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Post-Game Show: Rangers 5, Orioles 1

D-tails
• Boxscore, AL West standings, AL wild card standings

Story of the Game
At some point, RHP Scott Feldman is going to have to enter the Cy Young Award conversation, isn’t he?

In Baltimore, where he made his first start of the season, Feldman won his sixth consecutive decision Friday by allowing four hits in 6.2 innings. The only “downside” was that his scoreless innings streak was stopped at 17.2 by a sixth-inning run.

He did, however, add to his resume to be the Rangers Game 1 starter if the team makes the post-season and if they open on the road. Feldman has won six consecutive road decisions and is now 11-1 on the road this season. That ties the club record, set by Rick Helling, who did it on the way to 20 wins in 1998. Feldman, who is now the first Ranger to reach 15 wins since Kevin Millwood in 2006, should have three more road starts remaining this season and five more starts overall. If he wins them all the road starts he’d become the first pitcher in 25 years to have as many as 14 road wins. If he wins all five of his starts, he’d become only the fourth Ranger to ever win 20 games in a season.

Feldman is now using a very diversified repertoire to attack hitters. In the last two weeks, he’s shown a sharp curveball to go with his “cut” fastball, his solid changeup and his two-seam fastball. The results have been dramatic. In his last three starts, all of which have been on the road, Feldman has allowed just one run on 12 hits and eight walks in 19.1 innings.

Three Up
• The Rangers gained ground in the AL wild card race for the third consecutive day. They’ve shaved Boston’s lead from 4.5 games to two with 28 games remaining.
• Manager Ron Washington showed the Orioles he wouldn’t stand for any gamesmanship when he made Baltimore reliever Cla Meredith change gloves over an illegal color. The Orioles had tried that trick on RHP Scott Feldman earlier in the game.
• OF Marlon Byrd broke out of a 3-for-30 slump with a pair of hits while batting in the cleanup spot. Byrd has hit .294 in 32 games as the cleanup hitter this season.

Three Down
• The Rangers lost out on a chance to gain ground on the Angels, who rallied for two runs in the eighth inning to beat Kansas City. Former Ranger Jamey Wright, now with the Royals, and John Bale walked the bases loaded before Vladimir Guerrero singled home a pair of runs.
• OF Josh Hamilton did not fly to Baltimore on Friday due to a back that is still sore from a pinched nerve. Hamilton could fly out Saturday, but since game time is 3 pm CDT, a Sunday return is more likely. Hamilton has appeared in only 87 games this season.
• Don’t look now, but DH-OF Julio Borbon is becoming human. He was hitless in five at-bats Friday and has reached just eight times in his last 32 plate appearances (.250 OBP). Borbon is 5-for-29 (.172) in that span.

Stat o’ the Game
29-29: The Rangers record for games in which 3B Michael Young has not started since he made his first big league start for them on May 27, 2001. The Rangers are actually 4-1 without Young this season.

Player of the Game
Here are your candidates: SS Elvis Andrus (2-for-3, Walk); 1B Chris Davis (1-for-4, 2 RBIs); RHP Scott Feldman (6.2. IP, 4 H, 1 R, six straight road wins), RHP Neftali Feliz (2.1 IP, Save, 19.2 scoreless IP). Vote here.

Wednesday’s Player of the Game: Tommy Hunter (97% of the vote – we think someone stuffed the ballot box!)

Flying Saucer/Flying Fish Depot Double Dip
Flying Saucer: Free Brat on a Bun (Print coupon, good for the next week, here)
Flying Fish: Free Catfish Filet Basket (Print coupon, good for the next week, here)

Home Run Pool
No winners.