2/28 Rangers Recap: Texas 10, Cleveland 0

If you follow the Texas Rangers, then you know that Derek Holland is a little.... off.

But you also know that when Holland is on his game, there are few who can match his stuff on the mound.  We have all seen the best of Derek Holland and unfortunately we have all seen the worst of Derek Holland.

But before leaving Rangers camp to head off to play in the World Baseball Classic, Holland decided to remind all of us Rangers fans just how good he can be.

After a first start last week that was mediocre at best, Holland came out and looked like the dominating ace Rangers fans hope he can be, pitching four innings and allowing just three hits while striking out two Indians.  Not that impressive you say? Well, just so you know, Cleveland had been perhaps the hottest hitting team in Spring Training up until Thursday.

As an entire pitching staff, Texas only allowed five hits to the Indians, with those five only coming from three different players.  Ryan Raburn and Lonnie Chisenhall each had two hits for the Tribe, while Drew Stubbs had the other base hit.

Josh Lindblom took the hill after Holland, followed by Nate Robertson, Coty Woods, Jeff Beliveau and Johan Yan.  Those five pitchers only allowed two hits combined (both by Lindblom) and struck out three hitters while walking just two.  The combination used on Thursday was a great improvement over the performances of the last few days.

Offensively for Texas, Mitch Moreland led the way, going 2-3 at the plate with a two run home run off of Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Jurickson Profar excited the Surprise crowd with a two RBI triple before a throwing error by Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis allowed him to score on the same play.  Nelson Cruz also had two RBI in the game during a 1-4 performance at the plate.

Lance Berkman made his Rangers debut on Thursday, batting in the lead-off spot as the designated hitter.  Berkman went 1-2 with a walk and scored two runs.

Ian Kinsler and David Murphy each had a pair of hits for Texas, including a double for each player.  Jeff Baker continues to make his case to make the Rangers big league club out of Spring Training, as he had three hits in three at-bats and scored three runs.  Baker is now hitting .429 during Spring Training.

Leonys Martin and Mike Olt each had a hit for the Rangers, as did Brandon Snyder, who singled home Cedric Hunter to finish off the Rangers scoring in the 8th inning.

A.J. Pierzynski struggled at the dish, going 0-3.

The most important thing from Thursday was not the win, even though I must say I'm glad we are off the snide in 2013.  The most important thing was finally getting a strong performance from the pitchers from beginning to end.  Even if Texas gives up a lot of runs on Friday, it made me feel better about the pitchers in the bullpen for at least one game.

Next Up: The Rangers will travel to the Spring Training home of the Seattle Mariners on Friday, as Texas will face a divisional foe for the first time this spring.  Randy Wells will make his second spring start after giving up three hits and a run in two innings of work against Kansas City last Saturday.  Seattle will counter with James Paxton, a 24 year old left-hander who pitched a scoreless inning against San Diego last Sunday.  Paxton has a 15-7 record in two minor league seasons with a career minor league ERA of 2.73.

2/28 Grapefruit League Recap

Alright, I can admit that even though I had come to terms with Michael Young wearing a different uniform, it was weird.

I have long been proud to admit that I was in the stands the night that Michael Young debuted for the Texas Rangers.  And I did not know on that night that one day he would be considered Mr. Ranger.

There is no doubt that the strained relationship between Young and Rangers general manager Jon Daniels was the key factor in Young being shipped to Philadelphia this past off-season.  You can say what you want about his production or about the Rangers lineup, but he was still a guy that could be useful to Ron Washington, even if it was for selfish reasons.  Who wouldn't want a guy like Young in their clubhouse?  Young has been a team player from day one.  But to ask the face of your franchise to sit on the bench and cut his at-bats in half would be wrong.  Michael Young still feels like he can be an everyday player, and with him being in the National League instead of another American League team, I hope he can be just that.  It would make me happy to see Young hit .300 for Philadelphia and play Gold Glove caliber defense.

While I can say that I like many players on many different teams in the majors, I can honestly say that I don't necessarily root for many, if any, who do not wear a Rangers uniform.  2013, however, will be different.  I will find myself scanning the box scores and watching highlights to check in on Michael Young.

And I found myself doing just that on Thursday afternoon, stopping whatever I was doing each time Young came to the plate against the Braves.  And just as I had watched Young's debut for the Rangers in person, I was able to see Young's first hit and first RBI with the Phillies on live television.  Here's to many more.

Scores from Thursday:

Philadelphia 10, Atlanta 5
Minnesota 7, Baltimore 1
Boston 16, Pittsburgh 6
Detroit 11, Tampa Bay 2
St. Louis 8, Miami 2
Houston 7, N.Y. Yankees (SS) 6
Toronto 1, N.Y. Yankees (SS) 0
N.Y. Mets 4, Washington 4 (F/10)

Notes from Thursday:
Ben Revere, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard each went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored for the Phillies in their 10-5 win over Atlanta.  Howard also launched a home run in the game.  Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels pitched three innings, allowing just one run on four hits, while registering five strikeouts.  Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel struggled against Atlanta, allowing two hits and two runs (including the Howard bomb) in one inning of work.  Minnesota got two hits each from Joe Mauer, Josh Willingham and Justin Morneau in their win over the Orioles.  Mauer and Willingham each had an RBI, while Morneau drove in three runs.  Boston had no trouble scoring runs on Thursday against Pittsburgh, but the outburst was led by players who are far from household names.  Lyle Overbay, J.C. Linares and Jose Iglesias each drove in two runs in the game.  Jackie Bradley went 3-5 and had a stolen base for the Red Sox, while Brock Holt went 2-4.  John Lackey got the win for Boston, pitching two innings, allowing three hits and three runs while striking out two Pittsburgh hitters.  Felix Pie and Jared Goedert each hit homers for the Pirates in the loss.  Detroit roughed up Tampa Bay starter Matt Moore on Thursday in their 11-2 win.  Austin Jackson had a home run and two RBI for Detroit, while Miguel Cabrera went 2-4 with a double and an RBI.  Moore pitched only 1 1/3 innings in the game, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks.  Evan Longoria went 2-3 for the Rays in the loss.  Giancarlo Stanton was seeing the ball quite well on Thursday, going 3-3 at the plate, as he was left just needing a home run to hit for the cycle.  (Has that ever been done in Spring Training?)  It wasn't enough for Miami though, as they fell to the Cardinals, who got a grand slam from Oscar Taveras, his only hit of the game.  A split squad Yankees team fell to Houston in a wild game that saw the Yankees score five runs in the top of the 6th inning to go up 5-1, only to see Houston answer back with six runs in the bottom of the same inning.  Houston used a Brandon Laird grand slam to take over a lead they would not relinquish.  Rick Ankiel, who is trying to make this Astros team, went 2-2 on Thursday with a home run.  Ankiel is now hitting .571 during Spring Training.  The rest of the Yankees were taking on division rival Toronto, where the two teams played to a scoreless tie until the 7th inning when Andy LaRoche launched a solo shot deep to left field to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead that would end up as the final score.  And finally, the Mets and Nationals played to a 4-4 tie on Thursday.  Travis d'Arnaud went 2-3 in the game for the Mets, while Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg pitched three innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks.  The young strikeout machine was able to punch out six Mets in the game.

2/28 Cactus League Recap

Thursday was quite a day for Oakland left-handed starter Brett Anderson.  Before his first start of the spring, Oakland let it be known that Anderson would be their Opening Day starter in 2013.

Anderson missed most of 2012 after recovering from Tommy John surgery, posting a 4-2 record in six starts for Oakland down the stretch.  Anderson was in the rotation to start the postseason, earning a win in a six inning scoreless performance against Detroit in the American League Divisional Series.

You could argue that Anderson is the leader of the young Oakland pitching staff that has opponents nervous when they are visiting the Bay Area.  Injuries have long been part of the story of Brett Anderson however, as he has only been able to start 38 games in the last three seasons.  However, with a career 3.57 ERA and 311 career strikeouts as opposed to only 99 walks, Anderson could be dangerous if he is able to stay healthy.  For Oakland to remain atop a division that features two championship contenders (Texas and Los Angeles), the Athletics will need Anderson to step up as the ace of the pitching staff.

Later Thursday afternoon, Anderson took the field to make his first start, pitching two scoreless innings against the Cubs, while striking out one batter.  Watch out for Anderson in 2013, a healthy season could equal a 16 win season, if not more.

Scores from Thursday:

L.A. Dodgers 10, L.A. Angels 8
Arizona 6, Cincinnati (SS) 5
Milwaukee 4, Chicago White Sox 3
Kansas City 5, San Diego 4
Chicago Cubs 5, Oakland 3
Seattle 4, San Francisco 3
Colorado 4, Cincinnati (SS) 3

Notes from Thursday:
Clayton Kershaw found his way into the win column on Thursday, despite giving up six hits and three runs in just three innings of work against the Angels.  Kershaw gave up a lot of hits, but in typical feast or famine fashion, Kershaw also struck out seven hitters.  Kershaw now has a 1-1 record and a 7.20 ERA in two starts and five innings pitched.  Ted Lilly also saw action for the Dodgers as he attempts to remain in a talented Dodgers rotation.  Lilly pitched two innings, giving up a solo home run that was the only hit he allowed.  Lilly also struck out one hitter and did not register a walk.  Arizona capitalized on big days from Willie Bloomquist and Gerardo Parra, two guys trying to earn playing time for the Diamondbacks.  Bloomquist went 3-3 at the plate, while Parra was 2-3 with three RBI.  Ian Kennedy gave up a run and two hits in his first start of the spring for Arizona against a split squad Cincinnati team.  None of the Brewers big league starters could get anything going on Thursday, but two younger players, Khristopher Davis and Josh Prince, provided all the offense the team would need.  Both players went 1-3 at the plate with a home run each and two RBI each.  James Shields made his Kansas City debut, pitching a perfect inning against San Diego.  The Padres had to be pleased with starter Jason Marquis, as he pitched two scoreless innings against a Kansas City team that has been raking this spring.  Their closer, however, did not have a great night, as Huston Street gave up five hits and two runs in his one inning of work.  Bartolo Colon made his first appearance for Oakland since his suspension to end his 2012 season prematurely.  He was not very efficient, giving up five hits and three runs in two innings of work, while striking out four.  Scott Feldman, in his Chicago Cubs debut pitched two innings, giving up two hits and a run while issuing two free passes and striking out two Athletics.  Matt Cain's struggles continued for the Giants, as he lost his second consecutive spring start, giving up four hits and three runs in three innings.  Cain did register two strikeouts, but appears to be struggling mightily so far in Spring Training.  And finally, the Aroldis Chapman experiment in Cincinnati got off to a strong start on Thursday.  Chapman did not allow a hit in his two innings of work, and striking out one Colorado hitter.

Spring Training Game 7: Indians (5-2) vs. Rangers (0-5-1)

Zach McAllister (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

vs.

Derek Holland (0-0, 3.00 ERA)

Spring Training Game 7: Indians (5-2) at Rangers (0-5-1), 2:05 pm CT

Texas will host Cleveland on Thursday, with the Indians on a two game losing streak and the Rangers still searching for their first win of Spring Training.  Cleveland started the spring red hot, opening up 5-0 before falling to Kansas City and Seattle the last two days.

Cleveland is led by new manager Terry Francona, who will attempt to turn things around in Northeast Ohio in 2013.  The Tribe did quite a bit this off-season in terms of improving the talent level, signing free agents Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, as well as veterans Jason Giambi and Ryan Raburn.  Daisuke Matsuzaka will get a second chance to get his career back on track, as Francona brought him in as well.  The Indians also traded to get one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, Trevor Bauer.  Bauer's talent has never been in question, however questions about his maturity and decision making have been raised over the last year.

Cleveland will send out Zach McAllister to start the game on Thursday.  McAllister is a 25 year old with 26 career major league starts under his belt, all of them with Cleveland.  McAllister started 22 games last season, posting a 6-8 record and a 4.24 ERA.  In 125.1 innings, he was able to strike out 110 hitters, while allowing just 38 walks.  Texas' power hitters should be salivating, as McAllister gave up 19 homers last season.  I usually only talk about the starters, but Daisuke Matsuzaka and Trevor Bauer, two very interesting pitchers, will also take the hill for the Indians during the game today.

Six days after a rough start against Kansas City, Derek Holland will make his second spring start for Texas.  Holland threw three innings against the Royals last Friday, allowing six hits and one run while striking only one.  Holland will be leaving camp for a little while after this start, heading off to take part in the World Baseball Classic.  There is no doubt Holland will have a spot in the Rangers rotation when the season opens, but Rangers fans, and probably the coaching staff, would feel more at ease with a more focused Holland on the mound.  It will be interesting to see how Holland looks not only today, but this weekend during the World Baseball Classic.

Other Spring Training Action Today:

Grapefruit League:

Atlanta (3-3) at Philadelphia (1-3) - 12:05 pm CT

Baltimore (5-0) at Minnesota (3-2) - 12:05 pm CT

Boston (2-4) at Pittsburgh (2-2) - 12:05 pm CT
Detroit (2-3) at Tampa Bay (5-1) - 12:05 pm CT

Miami (3-1) at St. Louis (3-2) - 12:05 pm CT
N.Y. Yankees (SS) at Houston (3-2) - 12:05 pm CT

Toronto (2-4) at N.Y. Yankees (SS) - 12:05 pm CT

N.Y. Mets (1-3) at Washington (1-3) - 5:05 pm CT

Notes: Stephen Strasburg and Shaun Marcum will face off for the second time this spring on Thursday.  Strasburg pitched two innings against the Mets last Saturday, giving up three hits and two runs.  Marcum also pitched two innings in that game, allowing four hits and three runs.  Anibal Sanchez will start for Detroit on Thursday, making his second start.  Sanchez pitched two scoreless innings against Toronto last Saturday.  Sanchez will be opposed by talented Rays left-hander Matt Moore.  Moore will be making his first spring start of 2013, after going 11-11 with a 3.81 ERA in 2012.  John Lackey will start his second game for the Red Sox when Boston takes on Pittsburgh today.  Lackey has improved his physical conditioning this season in hopes of rebounding from a couple of mediocre seasons in Boston after signing a big free agent deal.  Lackey is just 26-23 with the Red Sox.  Finally, watch out for Cole Hamels on Thursday as he makes his second spring start.  Hamels pitched two perfect innings in his first start.  Hamels will be facing the best offensive lineup in the National League East arguably, as the Upton brothers have added to the wealth of talent in Atlanta.

Cactus League:

L.A. Angels (0-4) at L.A. Dodgers (2-1) - 2:05 pm CT
Arizona (2-3) at Cincinnati (SS) - 2:05 pm CT
Chicago White Sox (3-0) at Milwaukee (1-5) - 2:05 pm CT

Kansas City (5-0) at San Diego (3-4) - 2:05 pm CT
Oakland (2-3) at Chicago Cubs (3-2) - 2:05 pm CT
Seattle (5-1) at San Francisco (1-1) - 2:05 pm CT
Cincinnati (SS) at Colorado (3-2) - 2:10 pm CT

Notes: Thursday features a couple of big names taking the mound for their teams.  Clayton Kershaw will make his second spring start today against the Angels, who are looking for their first win.  Kershaw was touched up for four hits and two runs against the White Sox last Saturday in two innings.  Kansas City will send out their new ace, James Shields when they take on the Padres.  Shields will be making his Spring Training debut, and looks to give Royals fans something to smile about.  Shields has won 31 games the last two seasons while with Tampa Bay.  He has a career ERA of 3.89 in 217 career starts.  San Francisco will get their second look at Matt Cain on Thursday against Seattle.  Cain pitched last Sunday against the Cubs, giving up four hits and four runs in an 11 pitch, one inning start.  Another starting pitcher that people will be following on Thursday is Cincinnati's Aroldis Chapman.  The Reds are trying to convert Chapman into the starting rotation, and all eyes will be on him today.  He will be making his spring debut after pitching in 68 games in 2012.  Scott Feldman will make his first start for anyone other than the Texas Rangers today, as he will start for the Cubs against Oakland.

2/27 Rangers Recap: Chicago White Sox 8, Rangers 4

It's almost like Groundhog Day.  Every day, I sit here and tell you that the Rangers got beaten the day before because of poor pitching and giving up way too many runs in the bullpen.  Every day, I sit here and tell you that it's the first week of Spring Training games, and they will turn it around.  So today, I'll do it again.

Texas gave up 13 hits in their fifth consecutive loss, a 8-4 loss to the White Sox.  Five different pitchers took the hill for the Rangers on Wednesday, two of which will be key contributors in Arlington once the regular season gets started.

Alexi Ogando started the game, pitching two innings and allowing three hits and two runs, both of which were unearned due to an error and a sacrifice fly in the second inning.  Ogando took his first loss of the spring, putting him 0-1, and he now has an 8.10 ERA.  The next guy out of the bullpen after Ogando was Robbie Ross, who last year as a rookie was as good as you could have hoped.  Ross was not terrible on Wednesday, especially considering it was his first action of the spring.  Ross threw three innings, allowing four hits and two runs, including a home run to veteran Paul Konerko.

Colin Balester was next for Texas, pitching one inning and allowing four hits and four runs, including a homer.  Cross his name of the list of guys who we will see in Arlington this April.  Joe Ortiz and Neil Ramirez pitched a perfect inning each to close out the afternoon, with Ortiz striking out three hitters in the 8th inning.

Offensively for the Rangers, there was not a lot to write home about on Wednesday.  Texas totaled eight hits in the game, and only one player (Jeff Baker) had multiple hits.

Leonys Martin, who has been the best player for the Rangers this spring, took an 0-for-3 on Wednesday, striking out once.  Even with that performance, his average is still a whopping .429 for the spring.

Of the other Rangers regulars who saw action on Wednesday, Nelson Cruz started in right field and got one hit in three at-bats with an RBI double in the sixth inning that scored Yangervis Solarte.  That got the scoring started in that sixth inning, as Jeff Baker then doubled home Cruz.  Julio Borbon entered the game as a pinch runner for Baker and then scored on a Brandon Allen double.

The final Rangers run scored in the 8th inning when Julio Borbon plated Jim Adduci on a groundout to second baseman Tyler Saladino.

Leury Garcia, who is making Ron Washington consider him as a utility role with his spring effort, went 0-3 with a strikeout on Wednesday.  Mike Olt and Geovany Soto also went 1-3 at the plate.  Jurickson Profar, who has struggled early on this spring went 0-3.

Next Up: The Rangers will be back at their home complex in Surprise on Thursday, hosting the Cleveland Indians who are 5-2 this spring.  Zach McAllister will take the hill for Cleveland to start things off, making his second start of the spring after throwing two scoreless innings last Sunday against Cincinnati.  Texas will counter with talented lefty Derek Holland.  Holland will also be making his second start of the spring, his final with the Rangers before heads to the World Baseball Classic.  Holland was knocked around in his first start, giving up six hits and a run in three innings against Kansas City last Friday.

2/27 Grapefruit League Recap

Year in and year out, high draft picks are brought up to major league camp during Spring Training to gauge where they are in their progression.  It appears as if the St. Louis Cardinals have a high draft pick that veterans may use to measure where they are in their progression.

Michael Wacha, who is just 21 years old and in his second professional season after a stellar career at Texas A&M, has been perhaps the most dominant pitcher of Spring Training.  Wacha has appeared in two games, pitching five innings and allowing just two hits and a single run.  But most impressive has been his five strikeouts while not walking a single batter.  Now it's just two Spring Training games, and he may not have faced the best talent in the league, but it's impressive nonetheless.

The New York Mets broadcasts made mention during the Cardinals-Mets match-up on Wednesday that with the draft system in place now, high draft picks are more capable of playing in the majors quickly because they are drafted out of college more often.  Ten years ago, teams wanted to draft high school players who were three to four years away from being able to contribute.  But Wacha appears to be able to get to St. Louis sooner rather than later.

During the 2012 season, Wacha appeared in 11 games in Rookie Ball, Advanced Single-A and Double-A, pitching 21 innings and allowing only 8 hits.  He struck out 40 hitters compared to only four walks and he posted an astounding 0.86 ERA.  More than likely Wacha will open the season in Triple-A, or maybe even Double-A, but I'm assuming his name will be heard over the public address system in Busch Stadium during the summer, if not before.

Scores from Wednesday:

Atlanta 5, Detroit 3
Baltimore 10, N.Y. Yankees 7
Houston 10, Toronto 1
Miami 5, Washington 1
Minnesota 12, Philadelphia 5
Tampa Bay 8, Pittsburgh 2
St. Louis 12, N.Y. Mets 4
Baltimore 5, Boston 3

Notes from Wednesday:
The biggest news of Wednesday in baseball was the wrist injury suffered by Boston's Will Middlebrooks.  It appears the injury is not serious, but Red Sox fans and probably the entire organization, will anxiously await to find out the extent of the injury.  Prince Fielder launched his second homer of the spring on Wednesday as part of his 2 RBI day, while Victor Martinez continued his hot spring, going 1-3, moving his average to .375.  The position to play in the Orioles-Yankees game was left field apparently, as the two starting left fielders for the two teams had phenomenal offensive performances.  Steve Pearce got the start for Baltimore and he did not disappoint, going 2-3 with a double and three RBI.  His Yankees counterpart, Brett Gardner also knocked in three runs, going 1-3 with a triple.  Minnesota got a pair of three RBI performances on Wednesday, one from C/DH Ryan Doumit, who went 2-3 with a homer, and the other from Mark Sobolweski, who went 2-2 while knocking in three runs for the Twins.  If you're looking for a fantasy player to steal lots of bases, look no farther than Desmond Jennings in Tampa Bay, who swiped a pair on Wednesday.  St. Louis got monster days from Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina to help trounce the Mets.  Beltran knocked in two runs, while Molina knocked in three.  The Cardinals are trying to work Matt Adams into their Opening Day lineup somehow, as he continues to rake at the plate, hitting .556 this spring.  It appears they are trying to get him some innings at second base to see if he can handle it, but he sure doesn't fit the prototypical build of a second baseman.  The most impressive offensive performance on Wednesday goes to Houston Astros outfielder George Springer, who went 2-3 with a pair of homers and five RBI in the Astros 10-1 win over the Blue Jays.  Jose Reyes went 3-3 for the Jays, and Brett Wallace, who I featured in the recap from yesterday, went 1-2 to raise his spring average to .417.  And finally, props to the Orioles, who went 2-0 today, and not from two split squad games.  The Orioles traveled to take on the Yankees during the afternoon and then hosted the Red Sox at night.

2/27 Cactus League Recap

Even though the box scores each morning are filled with the names of guys who are far from household names, most media outlets, and most baseball fans, usually just check to see how the stars performed.

But don't make that mistake today.  The Cincinnati Reds got big time performances from two of their minor league prospects, including a three RBI, 2-for-3 day from Yorman Rodriguez.  Rodriguez hit a double and launched a home run against Arizona on Wednesday.

But the biggest day was had by Donald Lutz, who went 2-3 with a home run and knocked in five runs for the Reds.  Lutz is a 24 year old first base prospect for Cincinnati, an unfortunate position to be in, behind former MVP Joey Votto.  And with Votto about to head off to play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, Lutz could see enough at-bats to impress other teams around the league.  Lutz hit 20 home runs in 2011, and had 22 long balls in 2012.  In those two seasons Lutz has knocked in 146 runs with a .286 two year batting average.  Lutz also has seen time in the outfield during his minor league seasons, so the Reds, or another team, could stick his bat in the lineup and position him in a corner outfield spot.  Just keep an eye on Donald Lutz, who could have an impact somewhere in 2013.

Scores from Wednesday:

Colorado 6, San Diego (SS) 3
L.A. Dodgers 11, Chicago Cubs 7
Kansas City 3, Milwaukee 2
Oakland 11, San Diego (SS) 6
Seattle 5, Cleveland 1
San Francisco 8, L.A. Angels 8 (F/9)
Cincinnati 14, Arizona 6

Notes from Wednesday:
Jordan Pacheco and Chris Nelson combined for four RBI in the Rockies 6-3 win over San Diego's split squad.  Pacheco and Nelson are both fighting for time in the Rockies lineup at third base.  Pacheco can also play first base.  Jerry Hairston, Jr. is proving to be the most underrated signing by the Dodgers this off-season.  Hairston, who has played for multiple teams and can play multiple positions, went 1-2 on Wednesday with a double and two RBI.  The Kansas City Royals continue to have no trouble at the plate, as they feature three of the hottest hitters of 2013.  Eric Hosmer (.364), Alex Gordon (.571) and Mike Moustakas (.583) are scary good at the plate right now.  Each of the three players had two hits on Wednesday against Milwaukee.  Seth Smith, Jed Lowrie and Jemile Weeks are three of the players on the Athletics roster who are headed for platoon situations when the regular season starts.  All three players tried to make their case for more consistent playing time on Wednesday, with all three getting two hits and knocking in two runs.  Smith and Weeks each homered against the Padres split squad.  The hottest hitter on the planet during Spring Training came back down to earth a little on Wednesday, as Cleveland Indians infielder Ryan Raburn went 0-2 at the plate, dropping his average down to a mere .600.  The Indians also lost for the second consecutive day after getting off to a 4-0 start.  Mike Trout saw his first action of the spring for the Angels, going 1-2 with an RBI.  Sergio Romo came into the game to try and earn his first save of the spring, but was roughed up for three hits and two runs and blew the save opportunity against the Angels.  There have been questions about whether or not Romo can be the closer full-time in San Francisco, and today will even further those doubts.  As mentioned above, Cincinnati routed Arizona on Wednesday, 14-6.  The Reds got huge performances from Donald Lutz (2-3, HR, 5 RBI) and Yorman Rodriguez (2-2, 2B, HR, 3 RBI).  Johnny Cueto started for the Reds, giving up five hits and four runs in his two innings.  Brandon McCarthy saw his first action since being struck in the head by a line drive last September, pitching two innings and giving up three hits and a run while striking out four.

Spring Training Game 6: Rangers (0-4-1) vs. White Sox (2-0-2)

Alexi Ogando (0-0, 20.25 ERA)

vs.

Simon Castro (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Spring Training Game 6: Rangers (0-4-1) at White Sox (2-0-2)

The Rangers will be looking to end their winless streak this spring when they take the field against the White Sox for the second consecutive day.  Chicago blasted the Rangers 14-8 on Tuesday, scoring 11 runs in the third and fourth innings against four Texas relievers.  

Texas will start Alexi Ogando against the White Sox, his first start of the spring but his second appearance.  Last Friday Ogando threw 1.1 innings against Kansas City, allowing three runs on two hits and giving up a long ball, while walking two and striking out none.  Ogando is slated to open the season in the Rangers rotation a year after being moved to the bullpen.  As a starter in 2011, Ogando was 13-8 in 29 starts for Texas with a 3.51 ERA.  Ogando for his career is 19-9 in 30 starts,and has a 3.12 ERA in 133 total appearances.

Chicago will answer with a minor league arm with no major league experience, Simon Castro.  Castro started 21 games in 2012 split between three levels, going 7-5 with a 3.85 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 117 innings.  Castro spent most of the season in Double-A with Birmingham, but did get five starts with Triple-A Charlotte.  Castro has not appeared in a game this spring for Chicago.

Other Spring Training Action Today:

Grapefruit League:

Atlanta (2-3) at Detroit (2-2), 12:05 pm CT
Baltimore (SS) at N.Y. Yankees (1-3), 12:05 pm CT
Houston (2-2) at Toronto (2-3), 12:05 pm CT

Miami (2-1) at Washington (1-2), 12:05 pm CT
Philadelphia (1-2) at Minnesota (2-2), 12:05 pm CT
Tampa Bay (4-1) at Pittsburgh (2-1), 12:05 pm CT
St. Louis (2-2) at N.Y. Mets (1-2), 12:10 pm CT
Boston (2-3) at Baltimore (SS), 6:05 pm CT

Notes: The first game on the schedule features the best pitching match-up of the day, with Tim Hudson of the Braves facing Rick Porcello of the Tigers.  Another interesting match-up of starting pitchers will take place when Pirates Opening Day starter A.J. Burnett will face the 2011 American League Rookie of the Year, Jeremy Hellickson.  Dan Haren will debut for the Nationals against Miami today, as will Lance Lynn for the Cardinals.  One of the brightest pitching prospects in baseball will make his first start for the Mets today, as 22 year old Zack Wheeler will start against the Cardinals.  Wheeler struck out two and walked one in his first appearance of the spring on Saturday against Washington.

Cactus League:

Colorado (2-2) at San Diego (SS), 2:05 pm CT

L.A. Dodgers (1-1) at Chicago Cubs (3-1), 2:05 pm CT
Milwaukee (1-4) at Kansas City (4-0), 2:05 pm CT

San Diego (SS) at Oakland (1-3), 2:05 pm CT
Seattle (4-1) at Cleveland (5-1), 2:05 pm CT

San Francisco (1-1) at L.A. Angels (0-4), 2:05 pm CT

Cincinnati (1-4) at Arizona (2-2), 2:10 pm CT

Notes: Brandon McCarthy will be taking the hill for the Diamondbacks against Cincinnati today, making his first appearance since being struck in the head last September while playing for Oakland.  Cincinnati will counter with one of their nice young arms in Johnny Cueto.   Ryan Vogelsong will take the hill for the Giants against the Angels on Wednesday.  The Angels are still looking for their first win of the spring as well.  The Mariners and Indians will meet, with Cleveland starting Brett Myers, who won his first start of the spring.

2/26 Rangers Recap: Chicago White Sox 14, Texas 8

Another day, another loss for the Texas Rangers in the spring of 2013.  Perhaps the hangover everyone said the Rangers would have after losing to the Cardinals in the 2011 World Series has shown up a year later than it should have.  Maybe the Rangers will never win again.  Maybe Texas will become the first team in baseball history to go 0-162.

Or maybe I'll just calm down again and remind myself it's only Spring Training.  I was kidding in the above paragraph, I promise.  I put about as much weight in the outcome of these games as I do NFL preseason games or the entire NBA and NHL seasons, which is none.  But I do like to see how certain guys perform, and so far it is being proven that the Rangers, while they are going to be able to hit and score runs, have issues in the bullpen.  Yes, Joe Nathan and Jason Frasor will be at the back end, and they aren't pitching right now, and Joakim Soria will be fine when he gets back into the swing of things, but right now, if the season opened with some of these young guys in the bullpen, Texas would be in trouble.

For example, two different relievers for the Rangers could not finish an inning on Tuesday against the White Sox.  Cody Buckel started the third inning for Texas after Yu Darvish pitched two perfect innings, and had to be relieved after recording just one out by Neal Cotts.  When the six run third inning was over, Buckel was on the hook for six runs, two of them unearned thanks to a Mike Olt error, and sporting a very nice 108.00 ERA.

As bad as that was, it was almost as ugly in the next inning, as Evan Meek came in to start the fourth and promptly gave up five hits, walked one and was responsible for five White Sox runs before Josh Lindblom had to come in and stop the bleeding with two outs.

As bad as the bullpen was, and really has been all spring, Darvish was that good.  In his first spring start of 2013, Darvish needed 28 pitches to get through two flawless innings with two strikeouts.  He only saw six batters in those two innings, including Alex Rios who he got to pop out, and Adam Dunn, who was called out on strikes.

Offensively for Texas, it was not an overall bad performance, as the Rangers scored eight runs on 10 hits.  It was a balanced performance as well, with no single player having more than one hit.  A couple of those hits were by guys who really needed them to swing momentum back in their favor.

Mike Olt launched a two-run homer in the fifth inning as part of a five run Texas inning.  Olt had made an error in the field during the third inning, and coupled with his 0-for-2013 performance at the plate this spring, Olt needed something to get him on track. Hopefully this will get him going and let him live up to the expectations the organization has for him.

Leonys Martin was able to notch his second triple of the spring on Tuesday, after replacing Julio Borbon as the sixth inning.  Ron Washington had said before Spring Training started that this was Leonys Martin's time to shine, and he has done so this spring, hitting a robust .545.  If the season started today, Martin is the Rangers starting center fielder.

Other Rangers performances of note included Ian Kinsler going 0-2 at the plate and Elvis Andrus going 1-2. The two guys who are trying to earn spots as their backups, Leury Garcia and Jurickson Profar, were both productive as well, with Garcia going 1-2 with two runs scores and Profar going 0-1 with two walks and an RBI.  Jeff Baker, who is trying to make the big league team, started thte game as the designated hitter and went 0-3, bringing his spring average down to .125.  Craig Gentry, who is battling the red-hot Leonys Martin for a starting job, went 1-2, with a walk and an RBI and is now hitting .400.  

Next Up: The Rangers and White Sox will meet for the second consecutive day, this time at the home of the Chicago White Sox training facility at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix.  Texas will start Alexi Ogando for the first time this spring.  Ogando pitched 1.1 innings against the Royals back on Friday, allowing two walks, two hits and three runs, including a homer.  Chicago will start Simon Castro, a 24 year old right-hander who will be making his first appearance of the spring.  Castro was 7-5 in 21 minor league starts in 2012 with a 3.85 ERA.

2/26 Cactus League Recap

San Diego IF Jedd Gyorko

Each spring, baseball fans are enamored with a handful of players who show up to Spring Training and just dominate.

Right now, the leader of that group is San Diego Padres prospect Jedd Gyorko.  Gyorko, who is 24 years old, is fighting for a spot as the Padres starting second baseman to open 2013.

Gyorko is considered the top prospect in the Padres organization, so his success this spring is not completely out of the blue, but so far in 10 at-bats he has three homers and nine RBI.  With a .400 average to go along with that, Padres fans are licking their chops waiting for Gyorko to arrive at Petco Park.  He has logged just over 1300 at-bats in three minor league seasons, hitting .319 in 334 games.  Gyorko was good in 2012, hitting 30 homers and knocking in 100 RBI while hitting .311 split between Double-A and Triple-A.  But his 2011 was even better, with 25 home runs, 114 RBI and a .333 average in 140 games.

The main competitors for the second base job in San Diego are Gyorko, Logan Forsythe and Alexi Amarista.  Nothing against those guys, but for a franchise who only has one legitimate star (Chase Headley), bringing Gyorko up now may hold the fans over until more help arrives.  The Padres will more than likely finish at the bottom of the National League West, but a fresh, young, talented face would be a welcome site at Petco Park in 2013.

Scores from Tuesday:

Arizona (SS) 7, L.A. Angels 7 (F/9)

San Diego 7, Cincinnati 5

Chicago Cubs 4, Colorado 2

Kansas City 4, Cleveland 1

Seattle 6, Milwaukee 5

San Francisco 8, L.A. Dodgers 8 (F/9)

Arizona (SS) 9, Oakland 4

Notes:

Lots of long balls in the Cactus League on Tuesday, as 21 homers were hit in the eight Cactus League games.  Among those to go deep were Rod Barajas, Jason Kubel and Gerardo Parra of the Diamondbacks, phenom Jedd Gyorko of the Padres, Billy Butler of the Royals and Franklin Gutierrez and Justin Smoak of the Mariners.  But perhaps the best offensive performance of Tuesday was by San Francisco prospect Brett Pill, who launched two home runs and accounted for five RBI in the Giants 8-8 tie with their rivals, the Dodgers.  Wade Davis of the Royals got the win in his first appearance for the Royals, and Heath Bell, now of the Diamondbacks, got the win in Arizona's split squad win over Oakland.  Bell was terrible last season in Miami, and the Diamondbacks are hoping he can return to his 2011 form when he was an All-Star with San Diego.

2/26 Grapefruit League Recap

Houston Astros 1B Brett Wallace

Although I personally enjoy seeing minor league guys get their shots against major league pitching in February, I will admit I am ready to see the regulars a little more this spring.

When you look at the box scores from all of these spring games, or check out the stat leaders, you don't see a lot of the names you normally recognize.

However, while there are a handful of players who are fighting for a spot on a big league roster, there are even more who are competing for a spot in the starting lineup or even a spot in a platoon situation.

Those battles are fun to watch, and the guy to the left here, Brett Wallace of Houston, is in one of those battles.

Houston acquired two other first basemen this off-season, receiving Chris Carter from Oakland in the trade that shipped off Jed Lowrie, and then signing free agent Carlos Pena.  Wallace has seen a lot of time as the starter for the Astros since 2011, appearing in 115 games in 2011, but just 66 games in 2012.  He has a career .250 average in the majors with 16 home runs in 709 at-bats.  While Wallace may never be a superstar, he has potential to be a significant power threat in Minute Maid Park for the Astros.  

He launched a bomb on Tuesday, his first of the spring, and so far he is hitting an even .400 in the three games he has played.  Monitor the situation between the trio of first basemen, because now with the Astros in the American League, someone has to be the designated hitter.  Personally, I'm pulling for Wallace to win the job.

Scores from Tuesday:

Houston (SS) 9, Detroit 4

Tampa Bay 7, Houston (SS) 2

Minnesota 8, Toronto 4

Philadelphia 4, N.Y. Yankees 3

Miami 7, N.Y. Mets 5

Atlanta 9, Washington 5

St. Louis 15, Boston 4

Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh, PPD (Rain)

Notes from Tuesday:

Giancarlo Stanton was one of three Miami Marlins who went deep in their 7-5 win over the Mets.  Stanton launched his first of the spring as did Casey Kotchman and Matt Downs.  David Price only pitched one inning for the Rays on Tuesday, holding the split squad Astros to no runs and only one hit.  Price picked up the win for Tampa Bay, as the Rays jumped out to a 1-0 lead before he left the game.  A pair of pitchers who need to have good years to prove themselves earned their first wins as well Tuesday.  Ricky Nolasco of the Marlins pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win against the Mets.  Nolasco seemed to be on the rise after a 14-9 campaign in 2010, but since then he is just 22-25.  Nolasco needs a big year to get back on track.  The Cardinals got an early win from Jaime Garcia on Tuesday, as he pitched two scoreless innings against the Red Sox in St. Louis' 15-4 win.  Garcia went 13-8 in 2010 and 13-7 in 2011 for the Cardinals and was a significant part of their World Series run in 2011.  But last year Garcia took a step back, finishing at 7-7 in just 20 starts, as his toughness was called into question by some in the St. Louis organization.

Spring Training Game 5: White Sox (1-0-2) vs. Rangers (0-3-1)

Nestor Molina (0-0, 0.00)

vs.

Yu Darvish (0-0, 0.00)

Spring Training Game 5: White Sox (1-0-2) at Rangers (0-3-1), 2:05 pm CT

The Rangers have been pretty flat so far this spring, but hopefully that changes today with the always electric Yu Darvish taking the bump.  I can't remember a single start for Darvish last year that did not have a little more excitement to it.  Hopefully Darvish can avoid the rough starts that Holland and Harrison went through. 

Chicago always features a powerful lineup offensively, and this team is no different with Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn and Alex Rios.  Each of those three have only seen four at-bats in the first three games, so I am not sure I expect to see them get in the box against Darvish so early, but maybe they want to see where they are at early this spring.

The White Sox will start Nestor Molina today, who has never appeared in a major league game.  The 24 year old has appeared in 126 games in the minor leagues, but has only started 49.  He made 22 starts last season combined in Double-A and Triple-A, posting a 6-11 record and a 4.55 ERA.  He has only been considered a starting pitcher since 2011.

As mentioned earlier, Yu Darvish will take the hill for the Rangers to kick things off.  The Japanese phenom arrived in a major way in 2012 for the Rangers, winning 16 games and posting a 3.90 ERA.  Darvish was masterful at times, striking out 221 hitters in his 191.1 innings.  While many expected Darvish to compete in the World Baseball Classic for Japan, Rangers fans are happy to know he is going to stay in camp and prepare for the 2013 season.

As usual, keep your eye on the outfield battle between Leonys Martin, Craig Gentry and Julio Borbon.  But also watch the two rookies who are trying to make the Rangers out of Spring Training.  Jurickson Profar only has one hit in his five at-bats, while Mike Olt is sitting at 0-for-6.  They are going to get their chance to make the big league team, but with other veterans stepping up around them, they are not taking advantage of the opportunity.  Yet.

Other Spring Training Action Today:

Grapefruit League:

Baltimore (3-0) at Pittsburgh (2-1) - 12:05 pm CT
Detroit (2-1) at Houston (SS) - 12:05 pm CT

Houston (SS) at Tampa Bay (3-1) - 12:05 pm CT

Minnesota (1-2) at Toronto (2-2) - 12:05 pm CT

N.Y. Mets (1-1) at Miami (1-1) - 12:05 pm CT

Washington (1-1) at Atlanta (1-3) - 12:05 pm CT
St. Louis (1-2) at Boston (2-2) - 12:35 pm CT

Notes: Some of the starters making their first stars today include David Price of the Rays and Ricky Romero of the Blue Jays.  Ross Detwiler will make his first start for the Nationals, and then get ready to take his place with the United States team in the World Baseball Classic.  Boston will also get their first look at new starting pitcher Ryan Dempster.

Cactus League:

Arizona (SS) at L.A. Angels (0-4) - 2:05 pm CT

Cincinnati (1-3) at San Diego (2-2) - 2:05 pm CT

Colorado (2-1) at Chicago Cubs (2-1) - 2:05 pm CT
Kansas City (3-0) at Cleveland (5-0) - 2:05 pm CT

Seattle (3-1) at Milwaukee (1-3) - 2:05 pm CT

San Francisco (1-1) at L.A. Dodgers (1-1) - 2:05 pm CT
Oakland (1-2) at Arizona (SS) - 2:10 pm CT

Notes: If there is such a thing in Spring Training, the most exciting game on the schedule as it appears is Kansas City at Cleveland.  I really could argue they have been the most impressive teams so far in 2013, and I'm interested to see if Cleveland can continue their roll.  I've said it a few times, but watch out for the Tribe in 2013!  In other news, Josh Hamilton will make his Spring Training debut for the Angels against Arizona.  A fine pitching match-up in the Giants-Dodgers game, as Tim Lincecum (Giants) will face Josh Beckett (Dodgers).  Yovani Gallardo will make his first start for Milwaukee, and Edwin Jackson will make his first Spring Training start for his new team, the Chicago Cubs.

2/25 Rangers Recap: Colorado 9, Texas 1

Ok, I'm sick of the losing.  I don't care if it is only Spring Training, I'm tired of the Rangers getting beat.

I'm greedy, what can I say.

This is a team that went to two consecutive World Series in 2010 and 2011, and underachieved late in 2012, or they might have gotten back again.

So excuse me if I have changed my way of thinking to be that the Rangers should win any game on any day against any opponent regardless of whether it's Spring Training or a three game series in the middle of August.

And for the most part, the Rangers have not been horrible, but a few bad pitching performances this spring have really gotten me concerned.  Derek Holland did not look good in his first start, and neither did Matt Harrison.  And with a fifth spot in the rotation basically up for grabs, someone needs to step it up.

And Martin Perez may have helped his case on Monday.  He pitched two perfect innings against Colorado while striking out two Rockies.  One of main competitors for that spot is Justin Grimm, and he did not do much to impress Ron Washington and Mike Maddux today.  He allowed four hits and three runs in his two innings on Monday.  When you get a chance to follow a guy you are competing against, you probably shouldn't lay an egg.

Offensively the Rangers struggled against a weak lineup of Rockies pitching, mustering all of five hits and a lone run in the sixth inning.

Ian Kinsler drove in the only run in the contest for Texas on a sacrifice fly that scored Leonys Martin.

Texas is at least putting the ball in play as they only struck out three times in the contest, while walking three times as well.  They stranded eleven runners on base, which has been a problem during the first week of the spring.

The outfield competition is heating up as well, and I love it.  We know Murphy and Cruz are going to have the corner spots, but who will be in center?

I'm personally rooting for Craig Gentry, but Leonys Martin has been very good this spring.  He went 2-3 as the designated hitter on Monday, and is hitting .556 in four games.

Jurickson Profar walked in his lone plate appearance on Monday, and Elvis Andrus is off to a slow start this spring batting just .167 after a 1-2 day.

David Murphy and Nelson Cruz combined to go 0-6, and Mitch Moreland was 1-3.

Just to give you an idea of how the offense has struggled this spring, only two Rangers with more than three plate appearances have an average above .300; Leonys Martin (.556) and Craig Gentry (.375).

Texas falls to 0-3-1 on the spring, while Colorado improved to 2-1.

Next Up: Texas will be back at home in Surprise facing the Chicago White Sox who have gotten off to an equally slow start with a 0-1-2 record entering Tuesday.  Yu Darvish will make his first start of the spring for Texas, while Nestor Molina will be on the rubber to get things started for Chicago.

2/25 Cactus League Recap

Cincinnati P Armando Galarraga

I'll never forget where I was the night Armando Galarraga got robbed of his perfect game on June 2, 2010.  We were getting ready to kick off our weekly poker game in my living room when we saw Jim Joyce blow a call at first base that kept Galarraga from throwing the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history.

Since then, you haven't heard much from Galarraga.

He has bounced around quite a bit, as other than that night in Detroit, his career had been a little bit of a disappointment.  But with one single blown call, I immediately became interested in his career.

Since 2010 (his last season in Detroit), he has been seen in Toledo and Reno in Triple-A, and Arizona and Houston in the major leagues. He started 8 games for the Diamondbacks in 2011 and 5 games for Houston in 2012.  Now he's in Cincinnati trying to make the club, and while he is a long shot, I'm pulling for Galarraga to get it done.

He won his first start on Monday, pitching two innings, allowing a hit and striking out two Milwaukee Brewers.  He only needed 11 pitches (all strikes) to work the two innings.  He's definitely a guy I'll mention again this spring.

Scores from Monday in the Cactus League:

Seattle 9, L.A. Angels 8
Kansas City 16, Arizona 4
Chicago White Sox 9, San Francisco 9 (F/9)
L.A. Dodgers 7, Chicago Cubs 6
Cleveland 14, Oakland 10
Cincinnati 5, Milwaukee (SS) 2
San Diego 7, Milwaukee (SS) 1

No surprise to me, Cleveland and Kansas City are continuing to pour the offense on their opposition this spring.  And yes I know, it won't translate to a lot of regular season success I'm sure, but I'm telling you, watch out for Cleveland in 2013.  Terry Francona is a winner.  And he has brought other successful guys into the fold.  Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Ryan Raburn and Jason Giambi have all been parts of winning teams.  And those guys mixed in with some of their younger talent makes them an under the radar Wild Card contender.  If they get any pitching, they could be a contender.  I know, it sounds crazy, but it could happen.

The other Ohio team got a boost on Monday as well, with Joey Votto banging out his first home run of the spring.  And even though the Cubs lost to the Dodgers, they got three homers as well, including one from Nate Schierholtz, who is being counted on to start in right field when the season opens.

2/25 Grapefruit League Recap

Atlanta Braves OF Justin Upton

The Grapefruit League featured 8 games on Monday, as will be the norm for the rest of Spring Training.  The grind is on, as teams have a longer than normal camp because of the World Baseball Classic, which begins later this weekend.

Massive homers were the trend on Monday, as one of the newest Atlanta Braves, Justin Upton, hit a massive shot for the Braves in their 7-6 win over Miami.  Jason Heyward also hit a bomb for Atlanta.

Ike Davis of the Mets, Miguel Cabrera of Detroit, Matt Holliday with the Cardinals, Boston's Dustin Pedroia and Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion each hit home runs on Monday as well.

Scores from Monday:

Tampa Bay 6, Boston (SS) 3
Boston (SS) 4, Toronto 2
Detroit 10, Philadelphia 1
St. Louis 10, Houston 2
Atlanta 7, Miami 6
Baltimore 5, N.Y. Yankees 1
Minnesota 5, Pittsburgh 4
Washington 6, N.Y. Mets 4

I know it's only the first week of Spring Training games, but certain guys appear to already be locked in, which is not good for the rest of the major leagues, or in some cases for other countries who will face them in the World Baseball Classic.

Jason Heyward of the Braves has already nailed two home runs in just seven at-bats this spring.  He doesn't have any hits other than the two homers, but this is a guy who is projected to have an even bigger season than he has had in the past, and this could be his breakout season.  If Atlanta gets a big season from him and the Upton brothers, you could see the most dangerous outfield in the league at Turner Field.

But what about Miguel Cabrera?  This guy has two bombs as well in 11 at-bats.  Once again, he doesn't have any other hits, but he has only struck out one time and has drawn a walk.  The defending Triple Crown winner knows how to hit, there is no doubt about it.  He will get in full stride soon enough, and it could happen during the World Baseball Classic on a sneaky good Venezuelan team.

Gio Gonzalez (Washington) and Adam Wainwright (St. Louis) got wins in their first spring starts on Monday, while R.A. Dickey lost his first spring start with his new team, the Blue Jays.

Spring Training Game 4: Rangers (0-2-1) vs. Rockies (1-1)

Martin Perez (0-0, 0.00)

vs.

Chris Volstad (0-0, 0.00)

Spring Training Game 4: Rangers (0-2-1) at Rockies (1-1), 2:10 pm CT

Since Texas and Kansas City share a Spring Training facility, and the two teams alternated being designated as home and away over the last weekend, the Rangers have already played their first official "away" game, bu today they make their first road trip as they travel to take on the Colorado Rockies.  The Rangers will be looking for their first win, while the Rockies come in after splitting a pair of games with the Diamondbacks.

Texas is going to be sending Martin Perez out to start the game today, with Perez looking to impress manager Ron Washington enough to add him to the starting rotation out of camp.  Perez made his major league debut last year for the Rangers, going 1-4 in six starts, while appearing in a total of 12 games.  Perez struggled, posting a 5.45 ERA and giving up 26 runs in 38 innings.  In 115 appearances in the minors since 2008, Perez has a 27-30 record and a 4.23 career ERA.  He is widely considered, as he has been for some time, as one of the better arms in the Rangers organization.  If he wants to make his mark, the time is now, because the rotation needs a few quality arms to open the season due to injuries.

The Rockies will start veteran Chris Volstad today against Texas.  Volstad has made 123 career starts since 2008, spending time with the Marlins from 2008 until 2011, and he spent 2012 with the Cubs.  Volstad has a career 4.87 ERA and has a 35-51 record as a starter.  Last year, Volstad was 3-12 in 21 major league starts and posted the highest ERA of his major league career at 6.31.

Make sure and pay attention to which outfielders get the start today for Texas, as Washington continues to move guys around looking for the right combination to open the season.  Craig Gentry, Leonys Martin and Julio Borbon appear to be the guys competing for time with the big league team out of camp.  Also, continue to monitor two guys who could make the team as utility players, Jeff Baker and Leury Garcia.

Other Spring Training Action Today:

Grapefruit League:

Boston Red Sox (SS) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (2-1) - 12:05 pm CT

Boston Red Sox (SS) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (2-1) - 12:05 pm CT

Detroit Tigers (1-1) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (0-1) - 12:05 pm CT

Houston Astros (1-0) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (0-2) - 12:05 pm CT

Miami Marlins (1-0) vs. Atlanta Braves (0-3) - 12:05 pm CT
New York Yankees (1-1) vs. Baltimore Orioles (2-0) - 12:05 pm CT

Pittsburgh Pirates (2-0) vs. Minnesota Twins (0-2) - 12:05 pm CT

Washington Nationals (0-1) vs. New York Mets (1-0) - 5:10 pm CT

Notes:

Lots of big name pitchers are in action today in the Grapefruit League, including R.A. Dickey debuting for Toronto against Boston.  AdamWainwright of St. Louis and Cliff Lee of Philadelphia will make their first starts of the spring, and Gio Gonzalez of Washington and Kris Medlen of Atlanta will make their first starts for their respective teams before heading off to play for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.

Cactus League:

Los Angeles Angels (0-3) vs. Seattle Mariners (2-1) - 2:05 pm CT
Arizona Diamondbacks (1-1) vs. Kansas City Royals (2-0) - 2:05 pm CT
Chicago White Sox (1-0) vs. San Francisco Giants (1-1) - 2:05 pm CT
Chicago Cubs (2-0) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (0-1) - 2:05 pm CT
Cleveland Indians (4-0) vs. Oakland Athletics (1-1) - 2:05 pm CT

Milwaukee Brewers (SS) vs. Cincinnati Reds (0-3) - 2:05 pm CT

San Diego Padres (1-2) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (SS) - 2:05 pm CT

Notes:

Pitchers of note who are making their Spring Training debuts in the Cactus League today include Madison Bumgarner of San Francisco and Edinson Volquez of San Diego.  Also look out for Cincinnati Reds starter Armando Galarraga who is trying to make the big league team out of camp.  Of course Galarraga was the pitcher a couple of years ago who had a perfect game taken away from him by a bad call at first base.  He has bounced around a lot since that time, and Cincinnati has given him another chance.  And finally, look out for the red hot Cleveland Indians, who are 4-0 in Spring Training so far, as Terry Francona and his band of free agent acquisitions are injecting some life into this club.

2/24 Rangers Recap: Kansas City 7, Texas 5

That's it, us Rangers fans should just find new teams.  They can't win.  They traded Michael Young, they let Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli walk, and now the Rangers are winless.

 

Just think, if this were football season, and it were the Cowboys who were 0-2-1 through three preseason games, the State of Texas might self-implode.  Instead, it is baseball season, where three games, especially in Spring Training, is irrelevant.

 

Either way, I'm glad Texas is done with Kansas City for a while, because I'm ready for a win.

 

Matt Harrison started for the Rangers today, and it wasn't pretty, as he gave up six hits and four runs.  Kansas City has hit the ball really well against Texas in these first three games and today was no exception.

 

Salvador Perez, who is one of the best young catchers in the game went 3-3 with a double and two runs scored while Jeff Francoeur, one of the grizzled veterans for the Royals went 2-3 with an RBI.

 

Luis Mendoza, who is a former Ranger, pitched four excellent innings for Kansas City, giving up just four hits and one run and striking out two.  Mendoza is going to be pitching in the World Baseball Classic in Mexico, so his focus and preparation for Sunday was much greater than anyone else's focus was today.

 

Wait.... A pitcher getting ready for the World Baseball Classic should be focused? Uh, Derek Holland, did you hear that?

 

Texas got a strong offensive performance from Leonys Martin, who just three games into the battle for the center field job has position on Craig Gentry.  Martin went 2-2 with a triple and a stolen base to go along with a walk and two runs scored.

 

Leury Garcia, who is fighting for a reserve infielder's role on the team went 2-3 with a two run home run and three RBI.  Garcia's fiercest competition appears to be Jeff Baker, who went 0-1 with a strikeout.

 

The two promising rookies in the Texas camp, Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar, combined to go 0-3 with a strikeout each.

 

Two pitchers looking to make this club out of camp pitched on Sunday, as Neal Cotts and Nate Robertson each pitched an inning.  Cotts looked mediocre, giving up two hits and striking out two while giving up a run.  Robertson, who until Verlander arrived was the ace in Detroit arguably, pitched a scoreless inning and gave up two hits.

 

Next Up: Texas (0-2-1) travels to take on the Colorado Rockies (1-1) at 2:10 CST.  Martin Perez makes his first start of the spring for Texas as he looks to earn a spot in the rotation to open the season.  Chris Volstad will start for Colorado.



2/24 Cactus League Recap

Cleveland Indians C/1B Carlos Santana

A full slate of games were on the Cactus League schedule on Sunday, including the Cleveland Indians splitting squads and sweeping two games to improve to 4-0 early in Spring Training.  Cleveland has gotten contributions from everyone it seems, especially one of their lesser publicized offseason additions, Ryan Raburn.  Raburn got Sunday off, but he hit two homers on Saturday and has three already in the first weekend of the season.  He is expected to platoon for the Indians, but he's making a case to play full-time.  He had moderate success in Detroit, but it appears he is focused in 2013 with the Indians.

Here are the scores from Sunday in the Cactus League:

Cleveland 3, Cincinnati 0
Cleveland 7, Milwaukee 4
L.A. Dodgers, Chicago White Sox 2
Oakland 7, L.A. Angels 5
Seattle 8, San Diego 3
Chicago Cubs 4, San Francisco 3
Arizona 8, Colorado 6
Kansas City 7, Texas 5

The Cactus League did not produce near as much big news as the Grapefruit League did on Sunday, but a couple of notables got their first bombs of the spring, as Adam Dunn got his first for the White Sox, and new addition Raul Ibanez of the Mariners launched his first dinger.

2/24 Grapefruit League Recap

Detroit Tigers C/DH Victor Martinez

There were 8 games on the Grapefruit League schedule on Sunday, three of which ended in ties.  Allow me to get on my soapbox for a minute.

In Spring Training, where teams have unlimited number of players available, why are games ending in ties?  Give young guys a chance in a pressure situation to earn their stripes.  Yes, I know pitchers are not completely stretched out, but go get some of your Double-A guys out in the bullpen and finish the game!

Sorry, I'm over it now.

Anyway, on to the scores from Sunday:

Pittsburgh 9, Atlanta 2
Baltimore 5, Toronto 4
Boston 5, St. Louis 3
Miami 2, Washington 2 (F/10)
N.Y. Mets 7, Houston 7 (F/9)
Philadelphia 5, Detroit 5 (F/10)
Tampa Bay 10, Minnesota 7
Toronto 2, N.Y. Yankees 0
Exhibition Game: N.Y. Mets 5, University of Michigan 2

The biggest news of Sunday and the entire spring so far was the injury suffered by Curtis Granderson of the Yankees.  Granderson got hit by a pitch in the first inning, fracturing his forearm.  Granderson is out about 10 weeks, which will cost him at least the first month of the season.

With guys like Jeter and Rivera already banged up, and A-Rod lost for perhaps the entire year, this Yankees team did not need another injury.  Granderson is a 40 homer type player, and was expected to join forces with Robinson Cano to provide most of the power on this team.  Hopefully he can bounce back, as I really like Granderson.

The other story I want to mention is the comeback of Victor Martinez.  After missing all of 2012, the veteran is off to a hot start this spring, and he had his first homer of the spring on Sunday against Philadelphia.  Martinez could be the final piece of the Tigers puzzle in 2013.  Basically they got a .300-25-100 player without having to trade away other players or pay a lot of money because they get him back from injury.  Detroit is going to be really good if they stay healthy.  Fielder, Cabrera, Martinez and Torii Hunter are as strong at 3-4-5-6 as anyone!

Jose Bautista (Toronto) and Jason Heyward (Atlanta) each had their first homers of the spring on Sunday as well.

2/23 Rangers Recap: Royals 4, Rangers 2

Jake Brigham gave up a two-run walk-off home run to Brandon Wood of the Royals, costing the Rangers a 4-2 loss and left them still searching for their first win of Spring Training.

Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd when Mike Moustakas scored on a George Kottaras double play.

Texas answered back in the top of the 3rd inning when Ian Kinsler doubled home Aaron Cunningham to make it a 1-1 game, and then David Murphy scored Ian Kinsler on a fielder's choice to make it a 2-1 Texas lead.

Kansas City tied it up again in the bottom of the 5th inning when George Kottaras was able to score on a Mike Olt error.

It was over for Texas in the 9th when Brandon Wood launched his first home run of the spring over the left-center field fence to give the Royals a 4-2 win.

Key Performances for Kansas City:

Alex Gordon (LF) - 1-2, K

Billy Butler (1B) - 0-2, 2 K

Salvador Perez (DH) - 1-3, BB

Mike Moustakas (3B) - 1-2

Texas Box Score:

Ian Kinsler (2B) - 1-2, RBI, 2B

      Jurickson Profar - 1-2

Elvis Andrus (SS) - 0-2

      Leury Garcia - 0-1, BB, CS, E

David Murphy (LF) - 0-1, RBI, BB

     Julio Borbon (LF) - 1-2

Joey Butler (DH) - 0-3, 2 K

     Yangervis Solarte - 0-0, BB

Geovany Soto (C) - 0-2, 2 K

      Jose Felix - 0-1

      Juan Apodaca - 0-0

Mitch Moreland (1B) - 0-2, K

      Brandon Allen - 0-2, 2 K

Jeff Baker (3B) - 1-2

      Mike Olt - 0-1, BB, K

Craig Gentry (CF) - 0-2

      Leonys Martin - 0-2, K

Aaron Cunningham (RF) - 1-2, K

      James Adduci - 0-1

Texas Pitching:

Randy Wells (SP) - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 4.50 ERA

Michael Kirkman - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Evan Meek - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Joe Ortiz - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Collin Balester - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Jeff Beliveau - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Jake Brigham - 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 H, 54.00 ERA

Nothing really stands out from this game, the home run to lose the game was not by a guy that will be contributing in Arlington in 2013, and the two guys who have a shot to make the big league team were pretty good.  Wells, who is trying to win the last starting spot in the rotation gave up only one run and three hits in his two innings, and Michael Kirkman struck out three in his two innings.

The one thing about the lineup that I find interesting is that while Gentry got his turn to start over Martin, which is expected to happen this spring as Ron Washington wants to find a new center fielder, but Mike Olt did not start over non-roster invitee Jeff Baker.  Olt is not in the doghouse, that's not the surprise, but it's that Jeff Baker appears to have a really strong shot to make this team, which would mean more than likely Profar and/or Olt will start in the minor leagues.  Also of note, Julio Borbon did not start again but did enter the game for David Murphy.

Nelson Cruz and A.J. Pierzynski got the day off for Texas.

Daily Recap: Saturday, February 24

Saturday brought out a full schedule of Spring Training games for the first time this season, with all teams in action.  There were definitely some great finishes on Saturday, including the Rangers losing on a walk-off homer to Kansas City.  Once again, just a short recap of each game and performances from some of the stars of Major League Baseball.

Grapefruit League

New York Mets 5, Washington Nationals 3

The Mets used a pair of two run innings in the 1st and 6th to hold off the Nationals in the 2013 spring debut of Stephen Strasburg.  The Mets and Nationals were sloppy defensively, with the teams combining to make 5 errors (New York 3, Washington 2).

Star Player Performances:

New York
David Wright (3B) - 0-3
Ike Davis (1B) - 0-2, BB
Shaun Marcum (SP) - 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 HR, 13.50 ERA

Washington
Bryce Harper (LF) - 1-3
Ian Desmond (SS) - 1-2
Stephen Strasburg (SP) - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, K, 1 HR, 9.00 ERA


Houston Astros 8, Philadelphia Phillies 3

Philadelphia jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two innings on Saturday, but Houston scored in six of the final seven innings to take an 8-3 win over the Phillies.  The Astros tallied 14 hits on the afternoon and were aided by four Philadelphia errors.

Star Player Performances:

Houston
Justin Maxwell (CF) - 1-3
Lucas Harrell (SP) - 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, BB, 9.00 ERA

Philadelphia
Chase Utley (2B) - 1-2, RBI
Michael Young (3B) - 0-3
Ryan Howard (1B) - 0-3, 2 K
Cole Hamels (SP) - 2.0 IP, 1 H, K, 0.00 ERA


Baltimore Orioles 5, Minnesota Twins 3

The Orioles plated two runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to break a 3-3 tie and then held on in the 9th inning to take a 5-3 win over the Twins in their opening game.  Minnesota actually outhit Baltimore in the game, 10-9.

Star Player Performances:

Baltimore
Brian Roberts (2B) - 0-2
Nick Markakis (DH) - 0-3
Adam Jones (CF) - 0-2
Matt Wieters (C) - 1-2, K, 2B

Minnesota
Josh Willingham (LF) - 2-2, 2 RBI, HR
Ryan Doumit (DH) - 0-3


New York Yankees 8, Atlanta Braves 3

The Yankees used a four run 3rd inning to take a lead they would never relinquish, giving Atlanta their second consecutive loss of the spring.  Robinson Cano got off to a hot start with his first homer of the spring.

Star Player Performances:

New York
Robinson Cano (2B) - 1-3, HR, RBI
Mark Teixeira (1B) - 0-3, RBI

Atlanta
Freddie Freeman (1B) - 2-3, K
Dan Uggla (2B) - 0-2, BB, K


Pittsburgh Pirates 3, Tampa Bay Rays 2

The Pirates were able to take a 3-2 win over a Tampa Bay split squad after jumping out 3-0 and holding Tampa Bay to just a total of four hits on the day.

Star Player Performances:

Pittsburgh
Pedro Alvarez (3B) - 0-2
Sterling Marte (LF) - 1-2

Tampa Bay
Kelly Johnson (2B) - 1-2, K
Luke Scott (DH) - 0-2
Fernando Rodney (RP) - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K


Miami Marlins 8, St. Louis Cardinals 3

The Marlins scored in six of their eight offensive innings and were able to put up 8 runs against the Cardinals to get off to a 1-0 start on the spring.

Star Player Performances:

Miami
Giancarlo Stanton (RF) - 1-3, 2 RBI
Juan Pierre (LF) - 2-2, RBI, 3B

St. Louis
Matt Holliday (LF) - 0-1, BB, K
Carlos Beltran (RF) - 0-2
David Freese (3B) - 1-2, HR, RBI


Toronto Blue Jays 10, Detroit Tigers 3

Although the Tigers got home runs from Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera, it was not enough as Toronto scored seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take a 10-3 win over Detroit.

Star Player Performances:

Toronto
Emilio Bonifacio (SS) - 1-3
Brett Lawrie (3B) - 1-2, 2 RBI, BB
Brandon Morrow (SP) - 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, K, HR, 18.00 ERA

Detroit
Torii Hunter (RF) - 1-3, 2B
Miguel Cabrera (3B) - 1-3, RBI, HR
Prince Fielder (1B) - 1-3, 2 RBI, HR
Victor Martinez (DH) - 1-2, BB
Anibal Sanchez (SP) - 2.0 IP, 3 H, K


Tampa Bay Rays 4, Boston Red Sox 3

A split squad Tampa Bay team was able to use a two run eighth inning to overtake the Red Sox and earn a 4-3 win.  Both teams had seven hits, but Boston committed two errors to none for Tampa Bay.

Star Player Performances:

Tampa Bay
Ben Zobrist (RF) - 0-3, BB
Desmond Jennings (CF) - 2-2, 2B, SB

Boston
Jacoby Ellsbury (CF) - 1-2, BB, 2B
Dustin Pedroia (2B) - 0-2, BB, K
Shane Victorino (RF) - 0-3
John Lackey (SP) - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, BB, K, 9.00 ERA


Cactus League

San Francisco Giants 4, Los Angeles Angels 1

The Giants scored two runs in the fourth inning and one each in the sixth and seventh innings to take a 4-1 win against a split squad Angels team.

Star Player Performances:

San Francisco
Pablo Sandoval (3B) - 1-2, RBI, K
Buster Posey (C) - 0-1
Hunter Pence (RF) - 0-2
Ryan Vogelsong (SP) - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB

Los Angeles
n/a


Chicago White Sox 9, Los Angeles Dodgers 0

Six White Sox pitchers were able to hold the Los Angeles Dodgers to just three hits spread across nine innings to partner with an offensive exposion by Chicago to take a 9-0 win.  The White Sox had 14 hits on the afternoon.

Star Player Performances:

Chicago
Alejandro De Aza (CF) - 1-2, K
Alex Rios (RF) - 2-2, RBI, 2B
Paul Konerko (1B) - 0-1, BB, K
Adam Dunn (DH) - 0-2, K

Los Angeles
Hanley Ramirez (SS) - 0-3, K
Adrian Gonzalez (1B) - 0-2, BB, K
Andre Ethier (RF) - 1-2, 3B
Clayton Kershaw (SP) - 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 K, 9.00 ERA


Chicago Cubs 11, Los Angeles Angels 2

The Cubs used a 5 run third inning and a 4 run eighth inning to take a commanding 11-2 win over a split squad Angels team on Saturday.

Star Player Performances:

Chicago
Anthony Rizzo (1B) - 1-2, BB, K, 2B
Travis Wood (SP) - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 9.00 ERA

Los Angeles
Peter Bourjos (CF) - 1-1, BB
Mark Trumbo (1B) - 0-2


Cleveland Indians 13, Cincinnati Reds 10

The Indians gave up 10 runs to Cincinnati for the second consecutive day on Saturday, but once again they were able to take the win as they scored 13 of their own.  Cleveland racked up 17 hits, while the Reds added 18 of their own.

Star Player Performances:

Cleveland
Michael Bourn (CF) - 0-2
Asdrubal Cabrera (SS) - 2-2, 2 RBI
Jason Kipnis (2B) - 1-2
Ryan Raburn (2B) - 2-2, 4 RBI, 2 HR
Chris Perez (RP) - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K

Cincinnati
Shin-Soo Choo (CF) - 1-2, SB
Brandon Phillips (2B) - 1-2, RBI, 2B
Todd Frazier (3B) - 2-2


Milwaukee Brewers 2, Oakland Athletics 1

The Brewers and Athletics had a hard time getting the bats going on Saturday, combining for only 8 hits and 3 runs.  Milwaukee got out to a 2-0 lead and then held Oakland to just one run in the final five innings.

Star Player Performances:

Milwaukee
Rickie Weeks (2B) - 0-2, K
Ryan Braun (LF) - 1-1, RBI, BB, HR
Aramis Ramirez (3B) - 0-2, 2 K

Oakland
Josh Reddick (RF) - 0-3


Seattle Mariners 8, San Diego Padres 6

Seattle avenged a loss to San Diego the day before by holding on to an 8-6 win on Saturday, despite San Diego scoring five runs in the 9th inning and attempting a comeback.

Star Player Performances:

Seattle
Jason Bay (LF) - 1-1, 2 RBI, 2 BB, HR
Justin Smoak (1B) - 1-3, 2 RBI, K, HR

San Diego
Nick Hundley (C) - 1-2


Colorado Rockies 11, Arizona Diamondbacks 2

The Rockies used 18 hits to score 11 runs and beat their NL West rivals Arizona 11-2 on Saturday.  The Rockies wer able to score four runs in the first two innings to take a lead they would never let go of.

Star Player Performances:

Colorado
Carlos Gonzalez (LF) - 0-3
Dexter Fowler (CF) - 1-2, BB, K
Josh Rutledge (2B) - 3-3, 4 RBI, 2B
Troy Tulowitzki (SS) - 1-2, RBI

Arizona
Martin Prado (3B) - 1-3, RBI
Paul Goldschmidt (1B) - 1-1, BB
Miguel Montero (C) - 0-2, K