The entirety of last Thursday’s report read:
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Since 2008, Texas has a 3-10 record in Boston.
And an 0-9 record in Detroit.
Time to see what this Rangers team is made of.
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Answer: Two series wins, and five wins in six games at the moment, the lone loss coming on a night when Cliff Lee gave up two runs on six hits and one walk (remember that it was intentional when his season walk numbers are referenced) in nine innings and was one out away from a victory.
Unbelievable.
But getting closer, each series, to believable.
A few quick things:
1. Tommy Hunter is now 7-0, the first Rangers starting pitcher to begin a season with that record.
a. Only twice in Hunter’s starts did he not win. On June 16, he left in third with a strained hip flexor, having allowed one run (which actually didn’t come across until he’d already exited). In fact, it’s the only one of Hunter’s nine appearances that wasn’t a quality start (though Texas ended up winning the game). And on July 8, he went six-plus innings against Baltimore, leaving a 4-2 lead in the hands of the bullpen (one of Hunter’s runners came across with Alexi Ogando on the mound).
b. Only twice in Hunter’s nine starts has Josh Hamilton not homered: (1) on July 3, a 3-1 Rangers win over the White Sox in which no Texas hitter managed an extra-base hit off John Danks and three Chicago relievers; and (2) on July 15, a 7-2 Rangers win over Boston in which Hamilton doubled three times.
c. Almost as freaky: Since Hunter has joined the active roster, Hamilton has 13 home runs . . . seven coming in Hunter starts.
d. Hunter’s next start: Newberg Report Night, this Sunday.
2. Two interesting AAA role changes in the last week: (1) righthander Tanner Scheppers has moved from the Oklahoma City rotation back to the bullpen and (2) hitter Mitch Moreland has moved from the outfield back to first base.
Said Assistant GM Thad Levine of the Scheppers transition: “With our current pitching depth and our goal for Tanner for innings pitched this year, we feel that he can make the most impact as bullpen depth for the major league team as we try to best position ourselves for playing meaningful games in September and beyond.” Scheppers, who struggled in six RedHawks starts (5.84 ERA, .330 opponents’ average, 19 strikeouts and eight walks in 24.2 innings), gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in two relief innings last night, fanning none. His arrival in Texas isn’t imminent, but it’s clearly in the plans.
Just don’t expect it to be as soon as Newberg Report Night, like last year’s surprise call-up of Neftali Feliz that was announced just as Jon Daniels completed his Q&A with us.
As for Moreland, who played his first 82 games of the season in left or right field, we speculated even before Chris Davis’s return struggles that the trade of Justin Smoak could prompt a Moreland move back to first base. It has. In his five games since the transition, Moerland is hitting .294/.391/.471, right in line with his overall .286/.369/.475 line. (Of course, Davis hit .354/.403/.555 in Oklahoma City this season.) Moreland’s monthly OPS numbers: .668, .824, .880, .989. And since April, he has almost as many walks (38) as strikeouts (39).
Last night’s solid Davis game notwithstanding, I expect another first baseman added to the roster in the next 10 days, but it won’t be Moreland, a fellow left-handed hitter. The Rangers are going to get another right-handed bat in here, and it will be a veteran who can play first (Ty Wigginton, Mike Lowell, Jorge Cantu, Wes Helms, Xavier Nady). If Davis can build off last night’s effort, he won’t necessarily be replaced in the lineup, but he’ll likely give up some meaningful at-bats.
Still, Moreland is on the radar.
3. Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec speculates that the Orioles could accept a middle infielder like Joaquin Arias or Leury Garcia or Luis Sardinas for Wigginton. I doubt the Rangers would make Sardinas available in a deal like that. Texas is also on the hunt for a left-handed reliever, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse.
4. An addition to the auction list for our event on Sunday: A visit to Chuck Morgan’s control room and booth during that night’s game.
5. Justin Smoak (.267/.267/.500) has struck out in nearly half his Seattle at-bats (14 of 30). Maybe more astounding: zero walks.
6. Josh Lueke has made two relief appearances for Seattle’s AA West Tenn club: 3.1 scoreless innings, two hits, no walks, six strikeouts. Thirty of his 36 pitches have gone for strikes. Blake Beavan’s first start for the same club: five runs on six hits and one walk in four innings, three strikeouts. Michael Main has a 7.84 ERA in three AA starts for the Giants, with seven walks and four strikeouts in 10.1 innings.
7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia has thrown out six of 51 would-be AAA base-stealers.
8. Dear Cowboys Fan: Save me a spot. I’m gonna be running late this year.
And feel free to stay a while.
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