There's really nothing to say about Game 1 of the American League Divisional Series on Friday afternoon other than the fact that the Rays destroyed the Rangers in every possible facet of the game.
I'm not sure what it feels like to stand in a corner of my apartment and bang my head against the wall for three consecutive hours, but in my mind, that's what I was doing.
Tampa Bay cruised, 9-0, and Texas mustered only two hits. Brutal way to start the playoffs.
Especially considering the winning pitcher, Tampa Bay lefty Matt Moore, had pitched 9 1/3 total big league innings before Friday. Granted, the 22-year-old Moore has a very high ceiling — I heard on SportsCenter that ESPN's Keith Law ranked Moore the No. 2 prospect in baseball a few months ago, I believe — but therein lies the problem. Moore, a kid, came into Arlington and dominated one of the best hitting teams in baseball at their own place. Seven innings, two hits, no earned runs, two walks, six strikeouts. What more could Rays manager Joe Maddon want from the guy?
Conversely, nothing went right for the Rangers. C.J. Wilson allowed six earned runs and three home runs, two of which came from Kelly Shoppach, a guy who hit .176 during the regular season.
The eighth inning painted a clear picture of how it went for Texas after Elvis Andrus drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the inning. Josh Hamilton stepped to the plate with no outs, and proceeded to lay down a bunt. In an 8-0 game. Hamilton had only bunted once in more than 2,500 MLB plate appearances.
Tampa Bay threw out Hamilton at first base. Andrus advanced to second, but it didn't matter. Michael Young grounded out, and Adrian Beltre flew out to end the inning. And, by all means, the game.
In his postgame news conference, Texas manager Ron Washington said he didn't call for Hamilton to bunt. It was the decision of the slugger.
Not going to lie, I don't get that mad when watching the Rangers, even if they lose in the playoffs. But that was one of the more infuriating moments I can think of in the past two years of watching the team. I have no problem with losing, but I do have a problem giving away outs in an 8-0 game with the speedy Andrus on first base.
Nonetheless, it's time to forget about Game 1 and hope that Derek Holland can hold his own tonight in Game 2 against James Shields and the Rays.
The Rays, who trailed Boston in the wild card by 9.5 games on Sept. 3, may be the fabled team of destiny this postseason.
Let's hope Texas takes away some of this seemingly endless Tampa Bay momentum and ties the series up at 1-1. If not, it could be the beginning of the end of an amazing regular season that saw the Rangers win more games (96-66) than any other team in franchise history.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Rangers clinch home field in arguably most memorable night of regular-season baseball ever
Plano, Texas — Brad Pitt delivered a memorable line from the movie 'Moneyball' that has stuck with me from the time I saw the advanced screening last week in Kansas City, Mo.
Playing the role of general manager Billy Beane, Pitt said, "It's easy to be romantic about baseball."
After a script of sorts that played out Wednesday night in the final MLB games of the regular season, that line held even more significance when I sat back and thought about what had just happened around the league. ESPN baseball analyst/historian Tim Kurkjian called it the craziest day of regular-season baseball in the sport's lengthy history.
Tough to argue with that statement, as bold as it is. Wednesday night, wild card matchups had yet to be decided in the American and National leagues, home field advantage was still up for grabs and playoff hopes and dreams were either going to be clinched with feelings of euphoria, or crushed with feelings of hopelessness.
I was home in Plano Wednesday night and had the opportunity to watch a slew of games with my mom.
Texas began the night one game ahead of Detroit for the second-best record in the American League. To secure home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, the Rangers had to beat the Angels in Anaheim, or, in the event of a loss, hope for a Detroit loss against Cleveland.
Mom and I ate dinner (one of the most delicious meals I've had recently: grilled salmon from Sea Breeze in Plano, with broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes/pumpkin spice topping and frozen yogurt; basically, a victory meal) before the Rangers game at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, Detroit and Cleveland had their first pitch at 6 p.m. The solution: We watched the Rangers game in HD on TV, while I brought my computer downstairs to pull up Tigers-Indians on mlb.tv.
So many games were going on at once with serious postseason implications. This is one of the many reasons baseball is my favorite sport. It's such a precise game that stresses numerous elements of statistics, geometry, psychology, superstition, tradition, history, fans, timing, teamwork and, sometimes, a gut feeling. Despite a 162-game regular season, some teams were forced to play their final game before they knew whether they were heading to the postseason, or heading home. Now that's exciting.
The breakdown:
• Boston and Tampa Bay entered Wednesday night tied for the AL wild-card lead at 90-71.
• St. Louis and Atlanta entered play tied for the NL wild-card lead at 89-72.
• Texas (95-66) and Detroit (94-67) were still battling for the second seed in the AL and home-field advantage in the ALDS.
None of these teams played each other on Wednesday night, making the landscape of baseball feel like March Madness in September. I was combining our television watching with mlb.tv and online box scores. It was sheer craziness in the best way.
Detroit beat Cleveland, 5-4, putting pressure on the Rangers to win in Anaheim to secure home field in the ALDS. At the time Detroit won, Texas and Anaheim were tied at 1-1 in the seventh inning.
In a development that was too Disney-like to realistically fathom, Rangers catcher Mike Napoli blasted a two-run moonshot of a home run in the ninth inning to put Texas ahead, 3-1. Mom and I were jumping around and screaming like 14-year-old girls at a Justin Beiber concert, a vivid and fuzzy 15-second moment in time that I won't be forgetting any time soon.
How fitting was it that Napoli belted the game-winning blast? Before the season, Anaheim traded the catcher to Toronto as part of the Vernon Wells deal. The Rangers, shortly after Napoli arrived in Toronto, dealt Frank Francisco to the Blue Jays for Napoli. Another brilliant move by Texas general manager Jon Daniels. Napoli finished the season hitting .320 with 30 home runs, 75 RBIs and a .414 on-base percentage. All that in only 369 at-bats.
The victory clinched home field in the first round for the Rangers and represented the best single-season mark in team history at 96-66.
Next was finding out who the Rangers would face at 4 p.m. on Friday in Arlington. By this point, we knew Detroit would travel to New York. The Rangers' opponent came down to either Boston or Tampa Bay, the two wild-card contenders.
This is when stuff really got whacky. Boston led Baltimore, 3-2, in the seventh inning when a rain delay pushed the game back an hour or so.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay was in the midst of producing one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history. Trailing by seven runs in the eighth inning, the Rays rallied for six runs (highlighted by a three-run homer by Evan Longoria) in the eighth and one in the ninth — a solo home run by Dan Johnson to tie the game at 7.
Since the Rangers game was over by this point, I was flipping back and forth between Boston-Baltimore and New York-Tampa Bay.
In the bottom of the 12th inning, around 11:05 p.m. central time, Longoria ripped a liner of a home run over the left-field wall to complete the miracle comeback and send the Rays to an 8-7 victory.
At the same time, Boston was in the bottom of the ninth at Baltimore, protecting a 3-2 lead. Had the Red Sox won, they would have faced the Rays the next day in an extra game to decide who faced the Rangers in the ALDS. And it appeared it would end up that way when Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon had no problem securing two quick outs in the ninth inning. Boston was one strike away from a victory when Papelbon faced former Rangers/current Orioles first baseman Chris Davis. But Boston, which went 7-19 in September and couldn't hold onto a nine-game wild-card lead on Sept. 3, couldn't protect the lead. Papelbon gave up two doubles and a single, and the Orioles shocked the Red Sox in most improbable fashion, 4-3.
Suddenly, the Rays were in the postseason and coming to Arlington for the ALDS, while the Red Sox, who made mammoth offseason moves in acquiring Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, were going home. It was completely surreal, and I just sat upstairs, shaking my head in disbelief as the drama unfolded.
Longoria's home run came about three minutes after the Orioles' game-winning hit.
I didn't even mention the National League side of things, which saw St. Louis clinch the wild card with a victory and an Atlanta loss.
So now, you have postseason participants in St. Louis (10.5 games behind Atlanta in the wild-card race on Aug. 26) and Tampa Bay (nine games behind Boston on Sept. 3).
Yes, it was quite possibly the most fascinating night of regular-season baseball in the sport's history. I'm just glad I could watch it.
Playing the role of general manager Billy Beane, Pitt said, "It's easy to be romantic about baseball."
After a script of sorts that played out Wednesday night in the final MLB games of the regular season, that line held even more significance when I sat back and thought about what had just happened around the league. ESPN baseball analyst/historian Tim Kurkjian called it the craziest day of regular-season baseball in the sport's lengthy history.
Tough to argue with that statement, as bold as it is. Wednesday night, wild card matchups had yet to be decided in the American and National leagues, home field advantage was still up for grabs and playoff hopes and dreams were either going to be clinched with feelings of euphoria, or crushed with feelings of hopelessness.
I was home in Plano Wednesday night and had the opportunity to watch a slew of games with my mom.
Texas began the night one game ahead of Detroit for the second-best record in the American League. To secure home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, the Rangers had to beat the Angels in Anaheim, or, in the event of a loss, hope for a Detroit loss against Cleveland.
Mom and I ate dinner (one of the most delicious meals I've had recently: grilled salmon from Sea Breeze in Plano, with broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes/pumpkin spice topping and frozen yogurt; basically, a victory meal) before the Rangers game at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, Detroit and Cleveland had their first pitch at 6 p.m. The solution: We watched the Rangers game in HD on TV, while I brought my computer downstairs to pull up Tigers-Indians on mlb.tv.
So many games were going on at once with serious postseason implications. This is one of the many reasons baseball is my favorite sport. It's such a precise game that stresses numerous elements of statistics, geometry, psychology, superstition, tradition, history, fans, timing, teamwork and, sometimes, a gut feeling. Despite a 162-game regular season, some teams were forced to play their final game before they knew whether they were heading to the postseason, or heading home. Now that's exciting.
The breakdown:
• Boston and Tampa Bay entered Wednesday night tied for the AL wild-card lead at 90-71.
• St. Louis and Atlanta entered play tied for the NL wild-card lead at 89-72.
• Texas (95-66) and Detroit (94-67) were still battling for the second seed in the AL and home-field advantage in the ALDS.
None of these teams played each other on Wednesday night, making the landscape of baseball feel like March Madness in September. I was combining our television watching with mlb.tv and online box scores. It was sheer craziness in the best way.
Detroit beat Cleveland, 5-4, putting pressure on the Rangers to win in Anaheim to secure home field in the ALDS. At the time Detroit won, Texas and Anaheim were tied at 1-1 in the seventh inning.
In a development that was too Disney-like to realistically fathom, Rangers catcher Mike Napoli blasted a two-run moonshot of a home run in the ninth inning to put Texas ahead, 3-1. Mom and I were jumping around and screaming like 14-year-old girls at a Justin Beiber concert, a vivid and fuzzy 15-second moment in time that I won't be forgetting any time soon.
How fitting was it that Napoli belted the game-winning blast? Before the season, Anaheim traded the catcher to Toronto as part of the Vernon Wells deal. The Rangers, shortly after Napoli arrived in Toronto, dealt Frank Francisco to the Blue Jays for Napoli. Another brilliant move by Texas general manager Jon Daniels. Napoli finished the season hitting .320 with 30 home runs, 75 RBIs and a .414 on-base percentage. All that in only 369 at-bats.
The victory clinched home field in the first round for the Rangers and represented the best single-season mark in team history at 96-66.
Next was finding out who the Rangers would face at 4 p.m. on Friday in Arlington. By this point, we knew Detroit would travel to New York. The Rangers' opponent came down to either Boston or Tampa Bay, the two wild-card contenders.
This is when stuff really got whacky. Boston led Baltimore, 3-2, in the seventh inning when a rain delay pushed the game back an hour or so.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay was in the midst of producing one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history. Trailing by seven runs in the eighth inning, the Rays rallied for six runs (highlighted by a three-run homer by Evan Longoria) in the eighth and one in the ninth — a solo home run by Dan Johnson to tie the game at 7.
Since the Rangers game was over by this point, I was flipping back and forth between Boston-Baltimore and New York-Tampa Bay.
In the bottom of the 12th inning, around 11:05 p.m. central time, Longoria ripped a liner of a home run over the left-field wall to complete the miracle comeback and send the Rays to an 8-7 victory.
At the same time, Boston was in the bottom of the ninth at Baltimore, protecting a 3-2 lead. Had the Red Sox won, they would have faced the Rays the next day in an extra game to decide who faced the Rangers in the ALDS. And it appeared it would end up that way when Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon had no problem securing two quick outs in the ninth inning. Boston was one strike away from a victory when Papelbon faced former Rangers/current Orioles first baseman Chris Davis. But Boston, which went 7-19 in September and couldn't hold onto a nine-game wild-card lead on Sept. 3, couldn't protect the lead. Papelbon gave up two doubles and a single, and the Orioles shocked the Red Sox in most improbable fashion, 4-3.
Suddenly, the Rays were in the postseason and coming to Arlington for the ALDS, while the Red Sox, who made mammoth offseason moves in acquiring Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, were going home. It was completely surreal, and I just sat upstairs, shaking my head in disbelief as the drama unfolded.
Longoria's home run came about three minutes after the Orioles' game-winning hit.
I didn't even mention the National League side of things, which saw St. Louis clinch the wild card with a victory and an Atlanta loss.
So now, you have postseason participants in St. Louis (10.5 games behind Atlanta in the wild-card race on Aug. 26) and Tampa Bay (nine games behind Boston on Sept. 3).
Yes, it was quite possibly the most fascinating night of regular-season baseball in the sport's history. I'm just glad I could watch it.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Late-night contemplation: Rangers in playoffs, and football past 3 a.m.
It's 3:18 a.m. and I'm currently witnessing a ridiculous event on TV. Oklahoma State is facing Tulsa with 6:53 left in the fourth quarter. And this thing is live. At 3:18 a.m.
After a three-hour lightning delay, game officials apparently are going to try to finish this thing. I've been watching football a long time, but I've never seen a game in the central time zone push 3:30 a.m. Oklahoma State is not helping the telecast either, because it's leading, 59-26. Long game with a lot of scoring.
At any rate, the Rangers made significant progress tonight with a 7-6 victory at Seattle. The significant progress came in large part because the Angels lost at Baltimore on the same night, 6-2.
With the Rangers winning and the Angels losing, Texas currently holds a 4.5-game lead in the American League West with 10 games remaining. Combine that with the rest of the Texas schedule (series left at Oakland, vs. Seattle, at Anaheim), and it really started to hit me tonight that the Rangers are well on their way to becoming back-to-back AL West champs.
It's a great time to be a Rangers fan. The team has a talented nucleus of players in the prime of their careers, and, for the most part, general manager Jon Daniels has attempted to keep the core together.
I'm aware not everyone will stay. C.J. Wilson, Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz will require new contracts soon. But hopefully, we can keep the majority of the nucleus in Arlington. If that happens, this can be a playoff contender for the next three to four years.
It's about 3:30 now and this OSU-Tulsa game still has 1:42 remaining. Insane. I'm barely keeping my eyes open, so I'm going to end this post now and rest easy, knowing the Rangers are on the brink of capturing another AL West crown.
After a three-hour lightning delay, game officials apparently are going to try to finish this thing. I've been watching football a long time, but I've never seen a game in the central time zone push 3:30 a.m. Oklahoma State is not helping the telecast either, because it's leading, 59-26. Long game with a lot of scoring.
At any rate, the Rangers made significant progress tonight with a 7-6 victory at Seattle. The significant progress came in large part because the Angels lost at Baltimore on the same night, 6-2.
With the Rangers winning and the Angels losing, Texas currently holds a 4.5-game lead in the American League West with 10 games remaining. Combine that with the rest of the Texas schedule (series left at Oakland, vs. Seattle, at Anaheim), and it really started to hit me tonight that the Rangers are well on their way to becoming back-to-back AL West champs.
It's a great time to be a Rangers fan. The team has a talented nucleus of players in the prime of their careers, and, for the most part, general manager Jon Daniels has attempted to keep the core together.
I'm aware not everyone will stay. C.J. Wilson, Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz will require new contracts soon. But hopefully, we can keep the majority of the nucleus in Arlington. If that happens, this can be a playoff contender for the next three to four years.
It's about 3:30 now and this OSU-Tulsa game still has 1:42 remaining. Insane. I'm barely keeping my eyes open, so I'm going to end this post now and rest easy, knowing the Rangers are on the brink of capturing another AL West crown.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
2011 Rangers ... better than 2010 edition?
With only a little more than a week left of regular-season baseball, the Texas Rangers sit at 86-65, 3.5 games ahead of Anaheim in the American League West.
In the 2010 regular season, the defending AL champions compiled a 90-72 record and won the West by nine games over second-place Oakland.
There's a good chance, with 11 games remaining this season, the Rangers will finish with a better regular-season record in 2011 than in 2010.
To me, that says a ton about fifth-year manager Ron Washington. I like to say I'm proud to be a Rangers fan because of the team's sense of direction these past few years. The Rangers have improved their regular-season record each year Washington's been at the helm in Arlington. How's this for direction:
2007: 75-87
2008: 79-83
2009: 87-75
2010: 90-72 (AL West champions, AL champions, lost in World Series)
2011: ?
With these numbers in mind, is this year's Texas team better than the 2010 edition?
I'm not sure I'm ready to go that far yet. Last season, there was a sense of confidence and borderline cockiness in games that Cliff Lee took the mound, especially in the postseason. This year, Lee is pitching on a dominant Phillies team that owns the best record in baseball (97-65) and will enter the postseason as the clear World Series favorite.
Really, the 2011 vs. 2010 debate boils down to one question: Can C.J. Wilson be 'that guy?'
You know, the guy the Rangers can turn to when they desperately need a victory to stay alive in a postseason series. The guy who mows down American League lineups with the pressure mounting. The guy who makes you feel more at ease about a playoff series because the opposing team has to beat him twice in order to eliminate the Rangers. Asked quite simply, can C.J. Wilson even come close to resembling Cliff Lee from 2010?
Lee was, by all accounts, absurd last postseason, to the point where I'd go to bed seriously contemplating if the guy was human. Lee went 3-2 with a 47/2 K/BB ratio and an ERA near 3.00. He was hit around a bit in the World Series, but was unstoppable in the ALDS and ALCS, more so than any pitcher I've ever watched on TV.
Lee proved that a legitimate, shutdown ace at the top of the Rangers' rotation could send them all the way to the World Series. Wilson doesn't carry the same intimidation factor as Lee, but he's pitched like an ace in 2011, the final year of his contract.
Wilson enjoyed a breakout season in 2010, going 15-8 with a 3.35 ERA and a 170/93 K/BB ratio. I've said many times before on this blog that if Wilson cut down his walk totals, he could be a front-line ace. This year, he's approached that status.
In 2011, Wilson is currently 16-7 with a 2.97 ERA and a 198/69 K/BB ratio. The walk totals are still a bit high, but at least it's progress from last year. He's giving up more hits (184 in 2011, 164 in 2010) and home runs (16 in 2011, 10 in 2010), but he's issuing considerably fewer free passes and striking out more hitters as well.
Wilson, by all accounts, has been an ace in 2011. For the Rangers to be a better team than last season, though, Wilson will have to elevate his game even more in two weeks.
Offensively, the teams are very comparable. A closer look:
2011 likely postseason batting order:
1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
2. Elvis Andrus, SS
3. Josh Hamilton, OF
4. Michael Young, DH
5. Adrian Beltre, 3B
6. Nelson Cruz, OF
7. Mike Napoli, C
8. David Murphy, OF
9. Mitch Moreland, 1B
2010 World Series batting order:
1. Elvis Andrus, SS
2. Michael Young, 3B
3. Josh Hamilton, OF
4. Vladimir Guerrero, DH
5. Nelson Cruz, OF
6. Ian Kinsler, 2B
7. Jeff Francoeur, OF
8. Bengie Molina, C
9. Mitch Moreland, 1B
Pretty close. Beltre (.288, 25 HR, 91 RBI) and Napoli (.312, 26 HR, 67 RBI, .411 OBP) have been huge additions to the offense.
Defensively, you'd have to say the 2011 team is superior, with Beltre holding down the hot corner.
The pitching depth, one through five, seems to be better this season with Wilson, Colby Lewis (12-10, 4.29 ERA, 150/52 K/BB), Alexi Ogando (13-8, 3.58 ERA, 123/43 K/BB), Matt Harrison (12-9, 3.56 ERA, 112/52 K/BB) and Derek Holland (14-5, 4.02 ERA, 148/63 K/BB). The top of last year's rotation, though, with Lee, Wilson and Lewis was tough to beat.
This year's bullpen is certainly stronger with the addition of Mike Adams and Koji Uehara. Closer Neftali Feliz was much better in 2010 (2.73 ERA, 71/18 K/BB) than he's been in 2011 (3.04 ERA, 45/28 K/BB).
But to me, it all comes back to Wilson, whom the Rangers will have to make a decision on in the offseason. Should the Rangers make the postseason, you're looking at shelling out $90-$100 million to keep the 30-year-old Wilson. Yes, he's 30, but since he's primarily pitched out of the bullpen, his arm shouldn't have as much wear and tear as other starting pitchers who are that age. I'm very tempted to spend the money, especially considering the best free agent pitcher this offseason figures to be Chicago's Mark Buehrle (32 years old).
I hope C.J. makes it a tough decision for Texas general manager Jon Daniels and company. A deep playoff run would certainly do the trick.
In the 2010 regular season, the defending AL champions compiled a 90-72 record and won the West by nine games over second-place Oakland.
There's a good chance, with 11 games remaining this season, the Rangers will finish with a better regular-season record in 2011 than in 2010.
To me, that says a ton about fifth-year manager Ron Washington. I like to say I'm proud to be a Rangers fan because of the team's sense of direction these past few years. The Rangers have improved their regular-season record each year Washington's been at the helm in Arlington. How's this for direction:
2007: 75-87
2008: 79-83
2009: 87-75
2010: 90-72 (AL West champions, AL champions, lost in World Series)
2011: ?
With these numbers in mind, is this year's Texas team better than the 2010 edition?
I'm not sure I'm ready to go that far yet. Last season, there was a sense of confidence and borderline cockiness in games that Cliff Lee took the mound, especially in the postseason. This year, Lee is pitching on a dominant Phillies team that owns the best record in baseball (97-65) and will enter the postseason as the clear World Series favorite.
Really, the 2011 vs. 2010 debate boils down to one question: Can C.J. Wilson be 'that guy?'
You know, the guy the Rangers can turn to when they desperately need a victory to stay alive in a postseason series. The guy who mows down American League lineups with the pressure mounting. The guy who makes you feel more at ease about a playoff series because the opposing team has to beat him twice in order to eliminate the Rangers. Asked quite simply, can C.J. Wilson even come close to resembling Cliff Lee from 2010?
Lee was, by all accounts, absurd last postseason, to the point where I'd go to bed seriously contemplating if the guy was human. Lee went 3-2 with a 47/2 K/BB ratio and an ERA near 3.00. He was hit around a bit in the World Series, but was unstoppable in the ALDS and ALCS, more so than any pitcher I've ever watched on TV.
Lee proved that a legitimate, shutdown ace at the top of the Rangers' rotation could send them all the way to the World Series. Wilson doesn't carry the same intimidation factor as Lee, but he's pitched like an ace in 2011, the final year of his contract.
Wilson enjoyed a breakout season in 2010, going 15-8 with a 3.35 ERA and a 170/93 K/BB ratio. I've said many times before on this blog that if Wilson cut down his walk totals, he could be a front-line ace. This year, he's approached that status.
In 2011, Wilson is currently 16-7 with a 2.97 ERA and a 198/69 K/BB ratio. The walk totals are still a bit high, but at least it's progress from last year. He's giving up more hits (184 in 2011, 164 in 2010) and home runs (16 in 2011, 10 in 2010), but he's issuing considerably fewer free passes and striking out more hitters as well.
Wilson, by all accounts, has been an ace in 2011. For the Rangers to be a better team than last season, though, Wilson will have to elevate his game even more in two weeks.
Offensively, the teams are very comparable. A closer look:
2011 likely postseason batting order:
1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
2. Elvis Andrus, SS
3. Josh Hamilton, OF
4. Michael Young, DH
5. Adrian Beltre, 3B
6. Nelson Cruz, OF
7. Mike Napoli, C
8. David Murphy, OF
9. Mitch Moreland, 1B
2010 World Series batting order:
1. Elvis Andrus, SS
2. Michael Young, 3B
3. Josh Hamilton, OF
4. Vladimir Guerrero, DH
5. Nelson Cruz, OF
6. Ian Kinsler, 2B
7. Jeff Francoeur, OF
8. Bengie Molina, C
9. Mitch Moreland, 1B
Pretty close. Beltre (.288, 25 HR, 91 RBI) and Napoli (.312, 26 HR, 67 RBI, .411 OBP) have been huge additions to the offense.
Defensively, you'd have to say the 2011 team is superior, with Beltre holding down the hot corner.
The pitching depth, one through five, seems to be better this season with Wilson, Colby Lewis (12-10, 4.29 ERA, 150/52 K/BB), Alexi Ogando (13-8, 3.58 ERA, 123/43 K/BB), Matt Harrison (12-9, 3.56 ERA, 112/52 K/BB) and Derek Holland (14-5, 4.02 ERA, 148/63 K/BB). The top of last year's rotation, though, with Lee, Wilson and Lewis was tough to beat.
This year's bullpen is certainly stronger with the addition of Mike Adams and Koji Uehara. Closer Neftali Feliz was much better in 2010 (2.73 ERA, 71/18 K/BB) than he's been in 2011 (3.04 ERA, 45/28 K/BB).
But to me, it all comes back to Wilson, whom the Rangers will have to make a decision on in the offseason. Should the Rangers make the postseason, you're looking at shelling out $90-$100 million to keep the 30-year-old Wilson. Yes, he's 30, but since he's primarily pitched out of the bullpen, his arm shouldn't have as much wear and tear as other starting pitchers who are that age. I'm very tempted to spend the money, especially considering the best free agent pitcher this offseason figures to be Chicago's Mark Buehrle (32 years old).
I hope C.J. makes it a tough decision for Texas general manager Jon Daniels and company. A deep playoff run would certainly do the trick.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Rangers clash with Angels in massive weekend series
It wasn't long ago that the Texas Rangers seemed to have the American League West division locked up.
I'll admit, I was as guilty as anyone in assuming Texas was well on its way to a second straight AL West crown.
It still might happen. It just won't be as easy as I once thought.
Ever since Anaheim first baseman Mark Trumbo hit a game-winning walkoff home run against the Rangers on Aug. 18, the two teams have gone in opposite directions. Trumbo's season-saving blast pulled the Angels within six games of the Rangers.
Baseball is a contagious game of momentum and streaks. Since Trumbo's homer, the Angels have won six straight games. Texas has lost three in a row and five of its last six.
What could have been an eight-game lead turned into six on Aug. 18. Now, it's only two games. Funny how one swing of the bat can swing the momentum of a division race so quickly.
Naturally, the Rangers and Angels have a three-game series this weekend in Arlington. It's a massive showdown that could alter the landscape of the AL West race in the coming weeks. No splits in a three-game series. To date, this is easily the Rangers' most significant series of the season.
Texas has been playing uninspiring baseball of late. After taking one game from the Red Sox in Arlington, Texas lost three in a row by the following scores: 11-5, 13-2, 6-0. It's been rough. The starting pitching seems gassed. The bats have been kept quiet.
Thursday night detailed much of the Rangers' struggles lately. Texas bats couldn't muster any runs off Andrew Miller. All due respect to the guy, that's just not good. Miller's 6-1 record is only a reflection of his run support and nothing more. He has nearly as many walks (32) as strikeouts (39), to go along with an ERA of 4.42 this season. This is far from an elite pitcher, and the Rangers were shut out against the guy.
Hopefully, the bats wake up because this weekend's opposing pitchers are a step or two above what Miller has to offer. Dan Haren is pitching tonight, and Angels manager Mike Scioscia recently confirmed that Ervin Santana (Saturday) and Jered Weaver (Sunday) will pitch on three days rest due to the magnitude of the series. Sanatana and Weaver have never pitched on three days rest in their MLB careers.
That should tell you everything you need to know about the importance of this series. The Rangers will trot out Derek Holland tonight, C.J. Wilson on Saturday and Colby Lewis on Sunday.
The Rangers need standout performances from most or all of them, or else this division race is going to get more interesting than it needs to be.
I'll admit, I was as guilty as anyone in assuming Texas was well on its way to a second straight AL West crown.
It still might happen. It just won't be as easy as I once thought.
Ever since Anaheim first baseman Mark Trumbo hit a game-winning walkoff home run against the Rangers on Aug. 18, the two teams have gone in opposite directions. Trumbo's season-saving blast pulled the Angels within six games of the Rangers.
Baseball is a contagious game of momentum and streaks. Since Trumbo's homer, the Angels have won six straight games. Texas has lost three in a row and five of its last six.
What could have been an eight-game lead turned into six on Aug. 18. Now, it's only two games. Funny how one swing of the bat can swing the momentum of a division race so quickly.
Naturally, the Rangers and Angels have a three-game series this weekend in Arlington. It's a massive showdown that could alter the landscape of the AL West race in the coming weeks. No splits in a three-game series. To date, this is easily the Rangers' most significant series of the season.
Texas has been playing uninspiring baseball of late. After taking one game from the Red Sox in Arlington, Texas lost three in a row by the following scores: 11-5, 13-2, 6-0. It's been rough. The starting pitching seems gassed. The bats have been kept quiet.
Thursday night detailed much of the Rangers' struggles lately. Texas bats couldn't muster any runs off Andrew Miller. All due respect to the guy, that's just not good. Miller's 6-1 record is only a reflection of his run support and nothing more. He has nearly as many walks (32) as strikeouts (39), to go along with an ERA of 4.42 this season. This is far from an elite pitcher, and the Rangers were shut out against the guy.
Hopefully, the bats wake up because this weekend's opposing pitchers are a step or two above what Miller has to offer. Dan Haren is pitching tonight, and Angels manager Mike Scioscia recently confirmed that Ervin Santana (Saturday) and Jered Weaver (Sunday) will pitch on three days rest due to the magnitude of the series. Sanatana and Weaver have never pitched on three days rest in their MLB careers.
That should tell you everything you need to know about the importance of this series. The Rangers will trot out Derek Holland tonight, C.J. Wilson on Saturday and Colby Lewis on Sunday.
The Rangers need standout performances from most or all of them, or else this division race is going to get more interesting than it needs to be.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Rangers in prime position to separate themselves in AL West
It's been a long time since I've posted a Rangers-related entry on the Gametime in Arlington blog, so I had to come on today and end the drought. It's been a heck of a last month. Moving from the house I've rented from the past three years to my own apartment. Trips to Florida, Denver and Dallas. Work picking up again with college football season around the corner. Everything, it seems.
But the Rangers remain in first place, and all is well with the baseball world. Texas picked up a significant 8-4 victory over Anaheim last night to take a five-game lead in the AL West. There are three more games against the Angels this week, then three more in Arlington next weekend. If Texas can beat the Angels a few more times, it could really provide separation as we enter the home stretch.
During my aforementioned trip to Dallas, I had the chance to attend a Rangers game with high school buddies Derek Johnson and Stephen Slater. It was a really fun time, except Texas was shut out, 3-0. And by Brett Cecil of all people. The game was dreadful. In fact, Derek labeled it the worst game he had ever seen at Rangers Ballpark. I would have to agree. Thankfully, the company was fun, and I had the opportunity to catch up with some of my oldest friends.
The Rangers remain in great position for their second consecutive postseason berth.
I was looking at Texas' record this season, by month, just for kicks. The results:
April: 15-11
May: 13-15
June: 14-13
July: 18-9
August: 9-4
Clearly, the Rangers are playing their best baseball right now. It's even more impressive when you factor in Adrian Beltre, my first-half team MVP, being sidelined until September with an injured groin.
The starting rotation has been stout all season with our three lefties, C.J. Wilson, Matt Harrison and Derek Holland, coupled with Colby Lewis and Alexi Ogando.
What's really picked up lately is the results from the bullpen. Not surprising when Mike Adams and Koji Uehara were added at the trade deadline. General manager Jon Daniels is not afraid to add to the big-league club, especially when it's in contention. We saw it last year with Cliff Lee, and while this year didn't land as big a name, it still proved Daniels is far from gun shy when attempting to improve the club during a pennant race.
I read yesterday that since the Rangers acquired Adams (July 31) and Uehara (July 30), the bullpen ERA is around 1.80. Closer Neftali Feliz has struggled this season, by his standards, and before Adams and Uehara came to Texas, there was legitimate concern about the back end of the bullpen. Not anymore. Feliz has settled down a bit, while Adams and Uehara have provided stability that was not seen from the back end of the bullpen in the first half of the season.
You have to give up promising talent to get promising talent in return, so sure, Daniels rolled the dice when he traded away a few pitching prospects (none of them were in the system's top 3-5, mind you). But look at the result: In a span of two weeks, the team's biggest weakness has turned into arguably its biggest strength. The bullpen is deep and talented.
Adams' K/BB ratio on the season: 56/12, with a 1.12 ERA.
Uehara: 71/9, with a 1.84 ERA.
Yeah, I can live with that.
Let's hope the bats stay alive and the Rangers continue to provide separation in the AL West the rest of the week. These next two series against the Angels should paint a pretty clear picture of the race for the division title.
But the Rangers remain in first place, and all is well with the baseball world. Texas picked up a significant 8-4 victory over Anaheim last night to take a five-game lead in the AL West. There are three more games against the Angels this week, then three more in Arlington next weekend. If Texas can beat the Angels a few more times, it could really provide separation as we enter the home stretch.
During my aforementioned trip to Dallas, I had the chance to attend a Rangers game with high school buddies Derek Johnson and Stephen Slater. It was a really fun time, except Texas was shut out, 3-0. And by Brett Cecil of all people. The game was dreadful. In fact, Derek labeled it the worst game he had ever seen at Rangers Ballpark. I would have to agree. Thankfully, the company was fun, and I had the opportunity to catch up with some of my oldest friends.
The Rangers remain in great position for their second consecutive postseason berth.
I was looking at Texas' record this season, by month, just for kicks. The results:
April: 15-11
May: 13-15
June: 14-13
July: 18-9
August: 9-4
Clearly, the Rangers are playing their best baseball right now. It's even more impressive when you factor in Adrian Beltre, my first-half team MVP, being sidelined until September with an injured groin.
The starting rotation has been stout all season with our three lefties, C.J. Wilson, Matt Harrison and Derek Holland, coupled with Colby Lewis and Alexi Ogando.
What's really picked up lately is the results from the bullpen. Not surprising when Mike Adams and Koji Uehara were added at the trade deadline. General manager Jon Daniels is not afraid to add to the big-league club, especially when it's in contention. We saw it last year with Cliff Lee, and while this year didn't land as big a name, it still proved Daniels is far from gun shy when attempting to improve the club during a pennant race.
I read yesterday that since the Rangers acquired Adams (July 31) and Uehara (July 30), the bullpen ERA is around 1.80. Closer Neftali Feliz has struggled this season, by his standards, and before Adams and Uehara came to Texas, there was legitimate concern about the back end of the bullpen. Not anymore. Feliz has settled down a bit, while Adams and Uehara have provided stability that was not seen from the back end of the bullpen in the first half of the season.
You have to give up promising talent to get promising talent in return, so sure, Daniels rolled the dice when he traded away a few pitching prospects (none of them were in the system's top 3-5, mind you). But look at the result: In a span of two weeks, the team's biggest weakness has turned into arguably its biggest strength. The bullpen is deep and talented.
Adams' K/BB ratio on the season: 56/12, with a 1.12 ERA.
Uehara: 71/9, with a 1.84 ERA.
Yeah, I can live with that.
Let's hope the bats stay alive and the Rangers continue to provide separation in the AL West the rest of the week. These next two series against the Angels should paint a pretty clear picture of the race for the division title.
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