Sunday afternoon was a nice day for Rangers pitchers. Scott Feldman turned out another excellent pitching performance on Sunday when he went 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts and a big goose egg on the scoreboard.
Unfortunately for Scott Feldman, the Rangers offense had similar numbers through 6 to the ones that he allowed. 7th inning, with Jennings in for Feldman, the Rangers finally got on the scoreboard with a sac fly from David Murphy off the nearly unhittable Jered Weaver.
With Jennings, Guardado, and O'Day keeping thing quiet on the pitching side, the Rangers were able to tack on a couple more runs with RBI doubles from Kinsler and Byrd.
SWEEP! The Rangers swept the Angels and moved a full 4½ games ahead of LA.
One disappointing note from the game is that Josh Hamilton injured his groin on a superb, run-saving, wall-climbing grab in Right-Center. He finished the inning, but would come out after that. Not considered too serious, but the Rangers aren't completely sure when he'll be back for good.
Following the sweep, the Rangers had a day off and then it was time to take on the Tigers in Detroit. Site of a lot of Rangers trouble in recent history. That most recent of history was early April when the Rangers were swept out of Comerica.
Tuesday wasn't exactly a great showing either.
After Michael Young hit a two-out first inning double, the Rangers' bats fell silent. They didn't even manage to get a hit for the rest of the game. From the second inning on, Dontrelle Willis, Brandon Lyon, Bobby Seay, Joel Zumaya, and Fernando Rodney combined for a no-hitter. Wasted in all of this was Brandon McCarthy's best effort of the season. 7 innings, 4 runs allowed. That's where the score would end up. 4-3 Detroit.
Looking to bounce back and find some luck in Detroit, the Rangers led by Matt Harrison faced off against Tigers' ace Justin Verlander.
Not much success once more.
Despite a triple play turned by Kinsler and Andrus, and Harrison pitching solidly, the Rangers still trailed 1-0 heading into the 5th. In fact, through 4, Verlander has a perfect game.
After scratching together something that sort of resembled an offensive output, the Rangers tied it up at 1.
That wasn't enough though. One inning later, the Rangers allowed two home runs and 4 runs to fall behind 4 with 3 innings to play. That is not a position the Rangers want to be in when playing at a pitchers park like Comerica and a team they've struggled against like Detroit.
Texas would try their hardest in spite of that.
Heading into the 8th, the Rangers trailed by 3, thanks to a 7th inning homer from Nelson Cruz. Murphy, Young, and Blalock all three reached to start the 8th. Bases loaded, no one out, Byrd, Cruz, and Davis coming up. Perfect setup, eh? Nope.
After Byrd grounded into a fielder's choice (Blalock out at second, Murphy scoring) Cruz and Davis struck out. There is no excuse for scoring just one run when you load the bases with nobody out.
The 9th inning would see similar failures, going 1-2-3 and losing the game 5-3. The second out of that ninth inning was a pinch hit appearance by Josh Hamilton. Popped out to shallow right-center. It's good that he showed up, bad that the Rangers let a couple of opportunities slip away.
The Rangers need to get Francisco and Hamilton back and get over this mental hurdle they have in Detroit.
Additionally, as a random note, I was discussing the possibility of some moves by the Rangers with another user on Twitter the other day. With Justin Smoak coming up fast through the minors and Chris Davis struggling at the plate as much as he is with his boom or bust style hitting, don't you have to consider moving Chris Davis for some pitching?
Texas could really use a dominant bullpen arm. Middle reliever. Or, just a reliable number 3 starter. I'd be willing to part with Davis for such a pitcher. Something to think about.
Millwood is on the hill this afternoon at 12:05 and the Rangers look to avoid the sweep and end their 10 game losing streak in Detroit. Angels loom 3 games back.
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