Pretty decisive win yesterday and a nice fill-in start from Scott Feldman. While the Rangers are back on the .500 yo-yo with two wins and two losses since the break, they have also passed Oakland and are now in second place. I don't know about you, but I would be pretty pleased with, say, 86-87 wins and a second place finish this season.
Hank Blalock made an impact last night, with a home run and a nice pick that started an important double-play. If, as some think, the Rangers would like to deal Blalock this summer, he has maybe eight more chances to show what he did last night.
Nolan seems satisfied with how things are going, and I'd love to see him continue in this capacity:
"I think I've had very little impact on baseball operations," he said by phone from his home in Georgetown, Texas. "I think we needed to give the game plan some time to work. I think my biggest priority was in improving employee morale, the fan's experience and their attitude about where we are going. I think you are seeing that."
Eric Hurley says that his problem is a stiff shoulder and "general soreness" in his right arm. He says it's feeling better, but I guess this is a wait and see for his next scheduled start this weekend. On the other hand, Brandon McCarthy is starting tonight for Oklahoma. It would be really nice to see these two in the same Rangers rotation.
Taylor Teagarden talks about heading for the Olympics in a few weeks, rather than staying with the Rangers. I think that you have to be happy for Teagarden, and it may be for the best, with Jarrod Saltalamacchia possibly getting one more stretch of consistent playing time - and one more chance to get himself on solid footing - before Gerald Laird returns.
And Jim Reeves shares with us the revelation that the Angels are good because they have good pitching. Star Telegram columnists have really outdone themselves this summer.