Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Yu Darvish is visiting Texas for the first time during a 30-day window the AL champion Rangers have to negotiate a contract with the Japanese pitcher.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels confirmed reports from Japanese media that Darvish was in the Dallas-Fort Worth area Tuesday. Daniels wouldn’t discuss the state of negotiations with Darvish or any plans for meetings during the visit by the 25-year-old right-hander.

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Featuring the likes of Neftali Feliz, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, Nelson Cruz, and Josh Hamilton, the Texas Rangers will play 13 home games and 17 away games during the 2012 Cactus League Spring Training.

Surprise Stadium
Public domain

Note: All game times for Central Standard Time. Schedule is tentative. (SS) represents split squad game. All games are part of Cactus League Spring Training and home games are played at Surprise Stadium, the Spring Training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals.

Texas Rangers 2012 Spring Training Schedule

Sunday, Mar. 4: vs. Kansas City Royals, 1:05 p.m.

Monday, 5: at Kansas City Royals, 2:05 p.m.

Tuesday, 6: at Arizona Diamondbacks, 2:10 p.m.

Wednesday, 7: at San Diego Padres (SS), 2:05 p.m.

Thursday, 8: vs. Chicago White Sox, 2:05 p.m.

Friday, 9: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 2:05 p.m.

Saturday, 10: at Chicago White Sox (SS), 2:05 p.m.

Sunday, 11: vs. Cleveland Indians (SS), 3:05 p.m.

Monday, 12: at Seattle Mariners, 3:05 p.m.

Tuesday, 13: at Cleveland Indians, 3:05 p.m.

Wednesday, 14: vs. Colorado Rockies (SS), 3:05 p.m.

Thursday, 15: vs. Oakland Athletics, 3:05 p.m.

Friday, 16: at Los Angeles Dodgers, 3:05 p.m.

Saturday, 17: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (SS), 3:05 p.m.

Saturday, 17: at Chicago Cubs in Las Vegas, NV (SS), TBD

Sunday, 18: at Milwaukee Brewers (SS), 3:05 p.m.

Sunday, 18: at Chicago Cubs in Las Vegas, NV (SS), TBD

Monday, 19: vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 3:05 p.m.

Tuesday, 20: at Chicago Cubs (SS), 3:05 p.m.

Thursday, 22: vs. Chicago Cubs (SS), 3:05 p.m.

Thursday, 22: at Cincinnati Reds (SS), 9:05 p.m.

Friday, 23: at San Francisco Giants, 9:05 p.m.

Saturday, 24: vs. Los Angeles Angels, 3:05 p.m.

Sunday, 25: at Los Angeles Angels, 3:05 p.m.

Monday, 26: vs. Cincinnati Reds, 8:05 p.m.

Tuesday, 27: vs. San Diego Padres (SS), 3:05 p.m.

Wednesday, 28: at Kansas City Royals, 8:05 p.m.

Thursday, 29: vs. San Francisco Giants, 8:05 p.m.

Friday, 30: at Colorado Rockies, 9:10 p.m.

Saturday, 31: at Cleveland Indians, 9:05 p.m.

Sunday, Apr. 1: vs. San Diego Padres, 3:05 p.m.

Sources:

Texas Rangers Spring Training Tentative Schedule, texasrangers.com

Texas Rangers Spring Training Ballpark, texasrangers.com

More from this contributor:

San Francisco Giants 2012 Spring Training Schedule

New Orleans Hornets 2011-12 Regular Season TV Schedule

San Antonio Spurs 2011-12 Regular Season TV Schedule

Philadelphia 76ers 2011-12 Regular Season TV Schedule

Oklahoma City Thunder 2011-12 Regular Season TV Schedule

Follow this contributor on Twitter @_austinchang.

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(Sports Network) – The Texas Rangers try to get one step closer to winning a
second straight American League West title this evening when they open a
three-game series with the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum.

The Rangers come into tonight’s opener holding a five-game lead on the Los
Angeles Angels of Anaheim with a magic number of five to clinch the division.
Texas won for the sixth time in seven tries on Sunday, as Adrian Beltre hit a
two-run homer to back 6 2/3 scoreless innings from Matt Harrison, helping
Texas defeat the Seattle Mariners, 3-0.

Harrison (13-9), who gave up six hits, won his third straight start for the
Rangers. The Rangers have five pitchers, all starters, with at least 13
victories in 2011 for the first time in franchise history.

“He kept the ball down, did a good job of changing speeds,” Rangers manager
Ron Washington said of Harrison. “He handled the left-handers pretty good
today in that lineup and got us where we needed to get in that game.”

Elvis Andrus went 3-for-5 with an RBI double for the victors. He extended his
hitting streak to 12 games.

Heading to the hill for Texas tonight will be lefty Derek Holland, who is 14-5
with a 4.02 ERA. Holland won his third straight decision on Wednesday against
Cleveland, as he allowed a run and six hits in seven innings.

Holland beat the A’s the last time he faced them and is 2-1 in eight games
(five starts) against them with a 2.03 ERA.

Oakland, meanwhile, will counter with righty Rich Harden, who is 4-3 with a
4.76 ERA. Harden lost to the Angels on Wednesday, as he surrendered three runs
and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Harden, who pitched for the Rangers last season, is 5-3 lifetime against his
former team with a 4.78 ERA in 14 games, 13 of which have been starts.

Oakland split a four-game set with the AL Central-champion Detroit Tigers over
the weekend, but dropped a 3-0 decision to Justin Verlander in Sunday’s
finale.

Guillermo Moscoso (8-9) lost despite giving up only one hit — an Austin
Jackson homer to lead off the sixth.

It wound up being Moscoso’s last frame. He walked two while fanning eight.

“He threw the ball really well,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said of his starter’s
performance. “You know when you go out there against a guy like Verlander,
you’re going to have to pitch well and you’re going to have to keep runs to a
minimum. And he did.”

Texas is 11-5 versus the A’s this season.

The Sports Network

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By JP Starkey

– Associate Editor

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Sep 16, 2011 – The Texas Rangers quest for a second consecutive AL West crown heads to Seattle on Friday night, as the Rangers open up a three game series against the lowly Mariners. 

Headed into Friday’s games, the Rangers hold a three and a half game lead over the second-place Los Angeles Angels. The Angels, like the Rangers, are opening up a series against a weak opponent this weekend as the Orioles play host to the Angels. 

C.J. Wilson starts for Texas on Friday night, looking to add to his already career-high win total of 16. Wilson has been phenomenal as of late, allowing just two runs in his last three starts – and no runs in his last two starts. During that three-game span, Wilson has pitched 23 innings, allowing two runs on 12 hits while issuing just five walks and striking out 25. 

Wilson’s numbers on the year are fantastic as well. Wilson has eclipsed his career high in WAR, as he’s posted a 5.3 WAR through his first 31 starts. Wilson’s ERA sits comfortably at 3.01, with an xFIP of 3.31. Wilson is also likely to eclipse 200 strikeouts this year as well, as he’s struck out 190 in 209 innings so far on the season.

Texas’ offense will face off against former Ranger farmhand Blake Beaven. Beaven, who is a Texas native, has gone 4-5 in 12 starts for the Mariners, with a 4.32 ERA, .288 BAA and 1.31 WHIP. Beaven, though, does not miss bats, as he’s struck out just 31 in 77 innings. 

First pitch in Seattle is scheduled for 9:10 p.m. CDT, 7:10 p.m. locally at Safeco Field.

Read More: C.J. Wilson (P – TEX), Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners

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The Texas Rangers got a big 9-5 win Sunday night against the Los Angeles Angels, but they also took a pretty big loss.

Outfielder Nelson Cruz(notes) had to leave the game in the sixth inning when he pulled his left hamstring running the bases. Cruz has plenty of experience with hamstring pulls, as he went on the disabled list three times last season with similar injuries. So he probably knew this wouldn’t be good.

It became official Monday afternoon, as a MRI exam revealed a Grade 1 strain of the hamstring. Though that’s a less-severe injury, it will still put Cruz out for three weeks. Team doctors will give Cruz a plasma injection in an attempt to speed the healing process.

With the Rangers trying to hold off the Angels in the AL West, and the calendar about to turn to September, Cruz’s injury comes at a bad time. On an individual basis, Cruz had broken out of a bad slump, perhaps fueled by ditching his batting gloves. In the weekend series versus the Angels, he batted 8 for 12 with two home runs and six RBIs.

The Rangers’ lineup should get a boost when Adrian Beltre(notes) returns later this week. But who might fill in for Cruz could become an interesting question. Class AAA outfielder Leonys Martin(notes) will likely be the immediate replacement.

But the Rangers might try to take a bigger swing. According to the Dallas Morning News, Texas is looking to acquire Lance Berkman(notes) from the St. Louis Cardinals. Berkman, who’s believed to have cleared waivers, has had a resurgent season, batting .289/.405/.570 with 30 homers and 81 RBIs.

Rangers president Nolan Ryan said the chances of getting Berkman were “remote,” but acknowledged it was a possibility. No word on what the Cardinals would seek in return, but Berkman is playing out a one-year contract and is owed $1.33 million for the rest of the season.

Getting Berkman would have a comedic element to it, as he opted to sign with the Cardinals instead of the Rangers in the offseason because he felt Texas would be “an average team” after losing Cliff Lee(notes) to free agency. Signing with St. Louis obviously worked out for Berkman individually. But with St. Louis 10 games out and sitting with an elimination number of 18 in the NL Central, he’ll probably have to move on if he wants to see the playoffs this year.

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Related: Nelson Cruz, Cliff Lee, Lance Berkman, Los Angeles Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, injuries

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AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

Texas Rangers’ Josh Hamilton follows through on a single to right off of Los Angeles Angels reliever Fernando Rodney in the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. Hamilton broke out of a slump with a long two-run homer and the tie-breaking RBI single for the AL West-leading Rangers, who rallied for a 9-5 victory over the chasing Angels.

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Read More: Dan Haren (P – ANA), Colby Lewis (P – TEX), C.J. Wilson (P – TEX), Jered Weaver (P – ANA), Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels

The Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels are set to conclude a three game series on Sunday night after splitting the first two games. Texas pounded one of Los Angeles’ two aces, Dan Haren, on Friday night en route to an 11-7 victory. On Saturday, though, the Angels had their revenge, beating up on C.J. Wilson as the Angels won 8-4. Now on Sunday night, the Rangers will have to face another ace – this time in the form of Jered Weaver.

Weaver will be making the start on Sunday night on only three days rest – the first time in his career he’s pitched on short rest. To date, Weaver has been one of the very best pitchers in baseball, with a 15-6 record to go along with a microscopic 2.03 ERA and .97 WHIP. Weaver has held opposing hitters to an average of .206 while only issuing 44 walks in 195.1 innings on the season. 

Weaver has made four starts against Texas this year and has gone 2-1 with a 1.86 ERA in 29 innings, striking out 25 and walking just four.

Colby Lewis will start for Texas on Sunday night, looking to keep the ball in the park. In Saturday’s win over Texas, the Angels belted five home runs. Lewis’ downfall this year has been home runs, as he’s surrendered 30 in 165.2 innings on the season, including two in his most recent start against the Red Sox.

Still, Lewis’ numbers remain respectable on the season: his ERA sits at 4.07 and his WHIP is a cool 1.20. 

With a win, the Rangers would pull three games ahead of the Angels in the standings, two up in the loss column. If Texas loses, though, the teams will be even in the loss column with Texas holding an official one game edge in the standings.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT from Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. 

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Read More: Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels

This past week has not been kind to the Los Angeles Angels (67-59), who sit six games back of the Texas Rangers (73-53) in the AL West. The Rangers increased their lead in the division over the past seven days with six wins in seven contests, including three of four games against the Angels. The Angels, meanwhile, lost five of their seven games.

The Angels, however, have snapped a five-game losing streak and are currently riding a two-game winning streak. This weekend, they play two games against the Baltimore Orioles (47-75), who have lost six of their last eight and three straight overall. The Rangers take on the Chicago White Sox (61-63), who are riding a three-game losing streak of their own.

In tonight’s game against the Orioles, the Angels will put Joel Piniero (5-6) on the mound against Tommy Hunter (2-2). The series will conclude on Sunday when new pitcher Jerome Williams (0-0), who was recently called up from Triple-A Salt Lake, will start against Baltimore’s Brian Matusz (1-5).

The Angels will need to build on their two-game winning streak against the Orioles this weekend in order to keep up with the Rangers. The Angels, however, will get a shot to really make up some ground in the AL West when the two teams meet up again for a three-day series beginning next Friday. Let’s hope that the Angels are riding an even bigger winning streak by the time that the Angels-Rangers series rolls around. 

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(Sports Network) – The Texas Rangers are doing their best to make the American
League West race an afterthought. Tonight, the Rangers hope to distance
themselves even further from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim when they try
to complete their first-ever four-game sweep of them at Angel Stadium.

The Rangers have won the first three games of this set and have stretched
their lead atop the AL West to seven games ahead of the Angels. On Wednesday,
Ian Kinsler blooped the tie-breaking two-run single in the eighth inning,
boosting the Rangers to a 4-3 win.

“It’s still early,” Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz said. “We’re not going to get
comfortable. We’ve got to keep playing. Hopefully we get a chance to sweep the
series.”

Mitch Moreland added a solo homer and Michael Young went 3-for-5 in Texas’
sixth straight triumph and ninth in 10 tries.

Koji Uehara surrendered a home run to Howie Kendrick with two outs in the
eighth, but Neftali Feliz escaped a jam in the ninth to record his 24th save.

C.J. Wilson (12-5) struck out six batters over seven innings, while Angels
starter Ervin Santana (9-9) gave up 10 hits over 7 2/3 frames and lost for the
first time in 10 starts.

“This game was all about C.J. … he did a great job,” Young said.

Santana had won five straight starts and was 6-0 over his previous nine.

“Tonight it was all about scratching and clawing,” Young said. “Facing a good
pitcher like that who is throwing the ball as well as anybody in the game, you
just have to be able to scratch and claw for runs and that’s what we were able
to do.”

The Rangers will take aim at another one of Anaheim’s impressive hurlers
tonight, as they go up against AL All-Star Game starter Jered Weaver, who is
coming off a horrific outing his last time out. Weaver absorbed the loss on
Saturday in Toronto, surrendering eight runs and eight hits in just 4 2/3
innings to fall to 14-6 on the year, while raising his ERA to 2.13.

“The command wasn’t there, everything was kind of flat, nothing was really
sharp,” Weaver said. “Usually I have a pitch I can go to to get me out of
situations and I really didn’t have that today. It’s going to happen two or
three times a year.”

Weaver tossed seven scoreless innings to beat the Rangers the last time he
faced them and is 9-5 lifetime against them with a 3.23 ERA in 23 starts.

Texas, meanwhile, will rely on the right arm of Colby Lewis, who is 11-8 with
a 4.01 ERA. Lewis beat Oakland on Saturday, holding the Athletics to a run and
three hits over 6 1/3 innings. He also struck out eight without walking a
batter.

Lewis lost to the Angels back in April and is 3-3 with a 4.94 ERA in 10 games
(eight starts) against them.

The Rangers have won seven of their 12 meetings with the Angels this season.

The Sports Network

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Strong pitching has been a key to the Texas Rangers having the best record
in the majors since the All-Star break. Timely hitting in their last game helped
extend that surge.

With Alexi Ogando(notes) looking to add to his winning streak, Texas will try to
finish its first three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays in more than four
years Sunday night.

Michael Young’s(notes) walk-off single after three straight bunts in the bottom of
the ninth Saturday capped a two-run rally and lifted Texas to a 5-4 win. Elvis
Andrus’(notes) one-out suicide squeeze scored Mike Napoli(notes) with the tying run.

“We practice (bunting) a lot. It shows our versatility,” Rangers first
baseman Mitch Moreland(notes) said. “We can swing our way out of it, or small ball, we
can do that, too. It gives you confidence as a team to know that whatever
situation you’re put into as a team, you’ll be able to prevail.”

The win came hours after Texas (58-43) placed All-Star Adrian Beltre(notes) on the
15-day disabled list with a hamstring injury. Young and Chris Davis(notes) are expected
to split time at third base in place of Beltre, the team leader with 76 RBIs.

Though Matt Harrison(notes) gave up four runs in 6 2-3 innings, Texas is second in
the majors with a 1.94 ERA in the second half, trailing only the Chicago White
Sox (1.87). The Rangers also are tied with Oakland for the second in the big
leagues with a .297 average while posting a 7-2 record since the break.

Now looking to cap their first sweep of Toronto since May 4-6, 2007, Texas
turns to Ogando (10-3, 2.72 ERA) as he tries to win his fourth straight start.

The right-hander, who dropped three straight games to close out June,
allowed four hits in eight innings of a 7-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels on
Tuesday.

“He was Alexi. I didn’t really expect anything different. I expected him to
pitch his game and keep us in the ballgame. He certainly did that,” Rangers
manager Ron Washington said of Ogando, who’s surrendered five runs and 13 hits
in his last 21 2-3 innings.

Ogando, tied with Colby Lewis(notes) and C.J. Wilson(notes) for the team lead in wins,
didn’t factor in the Rangers’ 5-2 loss to Toronto on April 28 after yielding two
runs and four hits with seven strikeouts in six innings.

Brett Cecil(notes) (2-4, 5.59), who goes for the Blue Jays in the finale, has made
just two career starts against Texas, but they’ve been wild ones.

On Aug. 31, 2009, the left-hander gave up seven runs in five innings, yet
picked up the win in the Blue Jays’ 18-10 road victory. He then was lit up for
eight runs in two innings against the Rangers on May 14, 2010, in Toronto.
However, Cecil didn’t get a decision as the Blue Jays rallied for a 16-10 win.

Cecil’s career ERA against Texas is 19.29.

He’s lasted at least six innings in four starts since being recalled from
the minors late last month. Cecil gave up five runs and nine hits over seven
innings in Tuesday’s 6-5, 14-inning win over Seattle.

J.P. Arencibia(notes) has three hits – all solo homers – in six at-bats during the
series for Toronto (50-51). Arencibia is tied for third in the majors among
rookies with 15 homers.

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By Kevin McCauley

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Jul 18, 2011 – Two weeks ago, the race in the American League West was extremely tight and one of the best in baseball. The Seattle Mariners were a .500 baseball team, easily within striking distance of the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels. Now, they’re an incredible 11.5 games back of first place, thanks to a nine game losing streak and an 11 game winning streak by the Rangers, who now sit high atop the AL West after capping off a four-game sweep of the Mariners with a 3-1 win on Sunday night.

Mariners starter Blake Beavan gave up just six hits in six-plus strong innings, but Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland’s three-run home run in the second inning would be all of the offense that the Rangers needed. Rangers starter Matt Harrison put together a very strong outing, allowing five hits and one earned run while walking just one batter in a good outing of seven-plus innings.

The Rangers begin a three-game road series against their division rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, on Tuesday. The Angels currently trail the Rangers in the division by four games.

Read More: Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners

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