Ranger's Money Woes May Aid Red Sox

The Texas Rangers are a financial mess and their money problems may cause them to lose the wild-card race.  The already lost out on signing their number one pick and now they may have to shut down Kevin Millwood for the remainder of the season so he does not hit 180 innings pitched which would guarantee him $12 million next season.

However, owner Tom Hicks contradicted the report and said Millwood would keep on pitching:

"As far as Kevin Millwood is concerned, we never gave any consideration to that," Hicks said. "We need him to be one of our leaders down the stretch. There have not been any thoughts or discussions with MLB about Kevin's contract for next year -- nor will there be. We expect Kevin to be in the rotation next year and have a strong finish to his contract." 

It would be a real shame if the Red Sox win the wild-card because of Texas' money problems and not because they were the better team, it would be yet  another failure on the part of commisioner Bud Selig.  We can only hope that Hicks is right and that the better team wins with their best players on the field.

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Things go better with Coke

Despite his 12 K’s, Burnett was out of the game after 6 innings and 105 pitches, on the short end of a 3-2 score. Burnett is winless in his last 6 starts and his ERA is up to 4.10. Any baseball fan can tell you that being up by 1 run over the Yankees in the 7th inning means virtually nothing, except when Phil ‘the real thing’ Coke enters the game. Red Sox fans will gladly have a Coke and a smile! Coke adds life! Coke is it! Coke promptly gave up another 3 runs (Coke... after Coke ... after Coke) in only 2/3 IP. The Rangers scored once more and the Yankees lose, 7-2.

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Kid catches two foul balls off bat of Josh Hamilton

A young fan in Texas catches 2 foul balls off of the bat of Josh Hamilton. Watch the video here, courtesy of MLB.com. After the page loads, scroll to the bottom and click on page 3. Look for the video added on 08/17/09: "A young fan catches two straight foul balls." As more videos are added by MLB.com, this video may be moved to page 4 or 5.

UPDATE:
Try this link and go to page 2.

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Red Sox Drop to 2nd in Wild-Card Race

The Red Sox lost another game and another series to Texas today and are now 1/2 game behind the Rangers in the wild-card race. Red Sox starting pitcher Junichi Tazawa had some Dice-K like escapes early in the game but the Rangers were able to hit him pretty well. Tazawa gave up 10 hits and 3 walks without striking out a batter. He gave up two homers and 4 earned runs to take the loss.

The Sox offense looked good at times with homers by Ortiz and Pedey but they left the tying runner in scoring position in the 8th and this time Francisco won the battle of the 9th getting the Sox in order. Ells had his worst game in a long time going 0-5.

Red Sox Lose 4-3 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Red Sox	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	3	8	0
Rangers	0	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	4	11	1

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Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 8/15 vs the Rangers

Here is tonight's lineup vs. the Rangers. Game time is 8:05pm.


Ellsbury- CF
Pedroia- 2B
Martinez 1B
Bay- LF
Lowell- 3B
Ortiz- DH
Varitek- C
Anderson- RF
Gonzalez- SS
Penny- SP

This lineup is thanks to Amalie Benjamin on Twitter. It's the first time we are going to see Alex Gonzalez back in a Boston uni over at short stop. I'll admit, I'm excited.

And Anderson? I first thought it was Lars Anderson. I knew he played first base, but thought he might play outfield as well. As it turns out, it is Brian Anderson. I don't know too much about Brian, but I am sure gonna find out. Josh Reddick was optioned back to Pawtucket when Brian joined the club.

Anyone heard any info about when Rocco Baldelli might be healthy and returning from the DL? Anyone? Bueller?

Let's go Red Sox!

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Ninth Inning Rally Beats Texas

The Red Sox scored 6 runs in the top of the ninth inning tonight in Arlington, TX, beating the Rangers 8-4. Jon Lester pitched another great non-decision game. In 6 innings, he allowed 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out 11, making some of those Rangers look downright silly at times. During the 9th inning rally, the Sox overcame a baserunning error by Clay Buchholz, who was sent in to pinch run for Jason Varitek.



Sox Win 8-4 BOX SCORE

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Q & A with Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News

Once again we are lucky enough to have Richard Durrett from the Texas Rangers Blog of the Dallas Morning News answer a few questions about the team he covers:

FW: Can the Rangers hang with the Angels if they continue to stay hot?

Richard Durrett: You would think will all of the Angels’ injuries that the Rangers could hang with them. But that will depend on this offense. For once, the pitching and defense has not been the Rangers’ problem. It’s been the offense’s inability to score runs on a consistent basis. They are too dependent on the homer right now and must do a better job of situational hitting and small ball, something the Angels do well. If the bats start swinging, they can hang with the Angels. But the schedule is getting tougher the next few weeks. We’ll see.

FW: How will Cruz's injury impact the Rangers?

Richard Durrett: I don’t think he’ll be out of the lineup for an extended period. They have plenty of depth in the OF, so I think they’ll try to play him when they can, but can work in Marlon Byrd, David Murphy, Andruw Jones and Josh Hamilton without much problem.

FW: Why aren't the Rangers in the Halladay rumor mill?

Richard Durrett: Money. The club’s financial situation makes is tough to get a guy like Halladay and pay for him the rest of this season, next season and even after that. Nolan Ryan, in a chat on the DMN Rangers blog, discussed that a bit today. The Rangers have the prospects to make a deal and I do think they’ll do their homework to look into it, but it seems like a long shot.

FW: How has Hamilton looked since returning from the DL?

Richard Durrett: He’s a more disciplined hitter, but his timing is still not quite there. He should get better and better, but I expect him to have a solid second half.

FW: Should Millwood have been on the All-Star team?

Richard Durrett: I think so. The guy led this rotation, had a good ERA and pitched deep into games in the first half.

FW: Will Teagarden be traded before the deadline?

Richard Durrett: My bet is no. But he’s an up-and-coming catcher still learning the ropes. He could be a good one. And I’m sure the Rangers would listen to offers because they have good depth at catcher.

FW: What is your prediction for this series with Boston?

Richard Durrett: I think the Red Sox take 2 of 3. The Rangers’ bats just aren’t awake right now.

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Red Sox Drop the Rubber Game to the Rangers

Dice-K has still not found his grove and ended up with his 4th loss of the season today. He gave up a homer in the bottom of the first to Young and it went downhill from there. It was not the typical Matsuzaka type of outing since he didn't walk anyone; he just left too many pitches out over the middle of the plate and now has an ERA of 7.33. The Rangers had 5 runs on 10 hits in the game.

The Red Sox offense was flat again getting just 4 hits off of the Rangers starter Padilla and none off of their pen. Kotsay had two hits and a home run in the game. Jacoby Ellsbury had to leave the game in the 5th with a strained right shoulder. Kotsay and Baldelli had to Rochambeau to see who would play center in his place.

Red Sox lose 6-3 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Rangers	1	1	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	6	12	1
Red Sox	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	4	0

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FAILHAT Friday at the Fens

Brad Penny on the mound, Lugo at short, and the team sporting the "hanging sox" FAILHATs. Run for your lives!! Penny actually pitched pretty well until the 5th when the Rangers started a rally with one out. Elvis Andrus hit what could have been a double play ball to end the inning, to Lugo but the ball went under his glove allowing a run to score. The inning continued and Kinsler hit a 3-run homer. By the end of the 5th the Rangers had a 5 run lead and that would be all they would need with the way Millwood pitched.

The Red Sox offense had 7 hits but most of them came with 2 outs. Big Papi had the only RBI for the team with a single in the 8th. The Sox tried to rally in the 9th when the first two batters reached but the power of the FAILHATs was too much and the rally ended with three quick outs.

Red Sox Lose 5-1 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Rangers	0	0	0	0	4	1	0	0	0	5	8	1
Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	7	0

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From Deep in the Heart of Texas

Ricard Durrett from the Texas Rangers Blog for the Dallas Morning News agreed to answer a few questions about the team the Red Sox will be facing for the next three games.

FW: Can the Rangers win the division without Josh Hamilton?

RD: Yes. It won’t be easy, but they can. The AL West is a weak division this season, where 88 wins is probably enough to win it. The Rangers have the bats to compete, though they’ve been inconsistent on offense early in the season. This Rangers team, like any Rangers team, must prove they can pitch well enough to stay in games. So far, for the most part, they’ve done that. In my opinion, it’s pitching more than the absence of Hamilton that will decide this division. But there’s no question he’ll be missed in the lineup and that means this team must get production from guys like Hank Blalock, Marlon Byrd and David Murphy to go along with the bats of Ian Kinsler, Michael Young and Nelson Cruz.

FW: How would you rate C.J. Wilson's performance since he took over the closer role?

RD: CJ Wilson is not the closer. He lost that job last season after a handful of struggling performances and an injury. Outside of yesterday’s two-run homer given up to Melky Cabrera, Wilson has pitched well in a late-inning setup role the past month. Frank Francisco is the team’s closer now that he’s returned from a brief stint on the DL. He’s been one of the top relievers in the AL. He’s aggressive and doesn’t mess around out there. He deserves an All-Star spot.

FW: What has been the biggest reason for the Rangers early success this season?

RD: Starting pitching. The rotation has pitched deeper into games and left with the Rangers still in it. Last season at this time, the Rangers had the most overworked bullpen in the AL. Now, they’ve got one of the least worked. It’s part of what Nolan Ryan stressed the last few years. He wanted pitchers to get one more batter, give the team one more inning. They are doing that. The fact that the offense hasn’t completely come around yet makes some think this team will only improve.

FW: Do you think the Rangers will trade Saltalamacchia or Teagarden before the deadline?

RD: Tough question. I think if the right deal is out there, they would trade one of those catchers. But they’ve been hesitant to do that so far. Rumors were out there about the Rangers wanting Clay Buchholz, but that hasn’t materialized. Saltalamacchia has shown vast improvement defensively and is starting to hit the ball. He must cut down on strikeouts. Teagarden, who plays once or twice a week and has been Matt Harrison’s personal catcher, has always been a big defensive presence and some see him with more upside. The bottom line: They’ve got two young catchers who can probably start in the majors for a long time.

FW: What are your predictions for this series with the Red Sox?

RD: The Rangers are fortunate to avoid Beckett and Wakefield. The X-factor is how Vicente Padilla does on Sunday, assuming he makes that start (and I think he will). I predicted the Rangers would take 2 of 3, but that won’t be easy.

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Theo is Still Talking to Rangers about Catchers

The Texas Ranger's blog posted this from a conference call with Ranger's GM Jon Daniels:

Daniels said there have been some second and third conversations with clubs about potential deals. Though he did not elaborate, the feeling here is that if those conversations have been about Gerald Laird, it's been the Detroit Tigers on the other end of the call. If it's about a younger catcher, it's been the Boston Red Sox.

If the Red Sox do not come out of the Winter Meetings with a new catcher you can almost guarantee they are close to re-signing Tek. I don't think they are going to balk at the chance of getting a young catcher at the meetings, especially if Boras is still having Tek hold out for "Posada money." The Red Sox have what Texas wants and the Rangers have what the Sox want so when they meet next week a deal should not be hard to work out. Boras has to realize this and will try to get a deal worked out with Boston once he sees there is not a huge market for his client.

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Rangers Want Buchholz, Sox Don't Want to Deal Him

If the Red Sox want to get a good catcher from Texas they are going to have to give up a good player but apparently Clay Buchholz is off limits. From MLB Rangers.com:

The Red Sox have made it clear that they aren't interested in trading Clay Buchholz under any circumstances. The Rangers still have interest in other Red Sox pitching -- including Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden -- but the two sides haven't been able to match up on a deal that would send either Taylor Teagarden or Jarrod Saltalamacchia to Boston.

I for one would rather keep Masterson over Buchholz but Red Sox officials still believe that Buchholz has more upside.

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Tuesday's Rumor Mill

The rumor of the Sox looking to sign Mark Teixeira continues and may have heated up since the Angels may be dropping out of the race. The ripple effect of this means LAA may go after C.C. which could take him away from Hank.

If the Red Sox do sign Teixeira they may then ship Lowell and a pitcher (Buchholz, Masterson or a prospect) to the Rangers for a catcher; most likely Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Youk would then move back to third.

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Buchholz for Teagarden?

Let's just say there is a team out there that is willing to pay the Scott Boras asking price for Tek and the Sox are left without their captain and with Cash as the guy behind the plate. Kevin Cash is not a bad player but is he good enough to be a starting catcher in the majors? He probably is but but the Red Sox need somebody that is going to add some power to the order and Taylor Teagarden could be that guy. Boston has been looking at getting him since July and are still negotiating with the Rangers. The asking price is steep and starts with a top pitching prospect like Buchholz, Bowden, or possible Masterson. I for one have never been that high on Buchholz; I know he has great stuff and potential but he has not been able to get it all going. There is a chance he could come around like Lester did and become a top of the line pitcher but it is not a guarantee.

I think the Red Sox sould take a risk and trade ClayBuchholz for Teagarden; it may hurt to see a player develop into a superstar after they have been traded (Handley Ramirez comes to mind) but a trade could end up paying big rewards. (Josh Beckett and the 2007 World Series) The Red Sox could have a powerhitting catcher behind the plate, somebody that could easily develop into an All-Star if they are willing to part with one of the guys they have been in love with for the last few years. If Buchholz can't get it going this season his trade value will be next to nothing so now is the time to make the deal.

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Everything's Bigger in Texas, Including the ERA's

The Sox put up some more crooked numbers on the Green Monster scoreboard tonight as they tagged Ranger pitchers for 10 more runs. The Sox scored a combined 37 runs in the three game series against Texas. Tonight's game started out slowly for the Sox at the plate and the Rangers threatened to draw first blood when they loaded the bases in the second. Dice-K performed another Houdini act to get out of the jam and cruised for 7 shutout innings. In the bottom of the second the Sox bats came alive, feasting on pitches up in the zone. The team batted around and Ortiz had another 3-run homer, at the end of the inning the Sox had put 9 runs on the board. Boston added another run when Jeff Bailey had his first career hit and RBI in the eighth inning. Delcarmen and Timlin closed out the game with perfect innings.

Unfortunately the Sox did not gain any ground on the Rays who won in extra innings against Oakland tonight. The other bad news for the Sox is that the Rays now get to feast on some Ranger pitching for their next series in Texas.

Sox Win 10-0 BOX SCORE

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Sox Get Big Lead and Hold It (Sorta)

Earlier today I said to get ready for some more crooked numbers and that Lester should be able to hold the lead. I was mostly right. The Sox did jump out to an early lead getting 2 in the second and 4 in the third off of Mendoza while Lester cruised. Boston put up 2 more runs in the 5th for an 8-0 lead with Lester keeping the Rangers off the board through 7. Tito let Lester come back out for the 8th which in retrospect seems like a bad idea. He gave up a homer to Kinsler and back to back singles and was lifted for Mike Timlin. A pitch up in the zone was deposited behind the Sox pen to put the Rangers within reach. Panic quickly set in for fans still feeling a little shell shocked from last night but the fire was quickly put out. Timlin settled down with a strikeout before Lopez got the third out of the inning. Masterson came in for the 9th finished off the Rangers with a nice double play ball. Boston now has a 3 game win streak going and the Fenway magic appears to be working.

Sox Win 8-4 BOX SCORE

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Sox on ESPN Weds (oops, I missed one)

Texas at Boston, this Wednesday, Aug 13, 4 pm (PDT) on ESPN.

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At Least They Didn't Lose By A Walk-Off Slam

This takes a little sting off of the Sox loss tonight.

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The Hit Parade Continues

The Red Sox crushed the Rangers by a score of 11-3 tonight. Boston has averaged 7.6 runs per game over the last week and 38 hits over the last 3 games. Every player on the team is contributing and now Big Papi has broken out of his slump with 5 RBI's. Rookie Jed Lowrie had 2 more hits tonight so the pressure will start to build on Lugo. All this and the Yankees lost 8-2 to the O's, you couldn't ask for much more. Box Score

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Rangers Say No To Gagne

Midnight has come and gone on the East Coast with no word about Gagne's arbitration decision. However, there is word from the Rangers that they are no longer interested in Gagne for next year. It appears that Scott Boras overplayed his hand on this one.

UPDATE: Gagne declines arbitration...Good Riddance!

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