Series Thread: Rangers travel to cellar dweller A's 6/13-6/16

[Bmurph]

Rangers' Sam Dyson: Allows run in Sunday save
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Dyson allowed a run on a pair of hits in an inning of work Sunday against the Mariners, but he was able to secure his 10th save of the season.

Dyson allowed a run on a two-out Robinson Cano double after Ketel Marte hit his way aboard, but the game ended as outfielder Nomar Mazara threw a seed to second base to gun down Cano. Dyson has been scored upon in two of his last three appearances, but he is still 10-for-11 in save situations and owns a solid 2.27 ERA on the season.

 

[Bmurph]

Rangers' Elvis Andrus: Three hits in win over Mariners
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Andrus finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI, two runs and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Mariners.

The shortstop got things started for the Texas offense by doubling in a run and scoring on Mitch Moreland's homer in the fourth inning, and he helped put the game out of reach with another RBI and a run in the sixth. Andrus is now batting .282 on the season, putting him on track to rival his career-high .287 mark set back in 2012.

 

[Bmurph]

Rangers' Cesar Ramos: Confirmed as Monday starter
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Ramos will start Monday's game against Oakland, TR Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

With Yu Darvish (shoulder) set to miss at least one outing, Ramos will make his fourth start of the season in what will be his first appearance since June 4. The 31-year-old lefty threw 96, 94 and 80 pitches in his first three starts, allowing five runs over 16.1 innings with 13 strikeouts. He'll have a favorable matchup in a pitcher-friendly ballpark Monday, but if he does get a second start this week, it would line up for Saturday in St. Louis. Meanwhile, Darvish is back in Dallas for an MRI and further examination.

 

[Bmurph]

TEXAS AT OAKLAND

• PREVIEW

Time: 10:05 P.M. ESTVenue: Oakland Coliseum

The Texas Rangers are in first place in the American League West, but they enter Monday feeling a little nervous about the condition of Yu Darvish.

While the Rangers visit the Oakland Athletics for the opener of a three-game series, Darvish will be in Dallas getting his shoulder examined.

The right-hander was originally slated to make his fourth start Monday after completing the 14-month rehab process from March 2015 Tommy John surgery. However, on Saturday, the Rangers announced Darvish would be scratched due to shoulder tightness.

"It's a situation where we are going to get him to see a doctor, get an MRI and make sure he's all right," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "We want this guy to continue to pitch, so we're going to be conservative and make sure he's OK. Not push the envelope."

Trouble began for Darvish when he exited after five innings Wednesday against the Houston Astros. He was examined after the game, and no structural damage was discovered.

He threw a bullpen session Friday, but a day later, following a four-pitch bullpen session, Darvish shut it down. A few hours later, he was scratched from the scheduled Monday start.

"I have heard it's common for players that have had Tommy John surgery to have issues like this," Darvish said in a statement to reporters in Seattle. "Right now I don't want to push it and make it worse. It's a precaution. We hope it's nothing serious and that I can be back soon."

While the condition of Darvish's shoulder remains a mystery, so does Monday's starting pitcher. Banister said left-handed reliever Cesar Ramoswas "most likely" to get the start but did not fully commit to him. Ramos is 1-2 with a 3.58 ERA in seven appearances (three starts) and has made two appearances spanning five innings since May 21.

The murkiness regarding Darvish's shoulder is not the only physical issue Texas is dealing with. Adrian Beltre missed his fourth consecutive game Sunday due to a hamstring injury, and although Banister said the third baseman is making progress, the team does not have a timetable for his return.

In the meantime, the Rangers kept winning, as their 6-4 decision at Seattle on Sunday was their eighth victory in 10 games. Cole Hamels allowed one run in seven innings, and Mitch Moreland and Ian Desmond hit two-run homers.

While the Rangers have won seven of nine meetings with Seattle, they were outscored 19-7 in a three-game sweep in Oakland from May 16-18 but are 15-5 since then. The A's owned a 19-22 record when Khris Davis homered four times in the sweep. Since then, the Athletics have lost 14 of their past 21 games.

Oakland ended a seven-game losing streak Sunday by getting home runs from Marcus Semien, Jake Smolinski and Danny Valencia in a 6-1 victory over the Reds at Cincinnati. During the skid, Oakland batted .219 and posted a 5.16 ERA.

"You have to stay positive," Smolinski said. "It's a long season, a lot of things can happen. We just have to even out those tough spots we've been hitting. We just have to stick with it and come out every day ready to play."

The first pitch of the game will start about an hour after the Golden State Warriors begin Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena across the parking lot. Oakland will hope Sean Manaea can pitch as well as Stephen Curry can shoot 3-pointers.

Manaea is 2-3 with a 6.20 ERA but has pitched better recently, going 2-3 with a 4.18 ERA in his past five starts. Manaea last pitched Tuesday in Milwaukee, when he allowed five runs and six hits in seven innings during a 5-4 loss to the Brewers.

The right-hander's only start against Texas was also his first career victory. On May 16, he allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 3-1 win.


We are gonna have to do better than that this time around.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

LF is pretty tough in Arlington actually

Choo has already shown himself to be much better in RF as opposed to LF

The choice comes down to is the OF defense better overall with Choo in LF or RF as a whole, not whether Mazara is a better RFer, which he clearly is

You are right. Maz is a superior RF but Choo is such a liability in LF that it has to be Choo in RF and Maz in LF.

 

[donaldson79]

You are right. Maz is a superior RF but Choo is such a liability in LF that it has to be Choo in RF and Maz in LF.

Disagree completely.

My take in running the film back to last season, Choo was awful in RF until his wife got his head straight and he went on to a terrific second half of the season. But after the chat, he became an avg RF, nothing more. It's just not in his abilities to be anything more.

So my take is, assuming his head is on straight, and we've no reason to think it's not, is to put him in LF and see if he can't be an avg LF.

Mazara has made two throws to potentially save games, and has made numerous catches that IMO Choo would have never made. And that's just the games/innings I've seen and I'm betting I've missed some.

 

[jta4437]

Disagree completely.

My take in running the film back to last season, Choo was awful in RF until his wife got his head straight and he went on to a terrific second half of the season. But after the chat, he became an avg RF, nothing more. It's just not in his abilities to be anything more.

So my take is, assuming his head is on straight, and we've no reason to think it's not, is to put him in LF and see if he can't be an avg LF.

Mazara has made two throws to potentially save games, and has made numerous catches that IMO Choo would have never made. And that's just the games/innings I've seen and I'm betting I've missed some.

As bad as you remember him in RF last year, he was even worse in LF the year before

-9 DRS in 520 innings in LF in 2014, "only" -11 DRS in 1262 innings in RF in 2015

He had almost the same negative impact defensively in less than half the innings in LF versus RF, and you can also see he's just a better defender in RF versus LF

 

[jta4437]

As bad as you remember him in RF last year, he was even worse in LF the year before

-9 DRS in 520 innings in LF in 2014, "only" -11 DRS in 1262 innings in RF in 2015

He had almost the same negative impact defensively in less than half the innings in LF versus RF, and you can also see he's just a better defender in RF versus LF

That put him on a pace of about -21/22 DRS in LF if you project it out to the same number of innings he had in in RF in 2015

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Shocker... BSPN has the Red Sox over the Rangers in the newest power rankings. East coast biased shitheads!

 

[romeo212000]

Shocker... BSPN has the Red Sox over the Rangers in the newest power rankings. East coast biased shitheads!

The beautiful thing about baseball is records decide everything and polls decide nothing.

 

[Bmurph]

Shocker... BSPN has the Red Sox over the Rangers in the newest power rankings. East coast biased shitheads!

They will be at Globe, the 24th, 25th and 26th and we will have a chance to prove we are the better team. There are likely many things that will factor in at that point however. How the pitching match ups line up, is Yu back, is AB back, are there any other injuries to both teams that will factor in. I like our chances vs their SP and their offense surely can't sustain the pace they were on so far, one wouldn't think

 

[jaar01]

Choo has to go to RF, Mazara in LF. We lose too much defensively with Choo in LF.

Also, Braves may be shopping SP Bud Norris as they continue veteran fire sale. Any interest on a #5 starter with a 1.78 ERA since start of May? Probably wouldn't take much to get him and can never have enough SP.

 

[donaldson79]

We lose too much defensively with Choo in LF.

How much do we lose with Choo vs Mazara in RF?

 

[romeo212000]

How much do we lose with Choo vs Mazara in RF?

Collectively? Less.

 

[fordman84]

You are right. Maz is a superior RF but Choo is such a liability in LF that it has to be Choo in RF and Maz in LF.

Doesn't it seem like, and maybe this is actually true and I just don't know about it, but that he will get more chances at getting an outfield assist at home if he is in LF? Seems like his cannon arm can do more to keep guys from going 1st to 3rd or 2nd to home if he is in LF.

 

[fordman84]

Shocker... BSPN has the Red Sox over the Rangers in the newest power rankings. East coast biased shitheads!

i'm good with that. Need something for these young kids to aspire to. Don't start making them think they are the best this early in the season, keep em angry and hungry.

 

[fordman84]

Choo has to go to RF, Mazara in LF. We lose too much defensively with Choo in LF.

Also, Braves may be shopping SP Bud Norris as they continue veteran fire sale. Any interest on a #5 starter with a 1.78 ERA since start of May? Probably wouldn't take much to get him and can never have enough SP.

Depends on the price. I hate to give anything up when we probably will already have to work to find a spot for AJ when he comes back <knocking on wood that Yu only misses one start>.

 

[fordman84]

although it is funny to have a team that has a worse record and has gone 4-6 over their last 10 as a "better" team than the best AL record and 8-2 in last 10.

 

[fordman84]

The Mariners spoiled two excellent starts by James Paxton last week, both against the division-leading Rangers. The lefty tallied 12.1 innings of one-earned-run, 17-strikeout ball over his two starts, culminating in losses (3-1 and 2-1) in both. Texas leads Seattle by five games in the AL West.

Man, don't know about the rest of y'all but that right there just made my day. How pissed must paxton be? You allow 1 run in 12.1 innings and your team gets two losses for it.

 

[donaldson79]

Seems like his cannon arm can do more to keep guys from going 1st to 3rd or 2nd to home if he is in LF.

Most teams best arm between the two corners is in RF.

For whatever it's worth, the top five assist leaders in LF for 2015 had a total of 54, and that number goes to 61 in RF.

Look, most of ya seem to think Choo will go back to RF, but I wouldn't make that change myself. I get where everyone is coming from though.

But I think the thing most everyone is remembering is how bad Choo was in LF. But he was awful in RF as well until he made the mental turnaround in the 2nd half last season. But all that said, Cano doesn't get thrown out with Choo in right, nor was the guy who got nailed at the plate about 2 weeks ago.