Stuck on 20 with A's winning again. Let's hope the bats will come alive with a good dose of Cleveland pitching rather than Rays. Go Rangers! Hook'em!!!
Angels have got to be reaching the point of desperation now. They really need to win the three remaining games of this series for their own fading playoff chances - and that would really help the Rangers. Assuming, of course, that the Rangers take care of business and sweep Cleveland. HHD
This homestand presents a huge opportunity for the Rangers to create some separation with two last place teams coming to town. Against the Indians, they'll face pitchers with losing records and ERAs over 4 (the first two have ERAs over 5.00). Not sure who they will face when Seattle comes through, but it looks like they'll miss Felix. IMHO, they need to go 5-1 or better for it to be a successful one. Of course, the Angels also need to help out a bit by taking at least 2 (preferably 3) from the A's. The A's are really starting to make me nervous.
Well, it wasn't pretty, but the Rangers take game 1 from the Indians 6-4. The offense should've battered the Cleveland starter but didn't. And Texas pitchers were given a couple of 4 run leads but let Cleveland creep back into the game-- man, I do not have much confidence in Adams these days (Adams threw 26 pitches--only 12 for strikes-- as the Tribe scored 2 runs off of him in the 8th to close the gap to 2). Hopefully, the Angels will take care of the A's tonight though it doesn't look very good right now as the A's have come back to take a 4-2 lead in the 4th and are already into the Angels bullpen (yikes!).
It would sure help if the Angels would find a comeback tonight - and win the next two games as well. Meanwhile, the Rangers need to win the next two against Cleveland. Ryan Dempster on the mound tomorrow. HHD
19! Thank goodness for Nathan's steadiness. Saw where Pujols struck out with runners on 1st/3rd and no outs. The next 2 must have done nothing since Angels didn't score. That's okay since R's took of bidness. Hook'em!!!
What Oakland is doing is just unreal. By all rights they should have cooled off by now and the Rangers should be comfortably ahead and all but have wrapped up the west. What they have done since June when they were something like 8 games under .500 is truly incredible.
Rangers take game 2 from the Indians, 5-2. Wash used Nathan again (2nd night in a row). Hope he can get a couple of days rest now. C'mon, Angels. We could use a little help out West tonight.
How big a pick up has Dempster been. Daniels really should be in running for Exec of year. Now will the A's finally cool down in Anaheim?
^^^^ This. Boy, the Angels are really going into the tank and providing absolutely no relief for the Rangers. Trail the A's 3-0 in the 8th. They're done.
TA & assorted guys, fellow zealots. Check out the A's schedule below. I agree, they're on fire (just whipped the halos again) but boy do they have a tough row to hoe. If I was a bettin' man, I'd put my mortgage on the Rangers to win the west The Link
18. Thank you Rangers! But, wow, what a toll this game took. Beltre, Josh, Olt - all injured in one game! Combine that with discovery of Adams with arm problems - explains his recent struggles. Oswalt, oh who cares? Other guys going to have to RISE to the occasion. Will be intersting to seee how this plays out. Wash says the games won't stop...."we expect to win." GO RANGERS! Hook'em!!!
What's really amazing about that Oakland team is that they have the second best record in the entire AL. They're 2 games better than the East-leading Yankees and the Orioles and 5 games better than the Central-leading White Sox. Oakland's not just chasing us for the AL West division title. They're straight up playing for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If you'd suggested that any of these things was possible back in April, then I would have said you were crazy.
The A's have shocked me this season, I mean they are on FIRE and have been for a while. Rangers need to keep their foot on the gas and hope they get a little help from a few other teams playing the A's the next couple of weeks.
^ So far, so good - top of the eighth, Angels up 6-0. Now if the Rangers will take care of business tonight, that will add a game to the lead. HHD
17. Who would have ever thought that on Sept 13 we'd be praising Jared Weaver and North Texas resident Tori Hunter for beating the A's. Go Rangers! Hook'em!!!
I told y'all at the start of the season the we Zealots needed to worry about the As. Nobody would listen.
Hopefully, the Rangers can pull off the sweep tonight. They should be able to do so against this Tribe pitcher. However, Holland's on the mound, so I suspect they'll have to score some runs to do so. Wonder how deep into the game Holland will go before he gives up the long ball. I'm guessing 5 innings.
Nathan 3 games in a row? Vs Cleveland no less.......Wash just doesn't get it when it comes to handling a staff Now e go into tomorrow w/ the (should be) certainty Nathan can't go.....great, just great
Well, unfortunately, I missed it by one inning as Holland gives up a game-tying, 2-run HR in the 6th. The guy is getting way too predictable. Nevertheless, the Rangers get the lead back in the 8th (going up 4-2 but failing to get more runs despite having the bases loaded with 1 out), only to have Wash bring in Nathan for the 3rd straight day. He gives up two home runs, doesn't retire a batter, and the Indians take a 5-4 lead before he leaves. Now, Nathan probably won't be available for tomorrow and possibly the following night. I'm sorry, but that's just dumb. Barring a 9th inning rally, the Rangers will have wasted a golden opportunity to sweep and pick-up a much needed game on the A's. Hope it doesn't come back to bite 'em in the butt.
been sayin all day since the A's finally lost the rangers would blow one as well. like clockwork. also soto grounding into double play in 8th set it up perfectly. he's been atrocious at the plate.
not to mention damn ump giving perez strike calls half a foot outside against murphy after andrus tripled. pretty hard to get a hit thinking the ump will call anything with a guy throwing 95.
^^^ True, but it never should've come to that. I've never liked the way Wash manages the bullpen. He's just somehow managed to dodge many a bullet to date. This isn't the first time this year that Nathan has been asked to pitch this often and bad things tend to happen (as it would with just about every other pitcher who is asked to do so), especially for Nathan who has already received a cortisone injection and acknowledge having a tired arm just a few weeks ago. Inexcusable.
Well that was a kick to the groin loss! Nathan blows his second save of the year and first in four months. Echo what others have said you cant use him three nights in a row like this, he clearly has an arm that needs rest. Problem is who else does Wash go to in that situation and if they blow it we are all on here bitching about not using your closer. At least the A's finally lost so another day ticks off the calendar and the Rangers are a game closer to the west title.
I hear you FWHorn, but we already know what usually happens when closers are called upon three days in a row. With the Rangers sitting on only a 3-game lead and a Seattle team that's been playing pretty well coming to town (a series in which Nathan will undoubtedly be needed), I would've been satisfied if Wash had stuck with Ogando (who had thrown only 8 pitches) or even gone right to Uehara with a 2-run lead. Just can't risk overusing Nathan at this stage of the season. But that's just me.
Nathan blows... a save, but I was worried that would happen after being used 2 previous nights. He probably told Wash he could get it done but his arm had to be tired. At least the A's lost. R's need to bounce back and take this first game vs. Mariners tonight.
Exhibit "A" as to why calling on Nathan last night was a bone-headed move: Bullpen shortage for Seattle. This is precisely what worries me most about Wash's bullpen moves (which is also what drives me crazy most of the time with him). Otherwise, I really like what Wash brings to the table as a manager. I don't know. Maybe I am being too much of a negative Nellie here...
you aren't negative, but 100% correct. You don't use your closer vs a Cleveland 3 days in a row, esp in Sept with the division coming up for 21 games. Wash just doesn't know how to handle pitchers or a Pen. That's obvious by now Robbie Ross w/h come in handy last nite, but he's been overused and on the DL Now we're in the 8th, Koji mowed em down.....hopefully he can get an out and someone other than Nathan gets the other 2 in the 9th
