Post-Game Show: Orioles 7, Rangers 0

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

Story of the Game
With both OF Josh Hamilton and 3B Michael Young out of the lineup due to injuries, the Rangers bats have fallen silent. After scoring three runs in the first inning Saturday, the Rangers managed one run – on a triple that was lost in the sun – over the final 17 innings of the three-game series at Baltimore. The result was a pair of losses that negated the momentum the Rangers had gained over a four-game winning streak. The Rangers fell three games back of Boston in the wild card and 5.5 games behind Los Angeles in the AL West with 26 games remaining.

LHP Derek Holland had his second consecutive rough outing. After retiring the first four batters successively, Holland retired just six of the next 16 batters and was removed with one out and the bases full in the fourth. He was charged with six runs, the third consecutive start in which he’s allowed at least six runs.

The news was not optimistic for a quick offensive recovery. Hamilton returned to Dallas to have a second epidural injection for the pinched nerve in his back. Young remains about 10 days away – at the earliest – from returning from a significant hamstring strain.

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The Depot: Rangers-Orioles Live Game Blog, News, Notes and Operators now Taking Pledges

12:00: The home run pool is still open. I’ll be around, though I’m trying not to take the Labor Day holiday not to literally. But – who am I kidding? – I’ll be watching the game and offering commentary whenever I can.

12:00 (Part II): In case you haven’t heard, OF Josh Hamilton has returned to Texas for a second epidural injection on the pinched nerve in his lower back. That doesn’t sound terribly optimistic.

1:49: Angels now up 4-0 on Royals. KC has been a huge help to the Rangers this weekend, and by “huge help,” I mean none at all. Royals have scored two runs in 24 runs. I say all this to take some of the attention off another shaky outing by Derek Holland. We can’t simply blame everything on close calls.

2:40: This game may not be worth watching or talking about, but if you are still around, I’d suggest you invest a good 30 minutes in this series from my former employer. It’s powerful writing and reporting and whether you have children or not, it will make you think and feel. That’s exactly what good newspapering should do. In spite of all that’s gone in on the newspaper business, writing and reporting like this are things that make me still say I’m proud to have worked at the DMN. And they make me hope that honest local journalism will never die out.

Sunday Home Run Pool

OF Josh Hamilton isn’t playing today, but is instead returning to Texas for a second epidural injection. So, it’s looking like the series against Cleveland is up in the air.

In the meantime, the Rangers will run this lineup out there to try and win the rubber game of a three-game series at Baltimore: LF Julio Borbon, SS Elvis Andrus, 2B Ian Kinsler, CF Marlon Byrd, DH Hank Blalock, RF Nelson Cruz, 1B Chris Davis, C Taylor Teagarden, 3B Omar Vizquel and pitching for the Rangers … LHP Derek Holland.

Rangers Josh Hamilton Returning to Texas; Status for Cleveland Series now Undetermined

Rangers OF Josh Hamilton is returning to Texas for a second epidural injection in his back to try to relieve inflammation associated with a pinched nerve. According to Rangers officials, his status for the Cleveland series that begins tomorrow is up in the air. Hamilton left Wednesday’s game with a stiff back after a double. He received the first injection on Thursday, but it has not produced results.

Also, the Rangers have revised their probable pitchers for the Cleveland series. The rotation will go: RHP Tommy Hunter on Monday, RHP Brandon McCarthy on Tuesday and RHP Scott Feldman on Wednesday.

Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (9/6)

Triple-A:

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

RHP Brian Gordon (7-3; 3.49) was roughed up for five runs on six hits and a walk in just four innings. LHP Mike Hinckley (1-1; 3.26) finished the game off with two unremarkable innings, allowing three hits, a walk, and two earned runs while striking out three.

SS Joaquin Arias and 1B Royce Huffman each walked and singled in four plate appearances, and Arias stole a pair of bases and scored on a wild pitch in the 3rd. RF Jared Bolden got Oklahoma City’s lone RBI with his first triple-A homer in the 7th inning.

Game 2 – @Memphis 5, Oklahoma City 3  F/7

The nightcap wasn’t much more successful with LHP Chris Cooper making his first start for the RedHawks, going 4.1 innings and letting four runs score on seven hits. RHP Jailen Peguero (0-1; 3.86) fared a bit better, allowing a run in 1.2 frames while striking out two.

DH Justin Leone (.211/.318/.474) was the offensive star of the game, driving in all of Oklahoma City’s runs with a three-run homer in the 4th. SS Casey Benjamin (.221/.344/.324) went 2-3 with a pair of singles and a run scored, and 2B Adam Fox (.194/.242/.290) tried to boost his fledgling average with a double in three at bats.

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