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Texas Rangers Say: Nice to See You Again, Josh Hamilton

ARLINGTON – Since Ernie “Let’s Play Two!” Banks retired, finding players who are fond of doubleheaders is a monumental task.

Rangers OF Josh Hamilton might be the exception.

A long day at Rangers Ballpark Tuesday might just have helped him unlock the mysteries of a home run swing that has deserted him for much of this injury-plagued season. After a hitless first at-game, Hamilton homered in consecutive at-bats in the second.

They were his first homers since August 7. He had only two homers since May 25, a span of 57 games.

“I was just happy I remembered how to jog around the bases,” Hamilton said after the second of a pair of 5-2 wins over Toronto. “But really, it was a sense of relief to hit one again. I was kidding around with a lot of teammates afterward.  [Nelson Cruz] asked me if I wanted him to go get the ball for me. Guys had been kidding me about having batting practice pop, but not having any more game pop. As much of a relief as this was for me, I think it was a relief for them, too.”

No kidding.

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The Big Bust Theory: Texas Rangers Struggle In Parks Where Home Runs Are Still Rare

OAKLAND, Calif.  – After months of hair-pulling and hand-wringing, the Rangers have come to this manner of describing their offense:

“It is what it is.”

The Rangers dig the long ball. They hate taking pitches. They are firm believers in pitch equality. They will swing at a fastball, curveball, slider without discriminating. They live by the homer and they die by the lack of it.

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About Last Night: Rangers Josh Hamilton Says He’s Feeling Like It Is 2008 At The Plate

ANAHEIM, Calif. – It hasn’t been just the injuries that have hampered Rangers CF Josh Hamilton this season, it’s been the search for his swing.

He thinks he’s finally found it. And if the results from his first two games back from the DL are any indication, he has.

“I feel like I did last year,” Hamilton said after going 3-for-4 against the Angels in Tuesday’s 8-5 win. “That’s a good feeling. Believe me, it’s a good feeling.”

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Julio Borbon Not In Lineup Today, Probably Not Friday; Don’t Even Ask About The Weekend

ARLINGTON - Outfielder Julio Borbon isn’t in the starting lineup for the second straight day and it is looking more and more like his first stint in the major leagues will be spent mostly as a bench-warmer.

With loads of left-handed pitchers coming up and the impending return of OF Josh Hamilton from the DL, there just doesn’t seem to be anywhere to squeeze in playing time for Borbon.

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Homer Pool And Rangers Lineup Note

To the question of who would the club sit when it got into an NL-rules game, DH Hank Blalock or 1B Chris Davis, the answer is both. Though they are facing a right-handed pitcher in Felipe Paulino, the Rangers are stitting both left-handed first base options, Blalock and Davis. Andruw Jones will instead play first. Think that’s more a reflection on the struggles of Davis and Blalock than anything else. The Rangers lineup vs. RHP Paulino:

2B Ian Kinsler, 3B Michael Young, CF Josh Hamilton (back in the lineup as of now; could change during BP); 1B Andruw Jones, RF Nelson Cruz, LF David Murphy, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, SS Elvis Andrus and LHP Derek Holland.

Get your entries in now, before you leave the office for the holiday weekend. Or, if you have already left, get them in anyway.