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.

Franchise Hit Leader Young Retires in a Rangers Uniform

Michael Young is flanked by Texas GM Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington as he announces his retirement Friday at Rangers Ballpark.

Longtime Texas infielder Michael Young formally announced his retirement at a press conference last week in Arlington while wearing the uniform of the team for which he played all but one of his 13 big-league seasons.

Like Ivan Rodriguez two years ago, Young decided to return to the Lone Star State and don a Rangers cap as part of his farewell to baseball, ending a solid career which included seven A.L. All-Star appearances, a batting title and two World Series runs.

Young, who was traded to Philadelphia last winter, retires as the Rangers’ all-time leader in several offensive categories, including games (1,823), at-bats (7,399), runs scored (1,085), base hits (2,230), doubles (415) and triples (55).

“He was an ultimate teammate,” manager Ron Washington said. “What that means is that he’s a person that came to the ballpark every single day and performed to the best of his ability within a team concept. That’s exactly what Michael was about.”

Young, 37, received marginal interest on the free-agent market this offseason, and while he could have returned for another year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he ultimately chose to stay home and spend time with his family.

The versatile infielder expressed gratitude Friday toward local fans as well as the Rangers organization, which acquired Young from Toronto as part of a July 2000 deal in exchange for right-hander Esteban Loaiza.

He was the team’s regular second baseman for the next three seasons, then was moved to shortstop when Texas traded Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees for Alfonso Soriano prior to the 2004 campaign.

Young switched positions again in 2009 when he transitioned to third base in order to make room for Elvis Andrus at short, and two years later he was asked to shift to a super utility/designated hitter role after the club signed Adrian Beltre and traded for Mike Napoli.

While Young initially balked at the proposed move and requested to be traded, he eventually accepted the new role and helped Texas win its second straight pennant, although the ordeal led to admittedly strained relations between himself and general manager Jon Daniels.

On Friday, Young also discussed the team’s back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and ’11, noting that he still does not feel the best team won the 2011 Fall Classic when Texas was defeated by St. Louis in seven games.

“I mean no disrespect by it, but we were the better team,” he said. “Flat out. I can say that now that I’m retired.”

Bard, Galarraga among Pre-Camp Additions

The Rangers announced Monday that they had signed right-handed pitchers Daniel Bard and Armando Galarraga to minor-league contracts, with Bard getting an invitation to big-league camp in Surprise, Ariz.

Bard is not expected to be ready to throw when spring training begins later this month as he is recovering from surgery to repair Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which limited him to just two games with the Red Sox last season.

For his career, the 28-year-old Bard has made 211 appearances across part of the last five seasons for Boston, posting a record of 10-19 with a 3.67 earned run average and more than two strikeouts per walk in that span.

Galarraga, 32, made his major-league debut with Texas back in 2007 before becoming a footnote to baseball history while pitching for Detroit. In a June 2010 game against Cleveland, Galarraga retired the first 26 batters he faced, but he was denied a perfect game when umpire Jim Joyce blew the call on what should have been the final out at first base.

Korean Hurler Yoon Throws for Rangers

Right-handed pitcher Suk-Min Yoon has drawn interest from a handful of MLB clubs this offseason, and the international free agent threw a bullpen session in front of Texas (and Chicago Cubs) brass in Surprise on Tuesday.

Yoon was transitioned from a starter into a reliever following shoulder surgery last season, but the Rangers, who have not yet added an outside pitcher to fill the rotation while Derek Holland rehabilitates from knee surgery, would almost certainly utilize him as a starter.

The 27-year-old Yoon, a Scott Boras, client won the Korean Baseball Organization MVP award in 2011 (as well as the pitching triple crown) with a record of 17-5, a 2.45 ERA and 178 strikeouts for the Kia Tigers.

Rangers Notes: Knee Injury Sidelines Holland until Midseason

The ballclub expects to be without left-handed starter Derek Holland for the better part of the upcoming season.

Starting pitcher Derek Holland underwent surgery on Friday to repair what was first reported as a torn meniscus in his left knee, an injury that was the result of a self-described “freak accident” last week in which Holland’s dog, Wrigley, tripped him while running up the stairs in his home.

The 27-year-old Holland was quick to shoot down speculation that he got hurt Monday night while playing a game for his amateur hockey team, an offseason activity which is not specifically covered in his $28.5 million contract.

“I’m getting tired of the assumption that I hurt myself playing hockey,” he said. “I played the full game and was fine.”

More information came yesterday that the surgery performed on Holland’s knee involved a micro-fracture operation, which can make for a longer recovery timetable than that of a more traditional procedure.

Whereas the Rangers had initially thought Holland would be out until around the July All-Star break, he is now expected to miss a good portion (and perhaps all) of the 2014 season.

Holland, who led the Texas staff last year with 33 starts and 213 innings pitched while throwing the club’s only two shutouts, had been considered nearly a shoe-in for the No. 2 spot in the Texas rotation behind Yu Darvish.

The Rangers must now try to fill that role in the weeks leading up to spring training, and general manager Jon Daniels has indicated the team will look for a replacement from within the organization rather than on the free-agent market.

“It’s not good news,” Daniels said, “but we look at it as an opportunity for some other guys to seize that chance.”

Early internal candidates to break the rotation in Holland’s absence include fellow lefties Michael Kirkman and Robbie Ross as well as right-handers Colby Lewis, Alexi Ogando, Tanner Scheppers and Nick Tepesch.

Scheppers has said he plans to arrive in Surprise, Ariz., ready to be either stretched out as a starter or used again as a late-inning reliever after leading the club with 76 appearances out of the bullpen last season.

“I’m just going to go in there in the best shape of my life and be ready for whatever,” Scheppers said. “I want to do both. I want to pitch and help this team. It’s not my decision to make that call.”

If Texas decides to change course and add an outside arm to the mix, options there include Bronson Arroyo, Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana, with Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka still thought to be a long shot.

Solarte Inks Minor-League Deal with Yankees

Infielder Yangervis Solarte was recently signed to a minor-league contract by the New York Yankees, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

New York has been exploring potential third base options since it was announced by Major League Baseball that Alex Rodriguez would be suspended for the entire 2014 regular season, including any possible playoff games.

Rodriguez was originally handed a 211-game suspension stemming from his ties to the Biogenesis clinic in Florida, but last week an arbitrator reduced the penalty to 162 games.

As for Solarte, the 26-year-old switch-hitter spent each of the past two seasons at Triple-A Round Rock in the Pacific Coast League, batting a combined .282 with 59 doubles for the Express.

Farm System Awards go to Jackson, Odor

The Rangers announced Tuesday that right-hander Luke Jackson and infielder Rougned Odor had been named the club’s 2013 minor-league pitcher and player of the year, respectively.

Jackson, a first-round draft pick by Texas in 2010, split last season between High-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Frisco, posting an 11-4 record with 134 strikeouts and an earned run average of 2.04 across 25 appearances.

Odor, still just 19 years of age, also spent time with both the Pelicans and RoughRiders last season, combining to hit .305 with six triples, 11 home runs and 32 stolen bases.

Rangers Notes: Nadel Savors Call to Cooperstown

New York native Eric Nadel has been one of the radio voices of Texas Rangers baseball since 1979.

Following 35 years of calling Rangers games from the radio booth, Eric Nadel will be honored next summer as the 2014 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence, given annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Nadel, a Brooklyn native who grew up rooting for the Dodgers, graduated from Brown University in 1972 and began his broadcasting career as a radio announcer for minor-league hockey and professional women’s basketball games.

He joined the Rangers in 1979 and handled both radio and television duties for three seasons, but Nadel moved to the radio side for good starting in 1982, the same year he was joined on the microphone by veteran Mark Holtz.

“I think he saved me as a baseball announcer,” Nadel said of the late Holtz, who lost his battle with leukemia in 1997. “He was a great role model for me to follow. I learned a lot from him. He had done a lot of minor-league baseball … and I was able to copy a lot of things that he did.”

From ’82 through ‘94, Holtz and Nadel formed a successful radio tandem while describing the (mostly) bad Texas clubs on the field, although the poor quality of play did not dictate the mood in the booth.

“For all those years when the Rangers were bad, the job was still fun,” Nadel said. “Some of the games were irrelevant – a lot of the games were irrelevant – but they’re still Major League Baseball games.”

It would not be until 1996, a year after Holtz had moved over to the television booth and Nadel was given lead radio duties, that Texas made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and the Rangers went on to win the A.L. West division crown two out of the next three years as well.

More than a decade later, in 2010, Nadel was at the mic when Neftali Feliz struck out former Ranger Alex Rodriguez to clinch the A.L. pennant and send Texas to its first World Series.

“The way the stadium exploded with joy, it was so emotional, maybe the most emotional moment of my life,” he said. “I’ll never forget that … It was very satisfying to see Rangers fans finally get rewarded for their endurance and their loyalty over the years and all that they had been through.”

Nadel, who is already a member of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame (1991) and the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame (2012), will receive his Frick award during the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies next July in Cooperstown.

“It’s a logical award for someone that deserves it,” said former big-league outfielder and current Rangers TV color analyst Tom Grieve. “He has put so much into his job. I’ve often said to myself, ‘No matter how hard I try to do my job, there’s no way I could put as much into it as he does.’”

Texas Signs Kouzmanoff, Others to Deals

Last Thursday the ballclub announced that it had signed four players to minor-league contracts which include invitations to spring training – third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, utility man Brent Lillibridge, shortstop John Wilson and right-hander Armando Rodriguez.

Only Rodriguez has yet to record any big-league experience, as the other three have each logged at least semi-regular playing time in the majors over the past few seasons.

Kouzmanoff has achieved the most sustained success of the group, averaging more than 18 home runs across a four-year span while a member of the Padres (2007-09) and Athletics (2010).

Lillibridge had spent a good portion of his career with the While Sox before being dealt to Boston in exchange for Kevin Youkilis last summer, and Wilson has already seen big-league service time with no fewer than seven different organizations.

In addition, right-hander Justin Germano agreed to a minor-league deal on Wednesday. Germano got into just one game for the Blue Jays last season, spending most of the year as a starter at Triple-A Buffalo.

Wolf Released, Heads to Korea

Right-handed pitcher Ross Wolf was given his unconditional release last Friday so that he could sign with the SK Wyverns of the Korean Baseball Organization.

In 22 games with Texas this season (including three starts), the 31-year-old Wolf posted an earned run average of 4.15 while earning his first major-league victory against three losses.

Wolf had previously appeared in a total of 25 big-league games for the Marlins and Athletics in 2007 and 2010, respectively.

Rangers Notes: Cruz Accepts 50-Game Suspension from MLB

Outfielder Nelson Cruz will miss the rest of the 2013 regular season, but he could return to the Rangers’ lineup if they make the playoffs.

All-Star outfielder Nelson Cruz was one of a dozen players who received 50-game suspensions Monday afternoon stemming from their ties to Biogenesis, a defunct South Florida wellness clinic accused of supplying performance-enhancing drugs to a number of big-league stars.

Other notable names receiving a 50-game suspension included Detroit’s Jhonny Peralta and San Diego’s Everth Cabrera, and all 12 players chose to forego their right to a potentially lenghty appeal process and accept their suspensions without pay effective immediately.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, on the other hand, was dealt a ban of 211 games by Major League Baseball, covering the remainder of this season and the entire 2014 season as well. Rodriguez plans to appeal his suspension and in fact saw his first game action of the year Monday night in Chicago.

As for Cruz — the Texas club leader in home runs (27) and RBIs (76) this season — he admitted to making “an error in judgment” and said his foray into PEDs came as a result of a gastrointestinal infection that caused him to lose 40 pounds in late 2011 and early 2012.

“I accept full responsibility for that error,” Cruz said in a statement. “I should have handled the situation differently, and my illness was no excuse.

“I am thankful for the unwavering support of my family, friends and teammates during this difficult time. I look forward to regaining the trust and respect of the Rangers’ organization, my teammates and the great Rangers fans.”

The loss of Cruz creates a big hole in the middle of the Texas batting order, and the ballclub had tried to acquire a potential replacement before last month’s non-waiver trade deadline but never made a deal thanks to a very lackluster market.

“We’re not going to replace Nelson’s production with one player, whether internally or through a trade,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “It’s incumbent on [manager] Ron Washington and his staff to get the best out of our whole roster.

“It’s going to be a challenge for us, but this club has never shied away from a challenge before. We believe in this team. We have every expectation of continuing to win and making it to the playoffs in spite of this situation.”

To offset Cruz’s departure for the time being, outfielders Engel Beltre and Joey Butler were called up Monday from Triple-A Round Rock while recently-claimed infielder Adam Rosales was designated for assignment.

Lewis Shut Down for Rest of Season

A day after learning that they will be without their leading run-producer for the remainder of the year, the Rangers announced Tuesday that right-hander Colby Lewis will require season-ending surgery to remove bone spurs from his hip.

Lewis was working his way back from flexor tendon surgery in his throwing elbow and had already made a few rehab starts, with the hopes of returning to the Texas rotation down the stretch and possibly into the playoffs.

“Going out there, my fastball has inconsistencies,” Lewis explained. “My consistency to repeat my delivery is not there. I’ve put myself in a situation where I haven’t given my arm a chance to get right either. … If my mechanics aren’t right with my hip, it feels sore at times.”

Texas Gains Ground over West Coast Rivals

Following a quick four-game homestand last week, the Rangers moved on to California and took two out of three against Oakland before completing another sweep of the floundering Angels.

In what turned out to be his final series before serving his suspension, Nelson Cruz homered twice over the weekend versus the Athletics, connecting for a two-run shot Friday off Oakland starter Tommy Milone and a solo home run Sunday against A.J. Griffin.

Sunday’s rubber game also featured one of Derek Holland’s best outings of the year as he scattered four hits and recorded 10 strikeouts across eight shutout innings, keeping the A’s off the board while Texas held on for a 4-0 victory.

In Anaheim on Monday, left-hander Martin Perez lasted into the seventh and was supported by a pair of multi-run innings from his teammates against Jerome Williams, including an RBI triple by Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre’s 24th home run of the season.

Monday’s 5-2 win was followed by two contests in which the Rangers took full advantage of Angels catchers Chris Iannetta and Hank Conger, stealing a combined 13 bases as Texas cruised to a three-game sweep by finals Tuesday and Wednesday of 8-3 and 10-3, respectively.