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Post-Game Show: Twins 3, Rangers 2

D-tails
• Boxscore, AL West Standings, AL Wild Card Standings

Story of the Game
The Rangers came up just short- about a foot, to be exact – in a comeback bid against Minnesota on Friday.

RHP Tommy Hunter fell down 3-0 in the first inning, but didn’t allow Minnesota anything else to get the Rangers back into the game. Texas trailed 3-1 going to the ninth, but with two outs, as has often been the case on their current road trip, they rallied. DH Ivan Rodriguez doubled into the right field corner off All-Star closer Joe Nathan. LF David Murphy followed with a high drive that hit about 22-feet up on the 23-foot plastic sheet that serves as the right field wall. It went instead for a run-scoring double, rather than a game-tying homer. After pinch hitter Hank Blalock took a walk, 1B Chris Davis worked the count full against Nathan. He took the full-count pitch, which appeared to be off the plate and low, but was called for a game-ending third strike.

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The Depot: Rangers-Twins Live Game Blog, News, Notes and High School Football Highlights

6:15: The home run pool remains open for your diving and enjoyment.

6:22: C Jarrod Saltalamacchia had no issues throwing to bases during a workout today in Minneapolis and then boarded a flight back to Dallas. He will begin what he hopes is a three-game rehab assignment for the RoughRiders on Saturday. If all goes well, he could be activated on Tuesday for the doubleheader against Toronto. And now off to the set. Back soon. Please, talk amongst yourselves.

7:37: Having some technical difficulties here. But as we were on the air, reports were buzzing that Scott Kazmir was being traded (or has been traded to the Angels). Lot of comments and questions in the comments section about what Rangers would have had to give up to get Kazmir. It’s fruitless talk. The Rangers couldn’t have taken on Kazmir’s long-term contract.

7:56: The Rangers have signed INF-OF Ryan Freel to a minor league contract and assigned him to Oklahoma City. Expect Freel to join the club after Sept. 1 as an extra utility man.

8:04: Barring injury, it’s only a matter of time before 2B Ian Kinsler becomes the second 30-30 man in Rangers history. Tonight, he became the fifth 25-25 man (does that make him 50-Cent?). With his first-inning steal of second, he has 28 homers and 25 steals.

8:23: So after that first inning in which the Twins jumped on a couple of sliders, RHP Tommy Hunter has pitched three scoreless. He’ll go to the fifth. Hunter has 66 pitches through four, so that’s pretty manageable. The thing I like about Hunter – well, I like a lot of things – but the thing I like most is he shows all the traits of an innings-eater. He’s pitched at least five innings in all 11 of his starts this season and he’s pitched into the sixth in all but two of them. He may not have overpowering stuff, but he’s got all kinds of moxie.

8:50: Tommy Hunter gets hit in the chest by a Justin Morneau liner. Recovers to get the out and it seems to knock a little bit more break into his curve. Threw some very sharp ones to work another 1-2-3 inning. By the way, he now has qualified for a quality start.

Indoor Home Run Pool

Semi-live from the Fox Sports Southwest Studios, where I will join the effervescent Emily Jones tonight as pre- and post-game analyst, here is your home run pool lineup.

First, a bit of new: Marlon Byrd gave birth to his kidney stone today, which is good news for him and for the long run, but he’ll be held out of the lineup tonight to allow him to recover. If you’ve ever had a stone, you’ll understand. If you haven’t, consider yourself extremely fortunate.

The lineup: 2B Ian Kinsler, 3B Michael Young, CF Josh Hamilton, RF Nelson Cruz, DH Ivan Rodriguez, LF David Murphy, C Taylor Teagarden, 1B Chris Davis, SS Elvis Andrus and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Tommy Hunter.

Series Preview: Rangers at Twins

The Rangers moved to 16 games over .500 after taking two of three from the Yankees in New York, while the Twins dropped to a game below even after a 5-1 loss to Baltimore yesterday. Despite the discrepancy in their records, both teams are within striking distance in their respective divisions, with the Rangers four games behind Los Angeles and the Twins 4.5 back of Detroit.

That means both teams will have plenty to play for in the Metrodome this weekend, even beside Joe Mauer’s run at the AL MVP.

In stark contrast to past years, the biggest obstacle the Twins will have to overcome in making the postseason is their pitching. It’s gotten so out of hand in Minnesota that, even after dealing for a pitcher with a 5.00+ ERA in Carl Pavano at the deadline, they’re might be looking into another one, former Red Sox hurler Brad Penny.

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Chat With Bryan Broaddus – Episode 2

Bryan Broaddus chatted with us a few weeks ago, and things went so well that we wanted to do it again today.

As you may already know, Bryan is a long-time scout and personnel man in the NFL. His experience served the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers well, and now we can pick his brain.

Last time, the chat was 100% about the offense, and the various ideas Jason Garrett may utilize and employ this season, so now let’s examine the defense with Broaddus.

You can follow his Rapid Reports on CBS Sportsline and can find him on ESPN Radio.

Here is what we discussed this time:

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (8/28)

Triple-A:

Game 1 – @Iowa 2, Oklahoma City 1  F/7

Any hit RHP Guillermo Moscoso gave up to the Iowa Cubs had to go through him. Or at least off him. Moscoso (5-4; 2.31) retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced, with the lone hit coming on a 4th inning single that he deflected on the mound. Moscoso finished with a line of one hit, no walks, no runs, and six strikeouts in five innings.

The game was scoreless when RHP Jailen Peguero (0-1; 6.35) entered in the bottom of the 6th. He allowed two base runners: a lead off walk, and a one-out homer that gave Iowa a 2-0 lead.

The RedHawks took advantage of a pair of Cubs errors to bring their lone home in the 7th. 1B Justin Smoak (.234/.360/.340) drew his second walk of the game to put the go-ahead run on base, but RF Brandon Boggs took a called third strike to end game one. C Max Ramirez (.237/.318/.335) reached base three times with a single and a pair of walks.

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