The Texas Rangers once again had a season to remember in 2011 as they made it to their second World Series appearance in two years and came within a strike of winning it all. It was a special season, but definitely left many fans with a bad taste in their mouth. The bad taste is understandable, but at the same time there was plenty to enjoy from 2011. Now we sit on the first day of 2012 and for the Rangers it is officially “next year.” The moment game 7 ended the focus was on 2012 for the Rangers, but now it is officially here.

The year of 2011 gave fans plenty of good times. There was the season opening six game winning streak to open the season, the 12 game streak in the month of July and month of September when they went 19-7 to close out the Angels and cruise into the postseason. There was the breath of fresh air that Adrian Beltre brought to the hot corner, the brilliance of Ian Kinsler, the dependability of Michael Young and the rise of Mike Napoli. Then the postseason brought the three homerun game for Beltre, the walkoff grand slam for Nelson Cruz and the maturing of Derek Holland.

The year of 2011 was truly a magical season and the only downside was it finished with many people spending the holiday season still talking about Nelson Cruz not coming up with that ball off of the bat of David Freese and Neftali Feliz being so rattled that he couldn’t come back out for the tenth inning. The clutch homerun from Josh Hamilton and brilliant defensive work of Elvis Andrus were long forgotten and many fans spent the months of November and December in a state of sports depression. It is sad, but the words “game 6″ still cause many to feel like they are still stuck in a nightmare.

The good news is that those days can finally be forgotten as 2012 is officially here and we are a month and a half away from spring training. The offseason is not over, but we know that the Rangers should have a “true ace” on the staff and we know that they will now have a veteran closer. We are just a few weeks away from seeing if Neftali Feliz can be as brilliant as a starter as he was during the spring training of 2011 and if Derek Holland and Matt Harrison can once again raise their game to another level. We can look forward to seeing what Napoli has for an encore and what Cruz and Hamilton can do at the plate if they can stay healthy.

This should also be the year of new rivalries. While there has been a rivalry brewing the Angels over previous years, it should finally be there in full force for 2012 with the Angels pulling C.J. Wilson away and also adding Albert Pujols. Napoli sure did his part to get things started last season, but this year it should be even more intense. This will also be the first year for Robin Ventura to be the manager of the White Sox and how that will make the ballpark a little more exciting does not take any explaining for Rangers’ fans. Let’s just say that opening weekend should be a lot of fun.

For baseball fans the months of November and December can be the hardest to get through during a regular year, much less trying to get through them after the way 2011 ended for the Rangers. However, January always brings a bit of fresh air. Spring training seems close enough to touch and the roster comes fully into shape. The New Year is here and once again it should be a special one for Rangers’ fans.

John Bowman is a lifelong baseball and Texas Rangers fan that loves to ponder the deeper aspects of the game. Some of his first baseball memories involve Arlington Stadium nachos, Charlie Hough’s knuckeball, dirt on Pete Incaviglia’s uniform and the voices of Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel as he fell asleep. Follow him on Twitter @TexasWinColumn

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Many fans remember that the Texas Rangers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series despite being only one strike away from winning. After losing the World Series in 2010, I took it well because it was the Rangers first time to play in the Fall Classic. However, after losing the St. Louis, there was a feeling of disappointment. This was a series they could have, and should have, won. And they lost.

Michael Young
Wikimedia Commons

However, it would be wrong to forget about what the Rangers accomplished in 2011.

Mike Napoli

When the season started, everyone wanted to see where Carl Crawford would end up. Crawford was the number one man on everyone’s free agent list and even Texas wanted them. Crawford finished with a .254 average, the lowest of his career. Over the last six seasons, Crawford eclipsed .300 in five of them but fell apart in Boston. In the last five years, Mike Napoli never broke .300. In his first year in Texas, traded from Toronto after leaving the Angels, Napoli finished 2011 with a .319 average for the year. He also hit 30 home runs and 75 RBIs, also career highs.

Pitcher’s Rotation

The Texas Rangers lost their ace pitcher Cliff Lee at the end of 2010 and I wondered what they were going to do to fix that in 2011. Texas didn’t need to do much since Lee was nothing more than a late season addition when they were hunting for the pennant. They came into 2011 with the same ace they started with in 2010, C.J. Wilson. With Colby Lewis, Matt Hamilton, Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando, the Rangers starting rotation finished the season with a 74-40 record and a 3.65 ERA. All the starters won at least 13 games each, with Wilson and Holland leading the way with 16 each.

Michael Young

The most impressive stories in Texas in 2011 involved Michael Young. When the season started, Young asked for a trade because the Rangers signed Adrian Beltre to replace him at third and then brought in Napoli to share the DH position with Young. The Rangers refused to trade him and he responded by hitting a career-high .338. He also knocked in 11 home runs and 106 RBIs. Young ignored the controversy and just played hard, proving to be the heart and soul of the Rangers.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: texasrangers.com

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That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

The Texas Rangers returned to the World Series for the second year in a row, a very tough task to replicate in the competitive MLB. It is also a hard thing to do thanks to the world of baseball injuries. Texas was not without injuries but withstood them to make it to the World Series regardless. Here is a look at the Top 5 injuries for the Texas Rangers in 2011.

1. Josh Hamilton (Sport’s Hernia)

Josh Hamilton’s injury was the worst on the team, happening at the end of the season and affecting his postseason play. For the second year in a row, he came into the postseason injured, this time with an undiagnosed sport’s hernia. He didn’t miss playing but he wasn’t able to hit with power and precision he was used to. Hamilton said it hurt to pivot so he was not the weapon Texas was used to in the World Series.

2. Nelson Cruz (Strained Hamstring)

Nelson Cruz also broke down at the end of the year. He missed almost the entire final month of the season with a strained hamstring. Cruz had been dealing with leg problems all season and this was just the culmination of the buildup. However, he bounced back and tied the postseason all-time record for home runs, so hopefully the injury bug is behind him.

3. Neftali Feliz (Right Shoulder Inflammation)

Closer Neftali Feliz blamed this trip to the IR on the fact that Texas had him play as a starter in spring and he lamented the decision. He missed some time and then returned struggling and almost lost his closer’s job. That is worrisome because he is the new fifth starter in the rotation in 2012 and he can’t let this breakdown happen again.

4. Josh Hamilton (Shoulder Fracture)

In one of the dumbest plays of the season, Texas was leading big and Josh Hamilton tried to steal home. The play call was bad but what was worse was Hamilton sliding into home plate, into a collision, and onto the IR for over a month. It was a dumb move on his part and could have killed the Rangers early in the season.

5. Nelson Cruz (Strained Quad)

What made Hamilton’s injury worse was that Nelson Cruz joined him on the IR and the Rangers’ outfield was depleted of stars at the same time. Cruz’s injury was a bad one and caused him to miss significant time throughout the season. As soon as he was over one leg injury, another part of the leg would go out. It was a never ending cycle.

Source: MLB.COM

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The MLB offseason continues to truck along, one of the few in major sports that allows for little downtime. As the business continues to run, here is a look at what the Texas Rangers are up to right now.

Texas is still looking for someone who can be a solid infielder to provide relief for starters throughout the season. While Mike Olt is in the minors and tore it up in winter ball, he will move to Double-A this season and has some time before he is ready to be called up.

As a result, Texas invited Alberto Gonzalez to Spring Training by signing the infielder to a Minor League Contract. He is a 27-year old right hander who played for the San Diego Padres last season. He scored 18 runs and knocked in 32 RBIs while batting .215 over 102 games.

Gonzalez also played for the Yankees and Diamondbacks over his career. His career average is .242.

The next order of business was to extend offers to arbitration-eligible players by Dec. 12. The Rangers extended offers to seven of their players but non-tendered right handed relief pitcher, Fabio Castillo. This means that Castillo is now a free agent after six years in the Rangers’ farm system.

He pitched in Double-A in 2011 and finished the season with a 6.46 ERA and a 3-6 record. He also had nine saves over his 42 appearances.

The players that Texas did make offers to include Mike Napoli, Elvis Andrus, David Murphy, Nelson Cruz, Matt Harrison, Mark Lowe and Mike Adams. Texas now has until Jan. 18 to make a deal with the players or they go before an arbitrator in February.

Finally, Texas announced they will honor two players for their outstanding contributions. Craig Gentry is the Rangers’ Rookie of the Year after batting .271 with 18 stolen bases. David Murphy will receive the Harold McKinney Good Guy Award. Both will be rewarded on Jan. 12 in Arlington.

Spring Training starts on February 22 in Suprize, Arizona. The Cactus League kicks off on March 4.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: MLB.COM

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The Texas Rangers are prepared to make some deals during the winter meetings this week but have not done anything yet. The players on the Rangers’ list include C.J. Wilson(notes), Mark Buehrle(notes), Roy Oswalt(notes), Darren Oliver(notes) and Boston Red Sox utility infielder Jed Lowrie(notes).

Starting with Lowrie, he would fill in a nice need for Texas, to give them some more versatility in the infield and allow them to give some of their more valuable assets more rest throughout the season. He finished the 2011 season with a .252 batting average, with six homers and 36 RBIs in 88 games.

The 27-year old has extensive experience at third and shortstop but is injury prone. He has been on the DL four times over the past three seasons, for reasons varying from wrist problems to mononucleosis to shoulder issues that limited him in 2011. As a utility player and a fill-in for Adrian Beltre(notes) and Elvis Andrus(notes), those injury problems could be a thing of the past.

The concerns of who the Red Sox would want in return are important. Mike Olt is the main infielder in the Rangers’ minor league system, and with his explosive winter ball this season, trading him only to bring in someone like Lowrie would be counterproductive. I’d rather have Olt come up and work as a utility player than trade some prized recruits for a question mark.

Darren Oliver is a name that many fans might not be excited to see on this list. Oliver is 42 and has been with Texas for the last two World Series runs. However, his 2.29 ERA in 2011 was the second lowest for left handed relievers for the season. Yes, he is getting older but he is still playing at a productive level.

I have already given my thoughts on the entire Wilson or Buehrle questions but would take either of those players over Roy Oswalt at this point in his career. I’d keep what we have now over signing Oswalt.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: MLB.COM

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It is not very often that surgery for a player can be a good sign, but for the Texas Rangers and Mitch Moreland(notes) that might be the case. Moreland had surgery to remove a bone from his right wrist on Wednesday, with a recovery time that could have him ready for spring training.

Moreland started 2011 out on fire, hitting .287 with 11 homeruns through the month of June. After June, things started to go downhill and he finished the season with a .259 average, 16 homeruns and 51 RBI’s. The low point of his season came in September when he hit .167 and only drove in four runs. His struggles continued into the postseason where he saw limited activity. Moreland was mainly used against right-handed pitchers in 2011 and that was even more so the case during the postseason.

As the 2011 season transpired it seemed that American League pitchers had caught up to Moreland and that was the reason for his decline. While that most likely was part of the problem, it was announced after the season that he had struggled with wrist pain during the second half of the season. His surgery shows that the pain was fairly severe and was partly to blame for his struggles. Due to his wrist issues, the Rangers will not fully know how consistent of a player he can be until much of 2012 is played.

His poor second half had led many people to think that the Rangers might try to sign Prince Fielder(notes) or Albert Pujols(notes) this offseason, with the most likely option being Fielder. The Rangers have continually expressed a commitment to Moreland and hopefully he can rebound after his surgery. Moreland showed great promise at the end of 2010 and the first half of 2011. He adds a great deal of power to the bottom of an already potent lineup and if he can start to show success against left-handed pitchers, could be a fixture at first base for a long time. He is solid defensively and the best option for the Rangers would be for him to be able to play first base regularly which would allow Michael Young(notes) to DH more consistently than in 2011.

There is still a chance that the Rangers could make a move for Fielder, but it still seems to be unlikely. The Rangers have constantly expressed an interest in bullpen help and that does not seem to be changing. However with Jon Daniels, you never really know what is going to happen.

John Bowman is a lifelong baseball and Texas Rangers fan that loves to ponder the deeper aspects of the game. Some of his first baseball memories involve Arlington Stadium nachos, Charlie Hough’s knuckeball, dirt on Pete Incaviglia’s uniform and the voices of Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel as he fell asleep. Follow him on Twitter @TexasWinColumn.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right wrist.

Moreland underwent surgery in Cleveland on Wednesday, when a small pea-shaped bone was removed from the base of his wrist.

The Rangers say the estimated recovery time is expected to be eight to 12 weeks. He will be in a soft splint and begin rehabilitation in the next few days.

Moreland was bothered by soreness in the wrist over the second half of the season for the two-time defending AL champions. He hit .259 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI in 134 games.

As a rookie in 2010, Moreland hit .462 (6 of 13) with a home run in the World Series.

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)—Joe Nathan(notes) and the Texas Rangers have agreed to a
two-year contract with a club option for 2014, a move that means closer Neftali
Feliz(notes) will shift to the starting rotation.

The two-time defending AL champions announced the moves on Monday.

Nathan, who turns 37 on Tuesday, missed the 2010 season following Tommy John
surgery on his pitching elbow and struggled to find his form with Minnesota this
year. The four-time All-Star went 2-1 with a 4.84 ERA and 14 saves in 48
appearances, losing his job as closer early in the season before reclaiming it
later.

The Rangers say they have informed Feliz that he will switch from the
bullpen to the rotation, a move that would help offset the loss of free-agent
starter C.J. Wilson(notes) if he signs elsewhere.

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There is a lot of talk about how the Texas Rangers deal with their first base position in the free agency period but another position that might need shoring up is in center field.

Josh Hamilton(notes) played center field at the end of the season but the Rangers want him back in left. The other choices at the position include Julion Borbon, Craig Gentry(notes), Endy Chavez(notes) and Leonys Martin(notes). The star of this group appears to be Martin, who Texas signed to a five-year contract as a Cuban defector last year.

Borbon looked like he was the man when the season started and he looked good in the stolen base department but was demoted after Chavez heated up and Borbon finished his season with ankle surgery. Chavez came in and played decent, hitting .271 over 66 starts but only finished the year with 13 RBIs and 26 runs scored. Chavez went hit-less in the postseason.

Gentry spent much of the season as a bench player, starting 38 games over the season while hitting .271. He also started four games in the postseason and hit .333.

Leonys Martin however looks to be the future for the Rangers at the center field position. Martin was called up for a short period at the end of the season where he played in eight games, starting one, and finished with a .375 average, including one double and two runs scored.

In the minors in 2011, his first year with the Rangers organization, he moved through the ranks quickly. Martin hit .348 with nine doubles, two triples and four home runs in 29 Double-A games. He followed that up by hitting .263 over 40 games in Triple-A. It is obvious he has some work to do on his pitch selection but his nice hitting during his short call up to the majors is encouraging.

Now, Martin gets a chance to come into Spring Training and fight for that open center field spot in the Rangers lineup. With the bar set in 2011, he should have as good a chance to win it as anyone.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and dreams of the year they finally win the big one.

Source: Texas Rangers website

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Thanks for reading! .

Charlie Furbush takes on the Rangers today in the final road game of the season for the Mariners, who close out the 2011 campaign after today with three home games against the Oakland Athletics.

Tough to know which Furbush we’ll see today. He’s at his best when attacking the zone aggressively with his fastball to set up his breaking stuff. But the Rangers, as we know, can hit fastballs that are not perfectly located.

So, a real challenge for Furbush today. He did well against the division’s other contending team in Anaheim a few weeks back. But today, he’s facing the division’s best.

What are your opinions.

ARLINGTON, Tex. — Give the Texas Rangers credit for creativity when it comes to celebrations.

Last year the Texas Rangers made ginger ale the way to do things when they won in the playoffs.

Friday night it was the home-run trot.

Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus put an emphatic stamp on the team’s second consecutive AL West championship when he circled the bases following Oakland’s David DeJesus hitting an insurance home run in the A’s 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

That Oakland victory, which followed the Rangers’ 5-3 victory over Seattle earlier, started the kind of celebration fans in Arlington are getting used to.

First the Rangers celebrated with ginger ale and their fans on the field. Thousands of fans stayed to watch the Angels lose and see their team celebrate at Rangers Ballpark. Then it was onto the clubhouse where beer, champagne, ketchup, mustard and baby powder were flowing freely in the clubhouse following the clincher.

So was a sense that the Rangers are once again on the verge of something special.

“The best feeling in the world is this right here when you get to celebrate in the clubhouse,” Michael Young said. “You get to celebrate with your teammates after so much hard work. We get an opportunity now to go the postseason and hopefully win a championship.”

The Rangers are a dangerous team right now.

Less than two weeks ago their lead was a game-and-a-half over the Angels with the season-ending series in Anaheim looming large. But like a team that’s been through this saga before is supposed to do, the Rangers responded by winning four consecutive games and eight of nine to take charge of the division.   

Friday’s victory gave them nine victories in the last 11 games and continued a trend of peaking at the right time.

The victory also proved what Texas manager Ron Washington had already known about his club — it is the best team in the West.

“These guys are some of the greatest guys in the game of baseball,” Washington said. “They set a tone for what they wanted to do in February and I’ll be damned if they didn’t reach it. Now we’ve got an opportunity to get back to the playoffs and possibly get back to the World Series.”

Washington said this regular season was different because the Rangers were targeted team in the West all season long. And while they were pushed by the Angels, the Rangers didn’t wilt and won the franchise’s fifth division title.

There is no secret about how the Rangers won the West. They are a complete team, as they showed Friday.

The Rangers hit three more homers and have hit 37 home runs in September. Texas, which is tied with Detroit for the second-best record in the AL, leads the majors in batting average in the month and trails only Detroit in runs scored.

The Rangers won the division with pitching, as Matt Harrison’s 14th victory on Friday pushed the rotation win total to 72, which trails only Philadelphia in the majors.

“This has been the same club since the day Wash took over five years ago,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “The talent’s different, but the message has gotten through. His clubs never panic whether the lead is seven, eight or back down to one. These guys always knew they had a job to do the next day. I know it sounds cliché, but that’s really how he goes about it, how they go about it. They take on his personality and now they’re reaping the benefits of it.”

Texas pushed all the right buttons this season, signing Adrian Beltre and trading for Mike Napoli. Texas also made deadline moves for pitchers Mike Adams and Koji Uehara, each of whom pitched in Friday’s victory.

Beltre also hit a two-run homer Friday, and was able to celebrate with his teammates knowing his made the right move in signing with the Rangers in the offseason.

“I knew we had a good defense, good offense and good pitching,” Beltre said. “I knew this was the best chance for me to get a ring.”

It certainly was the right place to come and celebrate.

If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it.

ARLINGTON, Tex. — Give the Texas Rangers credit for creativity when it comes to celebrations.

Last year the Texas Rangers made ginger ale the way to do things when they won in the playoffs.

Friday night it was the home-run trot.

Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus put an emphatic stamp on the team’s second consecutive AL West championship when he circled the bases following Oakland’s David DeJesus hitting an insurance home run in the A’s 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

That Oakland victory, which followed the Rangers’ 5-3 victory over Seattle earlier, started the kind of celebration fans in Arlington are getting used to.

First the Rangers celebrated with ginger ale and their fans on the field. Thousands of fans stayed to watch the Angels lose and see their team celebrate at Rangers Ballpark. Then it was onto the clubhouse where beer, champagne, ketchup, mustard and baby powder were flowing freely in the clubhouse following the clincher.

So was a sense that the Rangers are once again on the verge of something special.

“The best feeling in the world is this right here when you get to celebrate in the clubhouse,” Michael Young said. “You get to celebrate with your teammates after so much hard work. We get an opportunity now to go the postseason and hopefully win a championship.”

The Rangers are a dangerous team right now.

Less than two weeks ago their lead was a game-and-a-half over the Angels with the season-ending series in Anaheim looming large. But like a team that’s been through this saga before is supposed to do, the Rangers responded by winning four consecutive games and eight of nine to take charge of the division.   

Friday’s victory gave them nine victories in the last 11 games and continued a trend of peaking at the right time.

The victory also proved what Texas manager Ron Washington had already known about his club — it is the best team in the West.

“These guys are some of the greatest guys in the game of baseball,” Washington said. “They set a tone for what they wanted to do in February and I’ll be damned if they didn’t reach it. Now we’ve got an opportunity to get back to the playoffs and possibly get back to the World Series.”

Washington said this regular season was different because the Rangers were targeted team in the West all season long. And while they were pushed by the Angels, the Rangers didn’t wilt and won the franchise’s fifth division title.

There is no secret about how the Rangers won the West. They are a complete team, as they showed Friday.

The Rangers hit three more homers and have hit 37 home runs in September. Texas, which is tied with Detroit for the second-best record in the AL, leads the majors in batting average in the month and trails only Detroit in runs scored.

The Rangers won the division with pitching, as Matt Harrison’s 14th victory on Friday pushed the rotation win total to 72, which trails only Philadelphia in the majors.

“This has been the same club since the day Wash took over five years ago,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “The talent’s different, but the message has gotten through. His clubs never panic whether the lead is seven, eight or back down to one. These guys always knew they had a job to do the next day. I know it sounds cliché, but that’s really how he goes about it, how they go about it. They take on his personality and now they’re reaping the benefits of it.”

Texas pushed all the right buttons this season, signing Adrian Beltre and trading for Mike Napoli. Texas also made deadline moves for pitchers Mike Adams and Koji Uehara, each of whom pitched in Friday’s victory.

Beltre also hit a two-run homer Friday, and was able to celebrate with his teammates knowing his made the right move in signing with the Rangers in the offseason.

“I knew we had a good defense, good offense and good pitching,” Beltre said. “I knew this was the best chance for me to get a ring.”

It certainly was the right place to come and celebrate.

Gotta run!.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Brandon McCarthy does not enjoy losing and it’s even more frustrating when its to the Texas Rangers.

“It’s starting to get a little old,” McCarthy said of Oakland’s 13th loss in 18 games to the Rangers this season, a 3-2 setback Wednesday night. “It’s not fun what’s going on with them continually beating us all year.”

Ian Kinsler hit a tying home run leading off the eighth and Josh Hamilton followed with another homer two batters later, to give Texas the come-from-behind victory and reduce the Rangers magic number to clinch the AL West to three.

McCarthy did not figure into the decision. He left with a 2-1 lead after seven superb innings.

“I got away with a couple of things,” McCarthy said. “I was lucky they hit a couple of balls right at guys. Overall, I thought I worked a good pace and threw strikes.”

Kinsler hit his 30th home run of the season on a full-count pitch leading off the eighth against A’s reliever Grant Balfour (4-2).

“I didn’t walk to walk him,” Balfour said. “It was fastball that was up and over the plate, definitely a mistakes pitch.”

Balfour retired Elvis Andrus on flyball before Hamilton connected for his 24th home run to right field. The ball landed halfway up the stairs at the Oakland Coliseum then bounced the rest of the way up.

“I thought that was a good pitch,” Balfour said. “I got it in there and he hit it out, a good piece of hitting. It was a decent pitch but not good enough evidently. I wasn’t expecting to do that.”

Jemile Weeks had two hits for the A’s, who announced the signing of manager Bob Melvin to a three-year contract before the game. Oakland has lost three straight to fall a season-low 17 games under .500 for the first time since Sept. 4, 2009.

One of Melvin’s priorities next season will be trying to get the A’s to shake out of their funk against the first-place Rangers.

Texas has won 12 of the last 13 games against Oakland and is 13-5 against the A’s this season. The 13 wins matches the club’s season record for most victories against one team.

“It was a rough night but how many have we had this year,” Balfour asked. “75? 80? It’s been a frustrating year no doubt but they are a good team and they’ve played well.”

At least this time it was close.

The A’s managed to get the tying run on base in the ninth when Feliz walked Josh Willingham, but he retired the next three batters to end it.

Oakland, held hitless through the first three innings, tied it when Cliff Pennington doubled off starter C.J. Wilson in the fifth and scored on Brandon Allen’s two-out RBI single. Allen’s hit ended an 11-for-79 rut for the A’s first baseman.

After Michael Taylor walked, Weeks hit a sharp grounder just under the glove of diving Rangers third baseman Beltre to drive in Allen and put Oakland in front 2-1.

The Rangers struggled to get much else going against McCarthy, stranding a runner at second in the fifth and at third in the sixth. Texas also put the two runners on with one out in the seventh before breaking through against Balfour in the next inning.

Neither starter factored in the decision in this one.

Wilson allowed five hits over six innings and became the first Texas left-hander to have 200 or more strikeouts in a single season. He fanned eight, walked three and has given up two earned runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts.

McCarthy, Oakland’s best pitcher over the last month, scattered six hits. He pitched out of jams with runners in scoring position three consecutive innings before Balfour relieved him and allowed two home runs to the first three batters he faced.

Andrus went hitless in four at-bats, ending his modest 13-game hitting streak.

NOTES: Oakland is 4-5 on its final homestand with Thursday’s series-finale against Texas remaining. The A’s fell to 18-25 in one-run games this season. … The last Rangers pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts in one season was Nolan Ryan, who had 203 in 1991. … Rangers INF Esteban German, who returned to the Dominican Republic following the passing of his mother, is expected to rejoin the Rangers this weekend. … A’s RHP Trevor Cahill (11-14), who has the second-highest ERA in the majors since the All-Star break, pitches for Oakland on Thursday and will go for his fourth win against Texas this year. … RHP Colby Lewis (13-10), who spent 2007 with the A’s, chases his third straight win for the Rangers.

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