SEATTLE (AP)—Of all the batters for Felix Hernandez(notes) to make a mistake
against, it had to be Adrian Beltre(notes).

It was bad enough that Beltre’s two-run homer was his 27th of the season and
the deciding blow in the Texas Rangers’ 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on
Sunday.

What makes it worse is all the smack talk Hernandez will have to hear from
his good friend and former teammate.

“(It’s) always, always going to be like that,” Hernandez said of the trash
he talks with his friend. “He got me with his bat today and we’ll get another
one in Texas.”

Hernandez and Beltre became part of the attraction Sunday when Hernandez
missed with a two-strike, two-out fastball in the fourth inning and Beltre lined
a two-run shot into the bullpen in left field. By the time Beltre rounded third,
he was already jabbering with Hernandez as the two friends traded barbs.

“It was nice because he’s always talking smack to me. We talk smack back
and forth and he got my number,” Beltre said. “I told him all I wanted to do
was take him deep and I did it so I was yapping back to him.”

While the Hernandez-Beltre battle became a little side story to Sunday’s
loss, the bigger concern is Seattle’s continuing issues with striking out. Texas
starter Matt Harrison(notes) (13-9) struck out a career-high nine and the Mariners
finished with 14 strikeouts on the day.

Seattle batters have struck out at least nine times in nine of the past 10
games and over those 10 games, Seattle has struck out 120 times.

The Mariners currently have 1,201 strikeouts for the season, setting a new
team record. It’s also the 14th most in American League history and if the
problem doesn’t change over the final 10 games, the Mariners could be climbing
much higher on the all-time list.

“We’re facing playoff teams right now, some tough teams, playing their ‘A’
game every time out. Not to say we’re not, but they have their best guys going
and they are doing everything they can to win so they are going to be tough,”
Seattle’s Mike Carp(notes) said. “It’s good for us—not to struggle but to remember
it going into next year. We’ll face these guys and not let them beat us like
that.”

In his final home start of the season, Hernandez (14-13) wasn’t his
sharpest. The reigning AL Cy Young winner gave up nine hits and struck out five,
but lost his second straight decision.

He also lost for the third time to Texas with one more start against the
Rangers coming next weekend.

“They have a pretty good lineup and you’ve got to respect that. You have to
make good pitches,” Hernandez said. “You don’t get a break in any spot from
first to ninth. They can hit—hit homers—so you have to make good pitches.”

Only once did Seattle advance a runner to third base against Harrison and
that came in the seventh inning. Harrison left with two outs after Ichiro
Suzuki’s(notes) infield hit glanced off Harrison’s glove and Elvis Andrus(notes) couldn’t get
to it in time. Suzuki’s 173rd hit of the season loaded the bases for Luis
Gonzalez, who had doubled off Harrison in his previous at bat.

Instead of risking it, Rangers manager Ron Washington went to Koji Uehara(notes).
The move worked as Uehara struck out Rodriguez to end Seattle’s best scoring
chance.

Carp nearly ended the shutout in the eighth, but Josh Hamilton(notes) robbed him of
a homer with a leaping catch at the wall in left to end the inning. Neftali
Feliz(notes) then picked up his 28th save in 34 chances, pitching the ninth and adding
a couple of more strikeouts to the ledger.

“Going up against that guy you know it’s always tough,” Harrison said of
Hernandez. “You just try and keep the game close and make your pitches and try
and stay in the game as long as possible.”

It was an important victory for Texas, remaining 4 1/2 games ahead of the Los
Angeles Angels in the AL West after the Angels beat Baltimore earlier Sunday.

Notes: Texas is 12-4 vs. Seattle this season with three games left in Texas
next weekend. … Seattle 3B Chone Figgins(notes) will not play again this season with
a hip flexor injury, manager Eric Wedge said. … Seattle will make a detour to
Cleveland for a makeup game on Monday. The game was one of two makeups after the
Indians and Mariners were rained out on May 14 and 15. Seattle then opens a
three-game series in Minnesota on Tuesday. … LHP Charlie Furbush(notes) will start
for Seattle against the Indians. He is just 2-6 in eight starts since coming
over in late July in a trade with Detroit. … Sunday was the first time since
July 31 most of a Mariners game has been played with the Safeco Field roof
closed. It was closed in the top of the first inning on Sunday after closing in
the eighth inning of Saturday’s game.

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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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Credit: AP Photo / Amy Sancetta

Rangers starting pitcher C.J. Wilson throws against the Cleveland Indians in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 5, 2011, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

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SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Rangers’ Brandon Webb doesn’t know if he’ll make it all the way back for the start of the season, but after getting back on the mound for the first time in nearly two weeks Sunday, Webb said he can finally see the finish line.

“It’s reachable,” the 2006 Cy Young Award winner said.

Sunday’s outing was yet another step in his recovery process from a shoulder injury he’s dealt with for two years.

Asked if Sunday’s 10-minute, 26- to 28-pitch session that included some expected wildness was a breakthrough, Webb smiled and said, “I think so. I think it was a good day. It’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

It’s been a frustrating two seasons as Webb has attempted to return from a shoulder injury that required surgery in August 2009. He hasn’t pitched in a big-league game since Opening Day 2009. He tried to come back too quickly last season and was constantly hit with setbacks, which is why Sunday’s session with no pain or glitches was so encouraging for him.

“It was good. Zero issues. Felt really good,” Webb said. “Threw some changeups. Felt fine, didn’t want to stop so that was good.”

His enthusiasm to get back quickly is understandable, but the club is somewhat tempering it by taking a very cautious approach. Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux said if all goes well that Webb will pitch off a mound every other day and sprinkle in more sessions of long toss in between, which is what Webb had been limited to over the last 10 days or so.

Maddux stressed that the team wants Webb to have to make only one return. He suffered multiple setbacks last season trying to come back.

Webb said he liked the movement on his pitches and felt his velocity was good, although a radar gun was not being used. He said location was his only issue and that’s a matter of repetition on the mound.

“I felt like it was pretty good. It’s tough to tell, no radar gun, no hitter in there,” Webb said. “It’s definitely different when those things come into play. Adrenaline comes into play a little bit more. I don’t see it being an issue really. I think it’s going to be there.”

Webb, who said he expects to pitch in a spring training game at some point, threw in front of one person with particular interest, team president Nolan Ryan. Ryan echoed the cautious approach and staying away from a pre-determined return date. Ryan spoke to Webb before his mound session.

“I don’t think you put a timeframe on it because you want to do what’s in the best interest for him and the club and so you monitor it and make a decision at some point in time,” Ryan said. “It also depends on how the other pitchers are doing. Like a conversation I had with him earlier today, as long as you feel like each time out you’re making progress, that’s what you look for and I think that’s the way we should gauge it with him.”

Jeff Caplan covers the Rangers for ESPNDallas.com.

Follow Jeff Caplan on Twitter: @espn_caplan

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