7/30 Rangers Scorecard vs Angels

7/30 Rangers Lineup vs Angels

2 Martin 7
1 Andrus 6
5 Kinsler 4
29 Beltre 5
12 Pierzynski DH
17 Cruz 9
15 Baker 3
8 Soto 2
23 Gentry 8

45 Holland

Rangers Lineup Musical Chairs

If anything this year, one can say Wash tried flipping the lineup to find the right combination and chemistry.
Currently, through 105 games the lineup positions, except lead-off & clean-up,  have 2 to 3 times players tried in those spots than last year.

Lineup	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Player - Times in lineup position.	Kinsler-75	Andrus-62	Berkman-57	Beltre-94	Pierzynski-43	Moreland-29	Murphy-22	Moreland-20	Martin-59
	Andrus-25	Murphy-23	Cruz-33	Cruz-11	Cruz-35	Cruz-22	Moreland-20	Murphy-16	Gentry-13
	Profar-5	Profar-9	Beltre-9		Murphy-12	Pierzynski-13	Soto-16	Gentry-16	Garcia-9
		Gentry-3	Pierzynski-4		Moreland-10	Baker-11	Pierzynski-13	Profar-13	Profar-6
		Martin-2	Kinsler-2		Berkman-3	Murphy-8	Baker-13	Soto-11	Beltre-3
		Beltre-2			Baker-2	Andrus-8	Profar-7	Martin-11	Holland-3
		Moreland-2				Berkman-5	Gentry-4	McGuiness-5	Moreland-3
		Garcia-2				Soto-5	McGuiness-4	Chirinos-4	Murphy-2
						Gentry-2	Andrus-3	Andrus-3	Tepesch-2
						Profar-1	Chirinos-2	Beltre-3	Perez-2

7/29 Rangers Scorecard vs Angels

Hello Win Column!!! 

Party Time! Excellent!

Unbreak the Rangers

There are two camps on why the Rangers are not performing.
The first camp puts the blame on the coaches and manager, Ron Washington: The players are not hitting because of Dave Magadan, and the game is being mismanaged by Ron Washington.

The other camp is putting it on the players, although I only usually see a few names attached to this belief.

I do not belong to the first camp, because I find it hard to believe that Magadan somehow took away the hitting groove of all the players (it's everyone, not just a few, but we will get to that). Next, the complaints I've seen about Ron haven't played out to prove the points. The first major complaint over a month ago was that, "Ron needs to figure out this lineup, we have the wrong person in the two hole." Since then we've seen the lineup play musical chairs, and never found the "winning" magical combination.

I do belong to the second camp, although I think the fault is on more of the players than a few.
The team is not performing and it is frustrating and hard to watch.

I don't fault anyone for having upset and angered emotions about watching their team crumble.
However, I do think you should remove some of the knee-jerk reaction and include some facts to see why we are where we are.

First: Injuries

Wash has been in some tough spots injury wise and it has caused us to play some players that we really shouldn't be playing.
This is almost a 25 man roster of injuries: 

Date	Player	Status	Injury
07/12/2013	Justin Grimm	Day-to-Day	Left game - sore right forearm
07/07/2013	Lance Berkman	15-Day DL	Left hip inflammation
07/07/2013	Yu Darvish	15-Day DL	Upper back strain
07/06/2013	Nick Tepesch	15-Day DL	Right elbow inflammation
06/21/2013	Craig Gentry	15-Day DL	Fractured left hand
06/13/2013	Jeff Baker	15-Day DL	Sprained right thumb
06/07/2013	Nelson Cruz	Day-to-Day	Hamstring
06/07/2013	Michael Kirkman	60-Day DL	Cutaneous lymphoma in right triceps
06/06/2013	Alexi Ogando	15-Day DL	Right shoulder inflammation
06/06/2013	Mitch Moreland	15-Day DL	Strained right hamstring
06/01/2013	Adrian Beltre	Day-to-Day	Left game - Left hamstring tightness
05/18/2013	Ian Kinsler	15-Day DL	Right intercostal strain
05/16/2013	Alexi Ogando	15-Day DL	Right biceps tendinitis
05/06/2013	A.J. Pierzynski	15-Day DL	Strained right oblique
04/20/2013	Nick Tepesch	Day-to-Day	Left game - right arm bruise
04/11/2013	Justin Miller	60-Day DL	Recovery from right elbow surgery
04/07/2013	Matt Harrison	60-Day DL	Inflamed nerve in lower back
04/07/2013	Yu Darvish	Day-to-Day	Left game - blister
03/24/2013	Neftali Feliz	60-Day DL	Recovery from right elbow surgery
03/22/2013	Joakim Soria	60-Day DL	Recovery from right elbow surgery
03/22/2013	Colby Lewis	60-Day DL	Recovery from right elbow surgery
03/22/2013	Martin Perez	15-Day DL	Cracked ulna bone, left forearm

Who are some who helped fill in the gaps: 

CATCHER
Name	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Robinson Chirinos	0.247	0.318	0.384	0.31
First Base
Name	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Robinson Chirinos	0.247	0.318	0.384	0.31
Jeff Baker	0.266	0.315	0.441	0.329
Chris McGuiness	0.232	0.308	0.369	0.299
Second Base & Short Stop
Name	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Jurickson Profar	0.253	0.322	0.39	0.313
Leury Garcia	0.248	0.285	0.33	0.271
Third Base
Name	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Jurickson Profar	0.253	0.322	0.39	0.313
OutField
Name	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Jurickson Profar	0.253	0.322	0.39	0.313
Leonys Martin	0.273	0.327	0.419	0.325
Jeff Baker	0.266	0.315	0.441	0.329
Engel Beltre	0.254	0.292	0.356	0.284
Starting Pitchers
Name	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	BABIP
Josh Lindblom	7.4	3.6	1.3	0.298
Ross Wolf	5	3.3	1.1	0.314
Matt Harrison	6	2.9	1	0.301
Relief Pitchers
Name	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	ERA
Neal Cotts	9.7	4.1	0.8	3.63
Cory Burns	8.2	3.5	0.8	3.77
Joe Ortiz	6	2.5	1.2	4.33
Wilmer Font	9.8	6.2	1.3	4.8
Kyle McClellan	5.5	3.1	1.3	4.86
Ross Wolf	5	3.3	1.1	5.08
Josh Lindblom	7.4	3.6	1.3	4.25

Second: Performance

I think you have to put our teams performance directly back on the people walking up to the plate and taking the at-bats. The biggest thing that stands out to me is the inability for the team to string together any sort of offense. During a game, you will see moments of offense: the base hit, the kinsler double, a Cruz or Beltre homer. Unfortunately, these are rarely chained together to manufacturer any sort of offense. We have the 3rd highest GIDP in the American League, and have also left 710 on base. That's a whole lotta runs that just never came to the plate.

GIDP:

#	Name	GDP
1	Adrian Beltre	13
2	Nelson Cruz	13
3	Elvis Andrus	13
4	Mitch Moreland	11
5	A.J. Pierzynski	9
6	David Murphy	9

The truth is currently, no one on the team is having a year including those we count on the most.
Is it possible for an entire team to slump at the same time?

Recent Performance (Since All Star Break)

#	Name	G	PA	H	HR	R	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Elvis Andrus	10	42	12	0	5	1	3	0.333	0.415	0.389
2	Craig Gentry	4	13	4	0	0	1	1	0.4	0.462	0.7
3	David Murphy	9	24	7	1	3	3	0	0.304	0.333	0.435
4	Geovany Soto	3	11	3	0	0	1	0	0.333	0.455	0.444
5	Engel Beltre	3	12	4	0	0	1	0	0.333	0.333	0.417
6	Jeff Baker	4	10	4	0	1	0	1	0.4	0.4	0.5
7	Jurickson Profar	6	20	5	0	0	0	0	0.313	0.389	0.313
8	Ian Kinsler	10	44	9	0	2	6	1	0.237	0.295	0.342
9	Leonys Martin	9	29	6	0	2	1	1	0.231	0.25	0.308
10	Adrian Beltre	10	42	9	1	4	3	0	0.225	0.262	0.325
11	A.J. Pierzynski	10	41	9	1	2	2	0	0.22	0.22	0.293
12	Nelson Cruz	9	39	6	2	3	2	0	0.171	0.256	0.343
13	Mitch Moreland	10	39	2	1	3	3	0	0.056	0.128	0.139

The funny thing about the numbers since the All-Star Break, is the players I see fan tweets saying "DFA ___" or "Why does Wash still putting him in the lineup?" are some of our folks who are performing the best since the ASB.

How to Unbreak the Rangers

So what's the answer?
Other than keep doing the right things and the right things will eventually pay off, I don't know.

In my opinion, we have some serious bats in our lineup that just aren't performing. When 2/3's of your lineup is not producing and causing inning ending outs and double plays with RISP, that's a major problem.

We need to bring in a new bat or two who haven't caught the "slump disease", and then break up the regular faces in our current lineup that are causing the Flyout, ground out, strike out cycle that we are seeing after we get a runner or two on. 

Two days left until trade deadline, Let's see what JD brings in!

That's the way the baseball go.

7/29 Rangers Lineup vs Angels

2 Martin 8
1 Andrus 6
5 Kinsler 4
29 Beltre 5
12 Pierzynski DH
17 Cruz 9
7 Murphy 7
8 Soto 2
18 Moreland 3

22 Garza 1

7/28 Rangers Lineuo vs Indians

5 Kinsler DH
1 Andrus 6
17 Cruz 9
29 Beltre 5
12 Pierzynski 2
7 Murphy 7
13 Profar 4
18 Moreland 3
2 Martin 8

41 Ogando RHP

7/27 Rangers Lineup vs Indians

5 Kinsler 4
43 Beltre 7
17 Cruz 9
29 Beltre 5
12 Pierzynski DH
1 Andrus 6
18 Moreland 3
8 Soto 2
2 Martin 8

11 Darvish RHP

7/24 Rangers vs Yankees Scorecard

7/25 Rangers Lineup vs Yankees

5 Kinsler 4
1 Andrus DH
17 Cruz 9
29 Beltre 5
12 Pierzynski 2
18 Moreland 3
13 Profar 6
7 Murphy 7
2 Martin 8

45 Holland

7/24 Rangers Lineup vs Yankees

5 Kinsler 4
1 Andrus 6
17 Cruz 9
29 Beltre 5
12 Pierzynski DH
15 Baker 7
18 Moreland 3
8 Soto 2
23 Gentry 8

22 Garza

7/23 Rangers Lineup vs Yankees

5 Kinsler 4
13 Profar 5
17 Cruz 9
29 Beltre DH
12 Pierzynski 2
1 Andrus 6
18 Moreland 3
23 Gentry 8
43 Beltre 7

41 Ogando RHP

Garza is a Ranger!

Rangers have a new Right Handed Pitcher!
Now it's time for a Bat!
JD! Go!

Rangers acquire from the Cubs:
Matt Garza


Traded to the Cubs:
Mike Olt
C.J. Edwards
Justin Grimm
a 1 more player to be named later

7/22 Rangers Line-up vs Yankees

5 Kinsler 4
18 Moreland 3
17 Cruz 9
29 Beltre 5
13 Pierzynski DH
1 Andrus 6
7 Murphy 7
8 Soto 2
2 Martin 8

11 Darvish 1

7/21 Rangers Lineup vs Orioles

5 Kinsler 4
23 Gentry 8
17 Cruz DH
29 Beltre 5
12 Pierzynski 2
18 Moreland 3
1 Andrus 6
7 Murphy 7
2 Martin 9

7/19 Rangers Lineup vs Orioles

5 Kinsler 4
1 Andrus 6
12Pierzynski 2
29 Beltre 5
15 Baker DH
18 Moreland 3
23 Gentry 8
13 Profar 7
2 Martin 9

45 Holland 1

Whole Lotta Pitchers

I'm happy about the potential Garza deal, but with a few of our reinforcements returning hopefully soon! It's time for a bat.

We have used a chunk of pitchers this year (22 vs. 21 in all of 2012)

Rk	Pos		Age	W	L
1	SP	Derek Holland*	26	8	4
2	SP	Yu Darvish	26	8	4
3	SP	Justin Grimm	24	7	7
4	SP	Nick Tepesch	24	4	6
5	SP	Alexi Ogando	29	4	2
6	SP	Martin Perez*	22	3	2
7	CL	Joe Nathan	38	1	0
8	RP	Tanner Scheppers	26	5	1
9	RP	Robbie Ross*	24	4	2
10	RP	Neal Cotts*	33	4	1
11	RP	Jason Frasor	35	0	1
Rk	Pos		Age	W	L
12		Ross Wolf	30	1	2
13		Joe Ortiz*	22	2	1
14		Josh Lindblom	26	1	3
15		Michael Kirkman*	26	0	2
16		Derek Lowe	40	1	0
17		Matt Harrison*	27	0	2
18		Kyle McClellan	29	0	1
19		Cory Burns	25	1	0
20		Joakim Soria	29	0	0
21		Wilmer Font	23	0	0
22		David Murphy*	31	0	0
Rk	Pos		Age	W	L
		Team Totals