Post-Game(s) Show: Rangers 7-2, Mariners 5-0

• Game 1 box • Game 2 box • A.L. West standings • A.L. wild-card standings

Story of the Game

Doubleheaders are funny animals. Seven runs got the Red Sox a Sunday sweep of the Rays. Seven runs got the Rangers a convincing Game 1 win over Seattle, which was negated a few hours later by Felix Hernandez.

A win on Sunday night would have given the Rangers four sweeps of twin bills this season, unheard of. Instead, they’ll welcome Oakland to town on Monday night trailing Boston by four in the wild-card race and Los Angeles by six in the West.

Rookie Tommy Hunter, who started the year at Triple-A Oklahoma, threw his first major league complete game in the opener and has the personality to say he “finally” got it. Rookie Derek Holland took baby steps in the second game, better than his most recent starts but not good enough to beat Hernandez. “He competed very well,” manager Ron Washington said. “The opponent was just better.”

Scott Feldman will go his 17th win on Monday night, followed by Brandon McCarthy and probably Dustin Nippert. After Thursday’s off day, it remains to be seen if Kevin Millwood takes his regular turn on Friday against the Angels’ Scott Kazmir after another shaky performance on Saturday night.

If Millwood doesn’t start Friday, would Hunter go since it would be his regular day after the off day? Said Washington: “I haven’t talked to Mike [Maddux] about that yet.”

Millwood threw a bullpen session on Sunday instead of his usual post-start regime of long toss. ”Just working on a few mechanical things,” he said. “Just trying to get where it’s more consistent. You always tweak with your mechanics a little bit. My stuff’s not been the problem. It’s just consistently throwing it where I want to.”

Winner of eight games before the All-Star break, Millwood has won only twice since. On Saturday night, he didn’t make it out of the fourth inning. He said he’s not discouraged: “You have times in the year when things don’t go so well. You just try to figure ‘em out. This is just one of those times.”

(more…)

Sunday Game 2 Rangers-M’s Home Run Pool

ARLINGTON - Facing Felix Hernandez, really:

1. Borbon dh; 2. Andrus ss; 3. Kinsler 2b; 4. Byrd cf; 5. Murphy lf; 6. Cruz rf; 7. Davis 1b; 8. Teagarden c; 9. Vizquel 3b.

The Corral: Cowboys-Bucs Live Blog

Not sure how much of a regular feature, the Cowboys Corral will be, but, given the weather situation in Arlington, let’s open this up for Cowboys talk.

12:12: The Depot, however, remains open and the great one, Jeff Miller, is on the scene i n Arlington to update on Rangers doings. The possibility exists that Houston could become an option for the Rangers-A’s series that is scheduled to start Monday.

12:14: Cowboys have moved ball well on first drive, but a time out less than five minutes into the season is not encouraging.

12:16: Who had Nick Folk with a 50+ field goal for the first points of the year?

12:20: And who had Jerry Jones opening the season with a $100,000 fine from NFL commish Roger Goodell”?

1:00: For rest of game, I ask you to do this – track positive plays vs. negative plays for Tony Romo.  Give me a final +/- tally after the game. And give me any commentary on plays that stand out one way or another as they happen.

1:04: Also, exactly what does Tony Siragusa do to add to a broadcast? Or, for that matter, to keep his job with FOX?

(more…)

Sunday Game 1 Overflowing Home Run Pool

ARLINGTON - To face Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez:

1. Julio Borbon lf; 2. Elvis Aldrus ss; 3. Ian Kinsler 2b; 4. Marlon Byrd cf; 5. David Murphy dh; 6. Nelson Cruz rf; 7. Pudge Rodriguez c; 8. Chris Davis 1b, Estaban German 3b. Pitching, Tommy Hunter.

CORRECTION: Mariners notes show RHP Doug Fister (2-1, 2.79) going in the opener against Hunter.

Sunday Rangers-Mariners Live Blog, Notes

ARLINGTON - I’ll go ahead and open this with no idea whether baseball will be played at Rangers Ballpark on Sunday. First pitch for the opener has been moved to 2:05 at the earliest.

Will post lineup for Game 1 Home Run Pool when that becomes available. There’s a 50 percent chance that Evan will be here early in a first game. I’ll be happy to keep you updated on Red Sox-Rays Game 1 (scheduled to start in about 30 minutes) if you’d like.

3:30: Looking at starting in about an hour, assuming there’s no more rain before then.

Race Day: Looking at the A.L. Playoff Races

About the Wild Card Race

Boston: On Saturday night at Fenway, they waited 2:05 to start the game, the Red Sox then battered rookie Rays RHP Wade Davis in the third inning, and they waited almost another hour before calling the game near midnight in the top of the sixth inning. That gave Boston RHP Josh Beckett a five-inning complete game (one batter in the sixth) and his first win since Aug. 12. 1B Victor Martinez extended his hitting streak to 13 games, during which he’s hitting .356.

It’s a day-nighter on Sunday in Boston, Tampa Bay dragging in a nine-game losing streak. In the opener, Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz (5-3, 3.92) against RHP Matt Garza (7-9, 3.85). Buchholz has won his last four decisions and, over his last seven starts, is 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA. In three career starts against the Rays, he’s 2-1 and 2.79. Garza’s last time out, he gave one run in seven innings against the Yankees. Second game, Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (12-7, 3.44) vs. RHP James Shields (9-10, 4.02). This was Friday night’s match-up, ending after Lester threw 23 pitches and had the bases loaded with one out. Shields hasn’t pitched in eight days.

Rays LF B.J. Upton, out with a sore left ankle, said he’s ready to return. Manager Joe Maddon said he’ll wait and see. Maddon said he plans to play almost two different lineups in the doubleheader with only 3B Evan Longoria and DH Pat Burrell getting both starts.

Former Times Herald and DMN baseball scribe Phil Rogers, whom we lost to Chicago some years back, writes that the Yankees should be afraid of meeting the Rangers in the Division Series.

(more…)