Texas

Ron Washington echoed the thoughts of everybody in the Texas Rangers’ clubhouse in regards to Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers. “I’m very happy he’s headed to the airport,” Washington said. Washington is happy to see the best hitter in baseball leave town on a night he homered three times – in a loss. The Rangers managed to overcome an impressive night by Cabrera with an 11-8 victory over the Tigers, as they took the four-game series 3-1. Even though they won, Cabrera was the buzz among the Rangers afterwards. Cabrera had a three-run shot in the third inning off Rangers starter Derek Holland; a solo homer in the fifth off Holland; and a solo shot in the eighth off Tanner Scheppers. David Murphy had a pivotal three-run homer in the Rangers’ four-run sixth, but was still impressed by Cabrera’s night. “It was a big game, a fun game on national TV,” Murphy said. “We got to witness the best hitter in the game hit three homers. Just an all-around great game and one to be happy we came out on top of.” Said Adrian Beltre: “We’re facing the best hitter in baseball, so to be able to win three out of four is really good.” Catcher Geovany Soto joked that he had become tired of trying to figure out how to pitch to Cabrera, who finished the series 9-for-16 (.563). “That guy is a great hitter, he covers outside/inside, hard/soft, he’s pretty locked in right now,” Soto said. “You’ve got to tip your hat to him. He’s figured it out for now and he’s unbelievable.” It was a windy night at Rangers Ballpark, but all three of Cabrera’s homers would have been gone in any park. His three homers combined to travel an estimated 1,250 feet. “He got all of them,” Soto said. “He’s really squaring them up and it’s impressive to see.” It was Cabrera’s second career three-homer game, as he did against Oakland on May 28, 2010. Cabrera is also now batting .391 with 13 doubles, six homers and 33 RBIs over 28 games at Rangers Ballpark, which further explains why Washington is happy to see Cabrera leave town. Here are some other postgame notes: * Texas improved to 29-15, the best 44-game start in franchise history, and have won five of its last six. * David Murphy went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and four RBIs, batting in the two-hole for the second straight game. It was his first homer since May 12, and the Rangers’ now have home runs in 12 straight games. Murphy’s take on the at-bat: “I was down 0-2, and in battle mode to do whatever I can to prolong the at-bat. He gave me a pitch there that I could handle and I got just enough of it.” * Robbie Ross earned the win after the marathon game. He worked a scoreless inning of relief, and is now 8-0 in his career. That matches the Yankees’ Clay Rapada for the most wins without a loss in major league history. Does it mean anything to Ross? “Nope,” he said. “Honestly, I think wins start to matter when you’re a starter. If I have a start and get a win, it’s a win. Coming in relief, I’m just trying to help the team win.” * Joe Nathan converted his 13th save of the season, working around a leadoff walk in the ninth. He’s now 13-for-13 this season, matching his best save conversion start to a season in his career (2008). * It marked the longest game for the Rangers this season, as it lasted 3-hours, 46-minutes. … There were five lead changes. … Ten players in the game had multi-hit nights, including David Murphy, Lance Berkman, Adrian Beltre, Mitch Moreland and Geovany Soto from the Rangers. -- Drew Davison

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The best hitter in baseball, Miguel Cabrera, belted three home runs and wowed 39,638 fans and every player, coach and manager in the ballpark Sunday night. David Murphy, trying to hone in his swing in mid-May, produced the home run that mattered, lifting the Rangers to an 11-8 victory over Detroit and their amazing Cabrera. That's what baseball does sometimes. And Murphy, whose three-run home run gave the Rangers an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the sixth -- after the Rangers had lost a one-run advantage in the top of the inning -- provided the game-changing moment the Rangers needed.

Well, the national baseball viewing audience had to have gotten their entertainment dollar's worth. That was a helluva game - and series - between two outstanding teams. Miguel Cabrera was - and is - unreal in hitting three home runs and generally looking like the greatest hitter of all time. But that's what Cabrera does. He makes life miserable, and he was doing so all series long. The Rangers were able to continue to come back again and again tonight, while capitalizing on defensive mistakes made by the Tigers, and took the game along with the series. The Rangers are pretty good. Player of the Game: Robbie Ross for not being Michael Kirkman

ARLINGTON – Neither starter made it through five innings, which made it an interesting battle of the bullpens between the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers on Sunday night. By the end of what turned into a marathon game, the Rangers had persevered with an 11-8 victory over the Tigers. Texas won the four-game series, 3-1. Rangers starter Derek Holland lasted only 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Tigers starter Doug Fister, meanwhile, also made it through only 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits. The Rangers had a 5-4 lead going into the sixth inning, but the Tigers rallied for the lead. With two on and two out, the Rangers intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera, who was 3-for-3 with two homers at that point, to load the bases and set up a lefty-lefty matchup between Prince Fielder and Michael Kirkman. That decision backfired, as Fielder ripped a bases-clearing, three-run double to center to give the Tigers a 7-5 lead. The Rangers, though, answered with four runs in the sixth, highlighted by three-run homer by David Murphy. Texas extended its lead with two more runs in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Murphy and an RBI single by Lance Berkman. In all, the Rangers matched their season high with 18 hits, including four by Adrian Beltre and three by Geovany Soto. Cabrera had an impressive night for the Tigers himself, homering for a third time in the eighth inning.  The Rangers used six relievers with left-hander Robbie Ross getting the win, as he is now 8-0 in his big-league career. Joe Nathan worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth, converting his 13th save. The Tigers went through four relievers, as Jose Ortega took the loss. The game took 3-hours, 46-minutes, the longest game for the Rangers this season. -- Drew Davison

Yu Darvish is flattered by the praise but hardly thinks he is worth it. Texas Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan earlier in the week called Darvish’s slider “the best in the American League and maybe the majors,” and said that Darvish and Justin Verlander, who squared off Thursday, were two of the best pitchers in baseball. Darvish effectively scoffed at the notion. “I think it is very honorable for Mr. Ryan to say that about my slider,” Darvish said through an interpreter. “But I … [visit site to read more]

Texas Rangers right-hander Josh Lindblom will make his 2013 major league debut Monday as a changed man. Or at least with a man with a changed repertoire. Since the Rangers sent him to Round Rock to begin the season and transition from relief work to starting, Lindblom has gone back to throwing a wider variety of pitches. He has expanded on the four-seam fastball and slider that were his staples as a reliever to include a two-seam fastball, which has become his predominant fastball, a … [visit site to read more]

Go Rangers!

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers rallied twice, once from a three-run deficit and again from a two-run deficit to beat the Detroit Tigers 11-8 on Sunday night. In a battle of American League powerhouses, the Rangers won three out of four games in the series and have baseball's best record at 29-15. Murphy comes up clutch: Rangers manager Ron Washington put David Murphy in the No. 2 spot in the lineup to try to get his bat going with Ian Kinsler out and Elvis Andrus moving into the leadoff spot.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Top prospect Jurickson Profar will get most of the playing time at second base for the Texas Rangers while Ian Kinsler is on the 15-day disabled list with bruised ribs. View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Texas Rangers News

Go Rangers!