ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus(notes) was out of
the lineup one day after a teammate accidentally stepped on his left foot.

Andres Blanco(notes) was Andrus’ replacement for Tuesday night’s game at Tampa Bay.

Andrus was going after a grounder up the middle in sixth inning of Monday
night’s 11-5 win over the Rays and crossed paths with second baseman Michael
Young(notes).

“Having a day (off) is not going to hurt him,” Texas manager Ron
Washington said.

Andrus, hitting .268 with two homers, 18 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 51
games this season, could return for the final game of the three-game series on
Wednesday.

Fallbrook’s Clark Murphy realized his dream of becoming a professional baseball player when he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2008. Due to an unexpected tragedy, his career has been temporarily put on hold because Clark has stepped up to a leadership role within his family to care for his younger brother who remains hospitalized after a head-on collision last month on State Route 76 at Gird Road.

“[The Texas Rangers] had Clark on the first flight back to San Diego and he was home within five hours [of the accident],” said his father, Jim Murphy. Clark wasn’t surprised by the immediate responsiveness of the Rangers, he said.

“The Rangers have always said that if you are part of their organization, then you’re part of the family; now I know from first-hand experience that what they say is true – down to the last word.”

At the time of the accident, Clark’s younger brother, Conrad Murphy, a senior varsity player for Valley Center High School, was on his way to baseball practice. Conrad has been working hard in hopes of following in his older brother’s footsteps and hoped to play at the next level some day. On April 23, Conrad was hit head-on by a truck carrying liquid and dry pesticides on State Route 76 in Fallbrook. He sustained life-threatening injuries included damage to the upper brain, a broken neck, broken pelvis, punctured lung, and multiple lacerations over his entire body. Jim said people in the hospital’s trauma unit thought he was not going to make it. He said, “You know it’s bad when the doctor tells you that they’re not as worried about his broken neck and other severe injuries as much as his brain trauma.”

The Murphy family, including Clark, has steadfastly stayed at Conrad’s side. The family has positioned an RV in the hospital parking lot so that they can rotate being with Conrad 24 hours a day.

Currently (one month after the accident), Conrad is said to be out of the coma he was in, but is not in a full state of consciousness.

Clark says his brother is now able to listen to commands, squeeze hands, and throw a ball. He is also able to open his eyes and track movement.

“They have moved him to the rehab floor, which is a huge step since the accident only happened four weeks ago,” said Clark. “He responds to family [members] and friends, and reacts when doctors and nurses try to stimulate him. This is just a great sign of what he is able to do. He has a very long road ahead of him, so these little things are extremely encouraging.”

Jim believes Clark’s presence and the Rangers’ willingness to allow him to be with his family has “been a Godsend.”

“He was able to come in and take on a leadership role for our family; interact with the doctors, represent us for the media, and also work with Conrad,” Jim explained. “Conrad responds to his brother; the boys are really close.” The Murphys were told by Conrad’s doctor that it is crucial for Conrad to have family support during his recovery process.

Jim owns an environmental clean-up company and is accustomed to being in charge and making quick decisions after emergencies to minimize problems. He works with chemists, engineers and hazardous materials specialists and is known for his calm demeanor. However, when Conrad was tragically injured, Jim found himself struggling to cope with the severity of the situation, the details that needed to be attended to, and taking care of other family responsibilities.

“My wife and I have had such a hard time through all this,” Jim said. “I would talk to a doctor who would give me information and I couldn’t remember what it was by the time I got to the door. I would leave to take my younger daughters to school and forget where I was going.”

“Clark really stepped in and became the man of the house,” Jim continued. “He was able to talk to the rehab doctor and help his mother. There was a time during the first couple weeks when I didn’t know what direction I was going. His mom was also going through what any mom would go through with a son lying in the hospital as severely injured as Conrad has been. Clark was able to be a stronghold for his mom and help her keep a positive outlook.”

In addition to interfacing with his brother’s doctors and the media on behalf of the family, Clark had the presence of mind to get prayer chains going for Conrad.

“Clark has shown the maturity of a 50-year-old as far as keeping a rational thought process at a time when his mom and I haven’t been necessarily able to do that at times,” Jim said.

When Clark asks his brother if he wants him to come back he gives a positive response.

“He’s now able to give a ‘thumbs up’ sign and is able to hold up one finger for ‘yes’ and two fingers for a ‘no’ response,” explained Clark.

As Clark continues to assist his brother, he regularly expresses his appreciation for his team.

“My team has been great; they understand family comes first,” he said. “They told me to take as much time as needed until my brother is healthy. I don’t think I could play knowing my brother is not well.” His father is grateful as well.

“We are thankful for the Rangers,” said Jim. “When I called Steve Flores, the scout that drafted him, I could hardly get the words out, but he understood and he said he’d take care of it. Clark was home within five hours. I was really thankful for that and the fact that they said he could stay home until next year’s spring training if needed. They said they’d take care of it and they did.”

Meanwhile, Conrad’s hip and neck are healing, and he is off the respirator, but Clark knows his brother’s recovery will not be a fast one.

“It’s a slow process, but it’s steady,” said Clark. “We just ask that people continue to keep us in their prayers, because God is listening.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was out of the lineup one day after a teammate accidentally stepped on his left foot.

Andres Blanco was Andrus’ replacement for Tuesday night’s game at Tampa Bay.

Andrus was going after a grounder up the middle in the sixth inning of Monday night’s 11-5 win over the Rays and crossed paths with second baseman Michael Young.

“Having a day (off) is not going to hurt him,” Texas manager Ron Washington said.

Andrus, hitting .268 with two homers, 18 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 51 games this season, could return for the final game of the three-game series on Wednesday.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

(Sports Network) – The Texas Rangers target a fourth straight win this evening
when they continue a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana
Field.

Texas, which won all three of its games at the Trop in last year’s American
League Division Series, picked up right where it left off last October on
Monday, as Mike Napoli hit a pair of homers and drove in five runs in an 11-5
rout. Endy Chavez went 3-for-5 with a solo homer and two RBI, while Mitch
Moreland hit a solo homer and scored three times for the Rangers, who banged
out 20 hits in the win.

“Everyone stepped up and got a hit or got on base to get us going,” Moreland
said.

Derek Holland (4-1) gave up five runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings to pick
up his first win since April 22. The left-hander also struck out seven and
walked five for Texas, which started a seven-game road trip on Monday.

Justin Ruggiano hit a three-run homer for the Rays, who got a solo homer from
Ben Zobrist. Wade Davis (4-5) allowed a season-high seven runs on 12 hits over
just 2 2/3 frames in the loss.

To make matters worse, shortstop Sean Rodriguez committed three errors in the
game for Tampa. The Rays had not committed two errors in a game through their
first 52 games of the season, setting a major league record previously held by
the 2010 Twins (first 48 games). Monday’s contest was Tampa Bay’s first multi-
error game since October 3, 2010.

Taking the ball for the Rangers tonight will be left-hander C.J. Wilson, who
is 5-3 with a 3.25 earned run average. Wilson won for the first time in four
starts on Wednesday when he defeated the Chicago White Sox, holding them to a
run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He also struck out five without walking a
batter.

This will be Wilson’s second regular season start against the Rays. Last year
he beat them, as he allowed three earned runs in five innings of work. Wilson
also stifled the Rays in last year’s playoffs, striking out seven and allowing
just two hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 2.

Tampa, meanwhile, will hand the ball to 23-year-old righty Alex Cobb, who will
be making his second-ever big league start. Cobb was roughed up in his initial
outing back on May 1 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, as he
surrendered four runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings.

He had been 5-0 for Triple-A Durham with a 1.14 ERA.

“Minor League numbers don’t mean anything now,” Cobb said. “Once you get up
here, you have to be able to put those numbers out up here. If you don’t,
you’re going to go back.”

Of course, this week’s matchup is a rematch of last year’s ALDS which the
Rangers won in five games. Texas may have won all three games on the road in
that series, but has emerged victorious in just four of the last 17 regular
season matchups in St. Petersburg.

Tampa won four of its six meetings with the Rangers last season.

The Sports Network

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mike Napoli and Endy Chavez are unlikely catalysts for a power surge that’s carried the Texas Rangers to their first three-game winning streak in more than a month.

Napoli homered twice and drove in five runs, and Chavez drove in two with a solo homer and single Monday to help the defending AL champions beat the Tampa Bay Rays 11-5.

The Rangers have 13 home runs in their past three games, with Napoli and Chavez delivering six of them from the bottom of the batting order.

“I’ve thrown all the mechanics out and just trying to see the ball and hit it,” said Napoli, who’s batting just .229 with 10 homers and 25 RBI.

“I think I’ve been going up there thinking way too much about, you know, I’ve got to get my foot down, I’ve got to get my hands moving, rather than just playing the game,” he added. “I’ve been working hard. Trying to get my mind right and keep it clear.”

The veteran catcher batted eighth and homered for the third consecutive day, giving him four in three games. No. 9 hitter Chavez homered for his second consecutive game, helping the Rangers amass a season-high 20 hits in their first meeting with Tampa Bay since Texas eliminated the Rays in the opening round of the 2010 AL division series.

The Rangers improved to 11-4 when Napoli, who’s homered in three consecutive games three other times during his career, is the starting catcher.

“He does a good job,” Texas manager Ron Washington said, “and he happens to be swinging right now and putting some runs on the board.”

Mitch Moreland also homered in support of Derek Holland (4-1), who allowed five runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, but still won for the first time in more a month. The former Newark left-hander allowed home runs to Ben Zobrist and Justin Ruggiano in the sixth, when the Rays scored four times to trim an eight-run deficit to 9-5.

Zobrist hit a solo homer and Ruggiano’s three-run shot chased Holland, who had gone six starts without being involved in a decision since beating Kansas City on April 22.

Mark Lowe struck out B.J. Upton with the bases loaded to end the sixth. Darren Oliver got six outs and Dave Bush finished for the Rangers.

Napoli also connected Saturday and Sunday at home against Kansas City and is 7-for-12 with four homers and nine RBI in the past three games. He had a three-run homer against Wade Davis (4-5) in the third and a solo shot against Andy Sonnanstine in the sixth before adding an RBI double off Juan Cruz in the eighth.

Josh Hamilton had a run-scoring double and sacrifice fly for the Rangers, who have hit 13 homers in their past three games. Adrian Beltre contributed a RBI single to help Texas build a 9-1 lead.

“We didn’t play good. It was one of our less impressive games overall,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said after the Rays lost for the seventh time in 10 games. “But when you get off to that kind of a start pitching-wise, it really makes things little more difficult.”

Chavez, recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on May 14, homered for the second time in three days after not having hit one in the major leagues since May 31, 2009, when he was with Seattle. He homered against Kansas City during a win Saturday, then did not play in the Rangers’ 7-6 victory Sunday againsrt the Royals.

Davis is 0-3 while allowing 19 runs in 21 2/3 innings in his past four starts. He’s allowed nine home runs in his past five outings after yielding one in his first six starts of the season.

Nevertheless, Maddon thought he saw some progress from the 25-year-old right-hander.

“He’s not been consistent with his game to this point, but I really am kind of encouraged,” Maddon said. “I saw better velocity, I saw a good delivery. They just hit him tonight.”

Notes: Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler had a scheduled day off. … Rays right-hander Jeff Niemann (strained lower back) threw a simulated game. … Rangers right-hander Brandon Webb allowed five runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings for Double-A Frisco during his first appearance in an official game since his opening-day start for Arizona on April 6, 2009. Webb is trying to come back from right rotator cuff surgery. … Center fielder Julio Borbon, out with a sore left hamstring, was the designated hitter in the same game as Webb and went 0-for-4. … Rays infielder Felipe Lopez started at first place in place of Casey Kotchman, who is day to day after leaving Sunday’s game against Cleveland with a right ankle sprain. … Rays shortstop Sean Rodriguez committed three errors. The Rays had not had more than one in any game this season.