A Personal Ode to The Ballpark

It’s hot. It’s ridiculously hot. It’s the kind of hot that forces you to peel your sweat-logged shirt from your body in between pitches – and that’s if you’re sitting in the shade. A seat in left field provides a complimentary and thorough soaking by the second inning. But it’s my ballpark, and I must bid it farewell. More specifically, it is “The Ballpark in Arlington.” Take a seat for now, Ameriquest and Globe Life. Preferably somewhere in the left-field stands.

It’s the place where I fell in love with baseball. Sure, I knew about the national pastime when I was growing up. I played T-ball and Little League, went to a handful of games at Arlington Stadium, heard about Babe Ruth and knew a guy named Nolan Ryan pitched for the Rangers. That was the extent of my knowledge, and that was fine with me. I remember the hubbub when The Ballpark in Arlington opened in 1994, and that summer a country singer named Kenny Rogers (right?) threw something called a “perfect game.” The next year, baseball’s All-Star Game came to town, but I didn’t pay much attention.

Then 1996 happened. The Rangers were good, and I was drawn to the sport like never before. I became enamored with the team’s graceful left fielder, a soft-spoken Alabama kid who patrolled his position with reckless abandon. Although Rusty Greer made the game-saving catch in center field during Kenny Rogers’ perfecto two years prior, he was now entrenched in left. And he was my guy. He was the first player to prove me wrong when I saw a line drive heading for the corner or the gap and thought, “There’s no way anyone will catch that.” Greer often did. My red-capped hero jumped, dove and crashed into walls to turn impossible snags into stunning realities, then humbly re-adjusted his uniform like an office worker standing up after a long meeting.

There was Juan Gonzalez, obliterating baseballs with mighty swings that seemed too strong for a mere mortal. (Turns out that was the case.) Ivan Rodriguez, daring base runners to test his throwing arm, then flashing his trademark smile once the second-base ump signaled another caught stealing. Will Clark, exhibiting the smoothest left-handed stroke I’ve seen to this day. Mickey Tettleton, with his odd bat-parallel-to-the-ground stance. Dean Palmer, holding down third base when he wasn’t cranking home runs. The late Darryl Hamilton manning center when he wasn’t legging out triples. Mark McLemore turning in clutch hits from both sides of the plate. And of course, Kevin Elster driving in 99 runs despite batting ninth in the lineup.

When Texas lost to New York in its first playoff series that fall, I understood the meaning behind the title Damn Yankees. That thought crossed my 11-year-old mind several times, and over the next few seasons it grew to include more colorful words as my vocabulary expanded. In addition to having a favorite team, I now had a sworn enemy of a team as well.

After getting plowed over by the Yankees again in 1998 and 1999, the Rangers turned as sour as milk left sitting on the outfield bleachers during an extra-inning afternoon game. They finished in last place four straight seasons, then in next-to-last-place three years in a row, then in last place again. It was not a good time to be a baseball fan in North Texas. I wasn’t going anywhere, however. This was my team through thick and thin, and these lean years produced some of my fondest Ballpark memories.

On the photo days I attended near the turn of the century (usually sponsored by Fujifilm or some other camera company), I encountered players from the obscure to the legendary. In 2000, my inquisitive nature led me to ask David Segui why he wore the big wrap around his left elbow. “It’s for my elbow,” he replied. Well then. Rafael Palmeiro put his big hands on my little shoulders for one picture. I can distinctly recall my feet leaving the ground for about 10 minutes afterward. But nothing compares to my Johnny Oates experience.

Between one photo day session and the game itself – this was probably 1997 – I planned to trek down and ask the manager for an autograph. “You know, he may recognize you,” my dad told me as I grabbed my ball and pen. Huh? “He probably has grandkids, and he’s probably seen you in some Barney episodes.” Yeah right, dad. The Texas Rangers manager is going to recognize me. Sure.

As he was signing my ball, Oates looked up and said, “Hey, I’ve seen you somewhere before.” My jaw dropped. “Yeah, I’ve seen you on TV. I should be asking you for your autograph,” he said as he handed me my newest treasure. I could only walk back to my seat in stunned silence. Dad knew from the look on my face he was right.

On Opening Day 2001, I caught the only ball I’ve ever snagged off the bat of a big-league player. It didn’t happen during the game, but it didn’t matter. I’ll never forget running onto Greene’s Hill to chase a batting-practice homer struck by Andres Galarraga, sticking out my gloved left hand and feeling the pellet land flush in the pocket. I’m glad it occurred in batting practice, because I didn’t want any TV viewers to witness my awkward form. That July, I waited in a slow-moving line that wound its way down to Cal Ripken Jr., who was about to play his final career game in Arlington. After he signed my ball, I managed to feebly utter “Thanks, Cal” before scurrying away. Clearly, my confidence had grown by leaps and bounds since the Johnny Oates encounter.

For the summer of 2002, The Ballpark turned from my favorite destination to my place of employment. At age 17, I had the pleasure of directing cars into parking spots on the sizzling asphalt, then taking an open seat at the game once my duties were complete. These were the days of Alex Rodriguez and 24 kids, if you’ll recall. Nothing like watching a last-place team for free. I sure didn’t mind.

Good seats were easy to come by because the Rangers were so bad. Armed with a driver’s license, a hand-me-down vehicle and plenty of free time, I was at The Ballpark more often than not during my late high school and early college years. After woebegone experiments like A-Rod, Chan Ho Park and Carl Everett left town, I watched a new corps of youngsters graduate from Double-A Frisco or Triple-A Oklahoma City to the bigs. Mark Teixeira. Francisco Cordero. Hank Blalock. Armando Galarraga. Ian Kinsler. Laynce Nix. Edinson Volquez. Kevin Mench. C.J. Wilson. All within shouting distance at a stadium built for 50,000 fans. Heck, for a while it felt easier to score Rangers tickets than Frisco RoughRiders seats.

Michael Young was there through it all, of course, debuting with Texas in 2000 and sticking around through the franchise’s best and worst moments. The best came later, only after Jon Daniels took over as general manager and solidified the team with outside reinforcements. Here came Nelson Cruz from Milwaukee. Josh Hamilton from Cincinnati. Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz and Matt Harrison from Atlanta. Then, in 2010, longtime nemesis Vladimir Guerrero came to town a few months before Cliff Lee arrived to anchor the pitching staff. The Rangers were good again, and The Metroplex began to take notice. Tickets were suddenly in high demand.

That didn’t keep me away. It simply kept me in the cheaper seats. You think I cared? The Ballpark seemed to receive annual upgrades in the years following Ron Washington’s two pennant-winners. The first game I attend each season calls for the purchase of a crisp new media guide, and the inner flaps of these detailed the ongoing improvements. A new club built within the structure atop Greene’s Hill one winter. Another winter brought the replacement of advertising panels with a second video board in left-center field. It made for an ever-changing vista when I started attending games with the woman who I somehow convinced to marry me. She patiently waited in line with me to get autographs from Feliz and Martin Perez at a winter Fan Fest. Then she patiently waited for other major life events unrelated to baseball.

Together we saw Washington pass the managerial torch to Jeff Banister, who assembled two more playoff entrants with the likes of Shin-Soo Choo, Rougned Odor, Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels. This time around, the Blue Jays handed Texas first-round exits in 2015 and 2016. The Rangers haven’t been competitive since then. All of the sudden, games became less crowded and tickets were easier to come by. This allowed us to get up-close views of slugging monsters like Joey Gallo and Nomar Mazara. Fittingly, this was around the time she suggested I may be too old to bound down the aisles and leap over empty seats seeking pregame autographs. As usual, she was right. Some things never change.

I wasn’t there for any of The Ballpark’s most iconic occasions. I missed the anticipated big moments – the All-Star Game, Nolan Ryan’s number retirement ceremony, Major League Baseball’s first interleague game, any of the playoff clinchers, the 2010 and 2011 American League pennant clinchers. Nor was I present for the Rangers’ first World Series contest win, sparked by Mitch Moreland’s three-run homer, or Derek Holland’s Game 4 masterpiece in the next year’s Fall Classic. I was absent for Adrian Beltre’s 3,000th career hit because I was in Cooperstown seeing Pudge inducted into the Hall of Fame, so that’s an excused absence.

The unforeseen memorable games escaped me as well, including the perfect game in 1994, Gary Matthews Jr.’s stunning catch in 2006, Mark Teixeira hitting for the cycle in 2004. Then Ian Kinsler hitting for the cycle in 2009. Then Adrian Beltre in 2012. Then Alex Rios in 2013. Then Beltre again in 2015. Then Carlos Gomez in 2017. And Odor’s melee-sparking right hook to Jose Bautista’s face. I missed them all. And I don’t regret it one bit.

Over the past two-plus decades, I’ve enjoyed many games at The Ballpark by myself, sometimes chatting with nearby fans and sometimes letting my internal dialogue suffice. I’ve been to several games as part of group outings. I’ve taken friends and girlfriends, in-laws and outcasts, classmates and bandmates. I’ve sat in the front row of the lower deck, the farthest reaches of the upper deck and just about everywhere in between. I’ve taken in games from plush suites, from broken seats and from the scorched aluminum of the outfield bleachers. I’ve been so invested at some games, I never left my seat, lest I miss something for the pristine scorecard I was keeping. And I’ve been rather uninvested at some games, more interested in hanging out with my company or roaming the gift shops or seeking out better seats or kicking back with a couple overpriced adult beverages. I’ve sat through triple-digit heat and what felt like triple-digit humidity. I’ve sat through pouring rain under haunting skies. I’ve sat through unseasonably cool games with a hot chocolate instead of a cold bottle of water. I’ve run the gamut of emotions watching the action on the diamond, from heart-pumping elation to gut-wrenching depression to casual indifference.

I was an 8-year-old kid when The Ballpark in Arlington opened its gates, and I’ll see the final MLB game played there as a 34-year-old man (some would argue against the latter title). The majestic mecca has been a constant throughout my formative years and young adult life. It may no longer host big-league baseball contests, but its memories will live on:

The giddy feeling of walking to the yard from my favorite parking lot, tucked between the Arlington Visitors Bureau and a nondescript industrial complex near the center-field gate. The pungent aroma of hot dogs, jalapeno-topped nachos and beer that hits my nostrils before I even have my ticket out of my pocket. The booming voice of Chuck Morgan careening off every surface from the public address system. The songs that ring out during batting practice, including ballpark staples like John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” and Terry Cashman’s “Talkin’ Baseball.” The swelling anticipation as first pitch approaches. The unique song snippets that precede each Ranger’s trip to the plate. The home run music, swiped from the climactic scene in The Natural but never feeling more natural than in Arlington. The dot races. The celebratory fireworks. The seventh-inning stretch, when “God Bless America” merges seamlessly into “Cotton-Eye Joe.” The sweet taste of victories and the bitter pills of defeat. And after each final out, the soothing voice of Eric Nadel recapping the game’s events on the ride home.

Sure, it’s hot at The Ballpark. And it will be considerably more comfortable in the new retractable-roof, climate-controlled park. And new legions of fans will come to love the game in the new environs, much as I and thousands of others did at the current stadium. Luckily, cherished memories don’t melt in any temperature, meaning I get to carry those with me for the rest of my life. The Ballpark in Arlington is the gift that keeps on giving.

Rangers Notes: Division Lead Grows during Stellar Homestand

Right-hander Matt Bush tossed a perfect inning of relief in Saturday’s 12-4 victory over Houston, lowering his season earned run average to 2.92.

A 7-6 defeat to the Astros on Sunday slightly dampened an otherwise near-perfect homestand for Texas, helping the team build a 9.5-game advantage over second-place Houston heading into the final four weeks of the season.

The Rangers got rolling with a 6-3 win over the Mariners last Monday at Globe Life Park, receiving a 3-for-4 performance from Carlos Beltran and six-plus quality innings from Yu Darvish before Sam Dyson earned his 30th save.

Rougned Odor belted the first walk-off home run of his career Tuesday to give Texas a thrilling 8-7 comeback victory. After the Rangers tied the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh and Seattle reclaimed the lead with a run in the eighth, Odor faced Seattle reliever Edwin Diaz with one man aboard in the ninth.

He clocked a low fastball to straightaway center, dropped his bat and watched the ball land at the base of Greene’s Hill beyond the fence. Odor was greeted at home plate by his jubilant teammates before being embraced in a bear hug by manager Jeff Banister.

Wednesday afternoon’s finale was an absolute shellacking by the Rangers, who slugged five long balls – including two by Odor – on the way to a 14-1 rout.

Texas drove Felix Hernandez from the game after just four innings of work, with Carlos Gomez connecting for his third career grand slam in the bottom of the fourth. Adrian Beltre and Ryan Rua also went deep while Martin Perez tossed six scoreless frames.

The Rangers broke out the bats for another big fourth inning on Friday versus Houston, pushing seven runs across the plate against the Astros’ tandem of Doug Fister and Michael Feliz.

Although Texas hurlers didn’t fare much better (each of the first five pitchers permitted at least one earned run), the Rangers were able to hang on for a slim 10-8 margin of victory.

The well-balanced offensive onslaught continued Saturday as five players collected two RBIs apiece in a 12-4 victory, but Texas fell just short of the sweep with Sunday’s 7-6 loss.

The team will now embark on its second-to-last road swing of the regular season, a 10-game, three-city trip against the Mariners, Angels and Astros.

Mendez Earns Big-League Call Up

Left-hander Yohander Mendez was one of four players called up by the Rangers when active rosters expanded on Sept. 1, along with infielder Hanser Alberto, righty Nick Martinez and catcher Brett Nicholas.

Alberto, Martinez and Nicholas have all logged MLB service time for Texas, but the 21-year-old Mendez will be looking to make his big-league debut.

The Venezuelan southpaw posted identical records of 4-1 at each of his three minor-league stops this year (High Desert, Frisco and Round Rock) while lowering his ERA from 2.45 with the Mavericks to 0.57 with the Express.

He held opposing batters to a .119 average (12-for-101) at Round Rock, including a paltry .074 mark (2-for-27) produced by left-handed hitters.

Texas Sends Cordell to Brewers

Outfielder Ryan Cordell was sent to Milwaukee on Monday to complete the Aug. 1 deal that brought Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress to the Rangers.

The speedy Cordell, a non-roster invitee during spring training with Texas, spent the entire season at Frisco and led the RoughRiders with 12 stolen bases, 19 homers and 70 runs batted in.

Last Wednesday, the club acquired veteran backstop Nevin Ashley from the Mets in exchange for cash considerations and assigned him to Triple-A Round Rock.

Rangers Notes: Choo, Fielder Again Lost to Injuries

Prince Fielder may be out for the year with a herniated disc in his neck, an injury similar to the one he suffered in 2014.

The Rangers hold the distinction of limping both into and out of the All-Star break this season, dropping five consecutive series at one point before taking two out of three last weekend against the Kansas City Royals.

The team’s main area of concern has shifted away from the playing field, however, as it was announced Wednesday that two of the highest-salaried players on the roster – outfielder Shin-Soo Choo and DH Prince Fielder – were headed to the disabled list.

While Choo is expected to return soon from lower back inflammation, Fielder has a herniated disc in his neck and could require season-ending surgery. Both players missed significant time due to injuries during the disastrous 2014 campaign for Texas.

Fielder rebounded from his forgettable ’14 performance and was named A.L. Comeback Player of the Year last season after appearing in 158 games, batting .305 and collecting a career-high 187 hits, numbers more in line with the pre-injury totals he had posted with Milwaukee and Detroit.

In 89 games this year, Fielder has hit just .212 while watching his on-base plus slugging percentage plummet by more than 200 points (from .841 to .626). He has just one homer in the last month and hasn’t driven in a run since Jul. 8.

“I think some of the things we were seeing, the struggles for him to get the ball in the air [on the] pull side are very similar to the things we were seeing early in 2014,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said.

“He was trying to fight through this, but I don’t know exactly for how long … It’s reasonable to say that this definitely had an impact on his performance.”

Choo, meanwhile, missed much of the season’s first two months with a strained calf and then a strained hamstring, and he sat out three straight games to begin the second half while dealing with tightness in his lower back.

After going 0-for-6 in his six plate appearances against Los Angeles last week, Choo received an MRI and an anti-inflammatory injection. His current trip to the DL should not last more than the minimum 15 days.

Infielder Hanser Alberto and outfielder Delino DeShields were called up from Triple-A Round Rock to replace Fielder and Choo on the Rangers’ active roster.

Back on the diamond, Texas stumbled to two straight losses at Wrigley Field following the midsummer classic, managing a total of eight hits as Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel picked up victories for the Cubs.

Rangers lefty Cole Hamels delivered a much-needed quality start in the series finale, recording seven strikeouts and limiting Chicago to one unearned run en route to a 4-1 win over native Texan John Lackey.

The club then traveled to Anaheim for a three-game set versus the Angels, getting swept by finals of 9-5, 8-6 and 7-4 while watching what had been a double-digit lead in the American League West dwindle to 3.5 games over the second-place Astros.

Kyle Lohse and Martin Perez were both shelled in their starts for Texas – combining to allow 14 earned runs on 16 hits – and Los Angeles got wins from J.C. Ramirez, Tim Lincecum and Hector Santiago in the series.

Sliced Finger Sends Diekman to DL

Before the Rangers played their first game out of the All-Star break, reliever Jake Diekman was placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to Jul. 6) with a lacerated left index finger, an injury that occurred when he was reaching into his luggage for a broken beer mug.

Right-hander Keone Kela was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list and starter Derek Holland was transferred from the 15- to the 60-day DL in a pair of corresponding roster moves.

Diekman healed quickly enough to return last Friday while swingman Cesar Ramos was designated for assignment. The 29-year-old has shown no lingering effects of the freak injury, tossing a scoreless inning in each of his two outings versus Kansas City.

Former All-Star Yu Darvish was activated from the disabled list on Jul. 16 – more than a month after getting shut down due to discomfort in his neck and throwing shoulder – as right-hander Jose Leclerc was optioned to Round Rock.

Rangers Pick Up Duffy, Breslow

Utility infielder Matt Duffy was claimed off waivers from Houston over the weekend and assigned to Triple-A Round Rock, giving Texas some depth in case the club needs to use multiple pieces of its farm system for a trade deadline deal.

Duffy had been DFA’d by the Astros to clear an active roster spot for Cuban third baseman Yulieski Gourriel, who recently agreed to a five-year contract worth $47.5 million.

On Sunday, it was announced that the Rangers had agreed to a minor-league deal with veteran southpaw Craig Breslow. The 35-year-old pitched in 15 games this season for Miami before he was released by the Marlins earlier this month.

In addition, Texas acquired right-hander Scott Carroll from the White Sox last Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations and assigned him to Double-A.

Rangers Notes: Short Staff Pummeled on Long Road Trip

After giving up four runs in less than one inning pitched, Chi Chi Gonzalez (center) is removed from Saturday’s 17-5 blowout loss at Target Field.

The absence of pitchers Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis has begun to loom large over the Rangers’ rotation, which has seen a starter reach the seventh inning just twice in the last 18 ballgames.

Texas hurlers were hit particularly hard on the club’s recent road swing through New York, Minneapolis and Boston, combining to allow 67 runs across 86 innings while the team suffered back-to-back series defeats for the first time all season.

Chi Chi Gonzalez was knocked around for five earned runs on 10 base hits in his 2016 debut versus the Yankees last Monday, a contest that was halted for more than three and a half hours by rain during the top of the ninth inning.

With closer Aroldis Chapman protecting a 6-5 lead for New York and clearly having control issues amid a steady downpour, Yankees manager Joe Girardi requested that the umpires inspect the mound. The decision was soon made to delay – rather than suspend – the game.

Once play resumed at 2:15 a.m. local time, the Rangers staged a four-run rally against reliever Kirby Yates that was punctuated by RBI singles from Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus, and Sam Dyson tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth to earn his 16th save of the year.

Beltre hit a two-run homer off CC Sabathia in the first inning Tuesday to give Texas an early lead, which was made to hold up thanks to seven shutout frames from Cole Hamels. The Rangers scored five more times in the eighth on the way to a 7-1 victory.

They jumped to another early advantage on Wednesday and carried a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth, only to see New York stage a furious comeback with six unanswered runs against Matt Bush and Sam Dyson.

Bush put the first two batters aboard before giving way to Dyson, who gave up a game-tying home run to Brian McCann followed by a two-run, walk-off shot to Didi Gregorius.

The Yankee shortstop hurt Texas again Thursday when he lifted a solo homer in the fifth inning off A.J. Griffin to tie the game, and New York salvaged a series split when Chase Headley scored on a passed ball by Robinson Chirinos in the bottom of the ninth.

Friday’s opener against Minnesota remained scoreless until the seventh inning, when Jurickson Profar’s two-run single gave the Rangers a brief lead before Trevor Plouffe answered with a game-tying homer off Martin Perez.

Leading off the top of the tenth versus left-hander Fernando Abad, Ian Desmond slammed an opposite-field home run that put Texas back in front for good, and Dyson struck out two of the three batters he faced to nail down the 3-2 win.

Poor pitching and poor defense amounted to a 17-5 defeat to the Twins on Saturday, as Gonzalez failed to make it out of the first inning while Max Kepler went deep twice and collected seven runs batted in for Minnesota.

The best performance of the afternoon for Texas came from backup catcher Bryan Holaday, who was pressed into service on the mound and did not allow a base runner in his one and one-third innings of work.

(Holaday has since been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised left thumb, and outfielder Jared Hoying was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to fill Holaday’s spot on the active roster.)

Brian Dozier drove in two runs and scored twice on Sunday as the Twins – owners of the worst record in baseball and sitting more than 20 games out of first place – held on for a 5-4 win to take the series.

Texas then wrapped up the road trip by dropping two out of three contests in Boston, with lopsided losses of 12-5 and 11-6 bookending a well-pitched 7-2 victory Tuesday. Cesar Ramos earned the win in relief of A.J. Griffin and Robinson Chirinos put the game away with a three-run blast against Craig Kimbrel in the ninth.

Desmond, Hamels Make All-Star Squad

Outfielder Ian Desmond and left-handed starter Cole Hamels were announced as the Rangers’ two All-Star representatives on Tuesday, and Hamels could be a candidate to start the game next week in his hometown of San Diego.

At the season’s mathematical halfway mark, Desmond had started all but two of Texas’ 81 games while batting .323 with 14 steals, 36 extra-base hits and 52 runs batted in. The career shortstop also made a seamless defensive transition to left and, more recently, center field.

Hamels, 32, reached the midway point with a 9-1 record across his first 16 starts, posting a 2.60 ERA, racking up 102 strikeouts and holding opponents to a .226 batting average.

The 30-year-old Desmond was previously an All-Star for Washington in 2012, and Hamels made the team in 2007, ’11 and ’12 as a member of the Phillies.

Bullpen Gets Fresh Arms

Prior to Sunday’s rubber game in Minnesota, left-hander Michael Roth was called up from Round Rock to provide the Rangers with a well-rested arm in their beleaguered bullpen.

Right-handed reliever Luke Jackson – who had been hammered for six earned runs in less than two innings the previous day – was optioned to Double-A Frisco and Colby Lewis was moved to the 60-day disabled list in a pair of corresponding roster moves.

Roth surrendered six earned runs on 10 hits in his Texas debut Monday, then was designated for assignment on Tuesday when right-hander Jose Leclerc was called up from Triple-A.

Making his major-league debut at Fenway Park, the 22-year-old Leclerc worked around a pair of walks and struck out four batters in two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief.

Also Tuesday, outfielder Ryan Strausborger was traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for international bonus slot money.

Surkamp Obtained from A’s

The Rangers acquired left-hander Eric Surkamp on a waiver claim from Oakland last Wednesday and optioned him to Triple-A Round Rock. Outfielder Drew Stubbs was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Surkamp.

The 28-year-old southpaw had been designated for assignment earlier in the week by the Athletics when they claimed former Ranger Nick Tepesch off waivers from the Dodgers.

Surkamp was winless across nine appearances this season for Oakland, but he posted a 3-1 record with an earned run average of 3.07 and 34 strikeouts in five starts at Triple-A Nashville.

(UPDATE: Texas has since released Surkamp and sold his contract to the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization.)

Rangers Notes: Series Victories Help Keep Pace in Division

Cesar Ramos tossed six quality innings and earned his first victory of the year on Saturday, scattering two hits with four strikeouts versus the Astros in Houston.

With more than a quarter of the season already in the books, Texas and Seattle are the only A.L. West clubs with a winning percentage above .500, putting some distance between themselves and the other three teams in the division.

The Rangers maintained their perfect record against Houston this year with a sweep at Minute Maid Park over the weekend, then took two out of three games from the Angels this week in Arlington to secure the club’s seventh series victory in its last nine attempts.

Texas also improved its record against the rest of the American League West to 15-10, giving the Rangers the second-best winning percentage (.600) of all A.L. teams within their own division. Only the Cleveland Indians (.667) have fared better against their rivals within the A.L. Central.

Colby Lewis recorded six strikeouts across seven shutout innings Friday in Houston while Prince Fielder drove in two runs with an RBI double off Lance McCullers in the top of the second. That was all the offense needed by Lewis and the Texas bullpen en route to a 2-1 victory in the series opener.

The Rangers beat the Astros by a 2-1 final again on Saturday, with left-hander Cesar Ramos delivering his best performance thus far in a Texas uniform.

Ramos limited Houston to one run on a pair of hits while the Rangers scored twice in the early innings against Mike Fiers. Elvis Andrus hit his first homer of the year with two outs in the top of the second off Fiers, and Rougned Odor lined an RBI single off the right-field wall in the third.

(Speaking of Odor, he appealed his eight-game suspension for punching Jose Bautista and had it reduced to seven games. Odor will begin serving his suspension tonight, and Jurickson Profar is expected to be called up to play second base in his absence.)

On Sunday afternoon, Cole Hamels improved his season record to 5-0 as Texas completed the weekend sweep with a 9-2 rout over the Astros.

Each starter collected at least one base hit for the Rangers as they hammered defending A.L. Cy Young award-winner Dallas Keuchel for seven earned runs across six innings of work. Hamels, meanwhile, struck out 11 Houston hitters while sailing through eight quality innings – his longest outing of the year.

The Los Angeles Angels paid a visit to Globe Life Park on Monday and were powered to a 2-0 victory by starter Nick Tropeano and Albert Pujols, who accounted for the game’s only offense with a two-run homer in the third inning off Derek Holland.

Southpaw Martin Perez scattered five hits across six shutout frames as part of the Rangers’ 4-1 win Tuesday, wiggling out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth before Nomar Mazara clocked a two-run homer off Jhoulys Chacin in the bottom of the inning.

Mazara then stole the show in Wednesday afternoon’s rubber game, launching the longest home run (by distance) hit in the major leagues this year.

His second-inning blast off the Angels’ Hector Santiago would have traveled an estimated 491 feet, according to MLB Statcast, placing it ahead of the 475-foot shot hit by Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton three weeks ago.

While Texas did hang on to win the ballgame, 15-9, both Colby Lewis and Shawn Tolleson were hit very hard by Los Angeles hitters, the latter allowing three runs without recording an out as his season ERA climbed to 10.13.

Choo Returns – to Disabled List

The return of outfielder Shin-Soo Choo from the disabled list due to a strained right calf lasted less than three innings Friday before he was pulled from the game and replaced by Ryan Rua. Choo said he felt tightness in his left hamstring after scoring from second base on Prince Fielder’s RBI double.

The 33-year-old Choo had just been activated from the DL earlier on Friday, one day after left-handed reliever Andrew Faulkner was optioned to Round Rock.

On Monday, Choo was put back on the disabled list (retroactive to May 21) along with fellow outfielder Drew Stubbs, who sprained his left pinky toe running the bases during the ninth inning of Sunday’s win over Houston.

In a series of related roster moves, infielder Joey Gallo was recalled from Triple-A and the contract of outfielder Jared Hoying was purchased from Round Rock while Patrick Kivlehan was designated for assignment.

It was also announced Monday that former American League MVP Josh Hamilton will undergo surgery next month on his left knee and won’t play again this season. Hamilton will still collect over $28 million in salary this year, with the Angels contributing more than 90 percent toward that figure.

Plans Unveiled for New Stadium

Despite the fact that Globe Life Park is only 22 years old and is still considered part of the “new wave” of stadiums built on the heels of Baltimore’s Camden Yards, it could be torn down and replaced with a new retractable-roof venue as soon as the 2021 season.

The city of Arlington and the Rangers announced plans for the proposed ballpark last Friday, and three days later the city council unanimously approved the project. The issue is slated to go before Arlington voters this November.

With a total estimated cost of $1 billion, the city and the ballclub would each contribute $500 million toward the new stadium. The current lease on Globe Life Park is set to expire after the 2023 campaign.

Darvish Set for Season Debut

As he nears the end of his journey back from Tommy John surgery, right-hander Yu Darvish tossed six scoreless innings in a tune-up start for Double-A Frisco last weekend and is expected to re-join the Texas rotation on Saturday against the Pirates.

In five rehab starts this month split between Frisco and Round Rock, Darvish struck out a total of 21 batters while permitting just six walks and posting a miniscule WHIP of 0.75 – albeit facing strictly minor-league lineups.

The 29-year-old All-Star has not appeared in a big-league game since Aug. 9, 2014, when he was rocked by Houston for six runs on nine hits in four-plus innings of work. Darvish developed arm troubles the following spring and opted to undergo the reconstructive procedure on his elbow in March.