Series Thread: The SS Mazara moves out to SEA - 4/11-4/13

[True Rangers Fan]

Figured I'd get a jump on this.

 

[Bmurph]

TEXAS AT SEATTLE
Time: 10:10 P.M. ESTVenue: Safeco Field

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They were one of MLB's most injury-depleted clubs over the past two seasons, so the last thing the Texas Rangers wanted to see was a continuation of that trend early this year.

After top prospect Nomar Mazara provided reason for optimism in the wake of two more injuries, the visiting Rangers hope to end their win drought versus right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma on Monday night in their series opener against the Seattle Mariners.

Texas (3-4) set a big league record for number of players used in 2014 en route to a last-place finish in the AL West. The club then had to overcome the loss of No. 1 starter Yu Darvish and more than 1,400 player games to the disabled list last year to win the division.

So it was d??j?? vu on Sunday when Texas announced Shin-Soo Choo will miss at least four weeks due to a strained calf and Robinson Chirinos will be out at least 10 weeks because of a broken forearm. Choo has started 3 for 16, while Chirinos is 4 for 15 with a home run.

Choo's injury, however, is giving the Rangers a chance to get an up-close look at Mazara, their 2015 Minor League Player of the Year. The 20-year-old outfielder lived up to the hype in his debut, going 3 for 4 with a home run in Sunday's 3-1 road loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

''It was an incredible debut for a guy who's extremely young for the major league level, and an incredible weekend for him,'' said manager Jeff Banister, whose club only had four other hits.

Now the Rangers could have a difficult time getting going offensively in their second look at Iwakuma over the past seven days. He's been outstanding against the Rangers, going 6-0 with a 2.87 ERA over his last eight starts and 8-1 with a 3.00 mark in the past 12.

Iwakuma (0-0, 3.60 ERA) allowed two runs over five innings but failed to pick up his seventh consecutive victory in this series in last Tuesday's 10-2 victory at Globe Life Park.

Elvis Andrus had two hits and an RBI off Iwakuma in that contest, but he's 8 for 36 (.222) lifetime in the matchup. Adrian Beltre has had the most success, batting .308 with three home runs in 39 career at-bats after going 1 for 3 when facing him last week.

Texas counters with right-hander Colby Lewis, who is 1-4 with a 5.00 ERA while allowing 10 home runs in his last seven starts versus Seattle (2-4). He received a no-decision after allowing three runs over six innings in last Wednesday's 9-5 loss to the Mariners.

Robinson Cano is 8 for 21 with a home run when facing Lewis (0-0, 4.50), while Franklin Gutierrez has gone 6 for 16 with two homers and Kyle Seageris 10 for 29 with two homers.

Cano is 2 for 12 with one extra-base hit since going deep four times in the season-opening series. The star slugger is batting .341 over an 11-game hitting streak against the Rangers.

Former Rangers Nelson Cruz and Leonys Martin each had two hits Sunday, but the Mariners went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position in a 2-1, 10-inning home loss to Oakland. They totaled four runs with a .155 average in dropping all three in the series.

''We're just not getting it done with the bats right now," manager Scott Servais said.

 

[donaldson79]

Nomar Mazara singles, homers in MLB debut

Notice we went 0-7 with RISP.

 

[Bmurph]

Nomar Mazara singles, homers in MLB debut

Notice we went 0-7 with RISP.

Been to familiar w those types of stats for a few years

 

[donaldson79]

Been to familiar w those types of stats for a few years

Unfortunately.

But so many wanted to hang the previous hitting coach.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Unfortunately.

But so many wanted to hang the previous hitting coach.

I did, absolutely.

 

[romeo212000]

Unfortunately.

But so many wanted to hang the previous hitting coach.

At some point, it's time for the hitters to simply get their shit together. There is clearly something very wrong with their mentality or mental state once runners get in scoring position. Don't even get me started on the awful at bats yesterday with RISP from Morelan, Alberto, and Desmond.

 

[Bmurph]

Unfortunately.

But so many wanted to hang the previous hitting coach.

I posted something about that yesterday. It appears that all the shit we gave Magadan and Coolbaugh will resurface with the new guy, if the lineup is consistent with the results we have seen over the last few years. Maybe most of the blame should be cast on the players, it is trending that way it appears anyway. Cant be all the fault of the last 3 coaches could it. Guess its early and ill wait however impatiently for different results from the new guy or the players

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Haven't done any research but it did seem for the first few games the Rangers were taking a lot of walks and being more patient overall.

That being said... 2 on and no outs, and then no runs, is just frustrating to watch.

 

[donaldson79]

Don't get me wrong. I was certainly not in Magadan's corner, and there really wasn't any reason not to try a different voice/approach to our RISP woes.

But right now, it sure looks like more of the same.

And Bennie, I knew someone mentioned this yesterday.....so here's your props.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Don't get me wrong. I was certainly not in Magadan's corner, and there really wasn't any reason not to try a different voice/approach to our RISP woes.

But right now, it sure looks like more of the same.

it does. hopefully the stats after a month will be better than after one week.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Could we also call up Gallo and send Moreland down.

 

[donaldson79]

Could we also call up Gallo and send Moreland down.

IMO Gallo is right where he needs to be, and having success at the lower level. He was a mess by the time he got out of Arlington last year.

I know you kind of said this somewhat with tongue-in-cheek.

But in all seriousness, by the AS break, this team may have some pretty interesting decisions to make.

 

[romeo212000]

Could we also call up Gallo and send Moreland down.

Might ought to start getting Gallo some work at 1b if Mitch continues to suck.

 

[donaldson79]

Might ought to start getting Gallo some work at 1b if Mitch continues to suck.

And let's get some more ab for Mr Rua since he's already here.

But like I said earlier, this team may have some pretty big decisions to make come AS time.

 

[donaldson79]

The Texas Rangers are dealing with a full-blown catching crisis, fueling speculation that the club will go shopping for a veteran backstop.

The club was thin behind the plate even before Robinson Chirinossuffered a broken right forearm Saturday and was placed on the 60-day disabled list over the weekend. Bryan Holaday, a career .246 hitter who was acquired from the Tigers near the end of spring training, is now the No. 1 catcher, simply by default.

Brett Nicholas was called up to the majors for the first time on Sunday to be the primary backup.

The Rangers were among the teams linked to the Brewers’ Jonathan Lucroyover the winter. Jon Heyman of MLB Network says there has been no recent talks between the clubs about Lucroy, but calls the former All-Star “a potential fit.”

The Rangers also expressed interest in the Padres’ Derek Norris during the offseason, but those talks reportedly stalled because of San Diego’s high asking price.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Sunday “the Rangers and Padres had extensive discussions about a deal that would've been built around Padres catcher Derek Norris, Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner and young Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar, but concerns about Cashner's medical history undercut those conversations.”

Olney suggests those talks could be rebuilt in some fashion, especially since Padres GM A.J. Preller worked previously for the Rangers and is familiar with their system.

One word of caution: major trades this time of year are uncommon, especially since teams do not want to give the impression to their fan base that they are throwing in the towel on the season way too early. That might not apply to the Brewers, who have made no secret of their rebuilding plans.

 

[saddles]

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[saddles]

Jamey Newberg had a very good report this morning. Here is what he said:

This all happened in the space of about 23 hours, beginning late Saturday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa.

Round Rock right fielder Nomar Mazara singled to center in the top of the first inning.

Mazara singled to right in the top of the third inning.

Mazara homered in the top of the fifth inning.

He didn’t appear in the ninth.

Mazara presumably went to sleep (though it would be understandable if he didn’t).

He then boarded a plane in Des Moines on Sunday morning with his buddy Brett, because Rangers Director of Travel Josh Shelton told them where to be, and when.

They flew west, about 1,425 miles.

They got off the plane and into a car and found their way to a ballpark that holds about four times as many people as Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs.

And then?

Rangers right fielder Nomar Mazara singled to center in the top of the first inning.

Mazara singled to right in the top of the third inning.

Mazara homered in the top of the fifth inning.

He didn’t appear in the ninth.

All I changed in the last four sentences was replacing “Round Rock” with “Rangers.” That simple.

Which is basically what Mazara’s big league debut felt like: A change in the name on the front of the jersey, but otherwise pretty much no difference.

It’s just baseball.

Nomar Mazara is pretty good at baseball.

I’m looking forward to tonight’s game in Seattle.

But not as much I am to the career that launched yesterday, starting with a 1,425-mile trip and peaking at 443.5 feet to right center, at 105.4 miles per hour.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

at 105.4 miles per hour.

A quick aside: when/why did this start being a thing?