Back to .500. Remarkable, given the start this team had.
Richard Durrett points out that the Rangers pitchers have a 3.70 ERA since April 25, when the turnaround began. And Vicente Padilla, with a 3.16 ERA on the season, has a 1.60 ERA over that stretch. The Rangers are 8-2 in games Padilla starts this season.
Josh Hamilton asked out of the game in the 5th inning last night, with Ron Washington saying that he asked Hamilton in spring training to let him know when he needed time out. Marlon Byrd did a pretty good Hamilton imitation last night, though. It is kind of funny to see Byrd homer in his 2nd AB off the d.l., off of one of the best pitchers in baseball, after all the hue and cry over how stupid Ron Washington had to have been to have Byrd pinch hit in a key situation in his first AB off the d.l.
Gil LeBreton has a column up discussing the Rangers suddenly looking like contenders, after everyone had written the team off.