were big holes in his swing or if his stroke was ever long and loopy, that’s all gone now. With Frisco this year, Moreland has proven to be short to the ball with a level stroke and he’s clearly stamped himself as a legitimate power prospect.

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Post-Game Show: Rangers 11, Angels 6

Three Up
• RF Josh Hamilton’s three-run homer with two outs in the first inning really seemed to give the offense a shot. It was the first three-run homer Hamilton has hit this season.
• RHP Scott Feldman overcame a kooky strike zone by home plate umpire Bill Hohn and held the Angels to a run heading to the seventh. If only he hadn’t been asked to push his pitch count above 120 for the first time ever. …
• 2B Omar Vizquel had his first four-hit night in more than two years, capped off by his first homer since Sept. 30, 2007. It was the 78th homer of his career, moving him into a tie for 954th place all-time. One more and he’ll move past the likes of Julian Javier.

Three Down
• We’ve mentioned this a time or three, but RHP Jason Jennings, a converted starter, does not yet appear comfortable entering games with runners on base. He allowed all three runners he inherited from Scott Feldman to score and briefly made a game of it after the Rangers had taken a 9-1 lead.
•  I really am running out of superlatives to throw at Michael Young, who hit his 19th homer to extend his hitting streak to 14 games and then added two more hits, as well. He’s hitting .371 since July 1.
• How are we ever going to top this evening’s comment record? This one may be invincible.