Sunday, February 24, 2013

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.


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