Rangers Notes: Club Holds onto First with Finish Line in Sight

Shin-Soo Choo is batting .418 this month with an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of 1.161 and a league-leading 23 runs scored.

The Rangers inched closer to an improbable playoff berth by sweeping a three-game series in Oakland last week and winning Friday’s opener against the Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Friday’s victory increased the Rangers’ A.L. West division lead to 4.5 games and trimmed their magic number to five, although Houston kept its postseason hopes alive with wins on both Saturday and Sunday.

Martin Perez lasted just four-plus innings last Tuesday at O.co Coliseum, but he was taken off the hook when the Texas lineup broke through for five runs in the middle frames against Sean Nolin and Drew Pomeranz.

Texas collected four sacrifice flies in the ballgame and Chi Chi Gonzalez earned the victory with two scoreless innings of relief.

As has been the case on multiple occasions this season, Colby Lewis was once again provided with plenty of run support on Wednesday as part of a 10-3 rout over the Athletics.

Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre and Rougned Odor each went deep in the game while the Rangers took advantage of two errors by Oakland right fielder Josh Reddick.

Another trend continued in Thursday afternoon’s finale as Texas won behind Cole Hamels for the eighth game in a row, an 8-1 victory over the A’s to complete the series sweep.

The Rangers backed Hamels with three early runs against Oakland right-hander Chris Bassitt, then padded their lead with five additional runs off relievers Fernando Abad and Cody Martin.

The only blemish on Hamels’ ledger was an unearned run that scored on a fielding error by Delino DeShields in the bottom of the second.

Texas jumped to yet another early lead on Friday at Minute Maid Park, scoring three runs off Scott Kazmir in the first two innings and three more in the fourth.

Yovani Gallardo, meanwhile, kept Houston off the board for the first three frames before permitting two runs in the fifth inning, and a combination of five relievers prevented any further damage to help the Rangers secure a 6-2 victory.

Southpaw Derek Holland was staked to a 3-0 advantage in the first inning Saturday, but his luck changed when leadoff batter Jose Altuve hit a line drive that deflected off the tip of his left middle finger.

Holland stayed in the ballgame, giving up four earned runs (including three homers) over five innings pitched, but the Astros rallied past Texas and held on for a 9-7 win to even the series.

The Rangers could not muster much offense on Sunday afternoon against Dallas Keuchel, who allowed just two hits and struck out 10 batters as he breezed through seven innings on the way to his 19th victory of the year.

The 4-2 Houston win reduced Texas’ A.L. West lead to 2.5 games heading into the final week of the regular season.

While the Rangers will finish with seven consecutive home games, the Astros play their final six on the road, including a season-ending three-game series under National League rules in Arizona.

DeShields Returns following Knee Sprain

After missing the final three games of the team’s West Coast road trip earlier this month with a sprained left knee, outfielder Delino DeShields has been back in the starting lineup on a regular basis over the past two weeks.

DeShields returned to action on Sept. 11 and has started nearly every game since then, although he has been pulled in the late innings for defensive replacement Drew Stubbs in many of those starts.

A Rule 5 Draft pick acquired from Houston last December, DeShields has been a consistent spark in the Rangers’ offense this year and is currently leading the team with 10 triples and 24 stolen bases.

Rangers Notes: Gonzalez Spins Shutout in Second Start

Chi Chi Gonzalez (left) is greeted by catcher Robinson Chirinos after his 4-0 shutout Friday in Kansas City.

Making just his second major-league start, Texas right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez scattered three hits and tossed a complete-game shutout in the Rangers’ 4-0 win over the Royals last Friday at Kauffman Stadium.

Gonzalez, 23, very nearly made the team out of spring training before he was sent to Triple-A for more seasoning, and he has pitched well in each of his first three big-league appearances so far this year.

He required 116 pitches to get through his shutout against Kansas City, and Texas manager Jeff Banister admitted that the decision to send Gonzalez back out to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning was not an easy one.

“This is a young man that’s fresh in the big leagues,” Banister said. “I’m very conscious of where he is. I felt like there was not a lot of stress on any of the innings. I felt he was still in control, the velocity and pitch ability was still there.”

The complete-game shutout thrown by Gonzalez – which was the first by a Rangers rookie since Derek Holland in 2009 – helped Texas move into second place behind Houston in the American League West.

Backed by a seven-inning quality start from southpaw Wandy Rodriguez on Saturday, the Rangers took two out of three games from the Royals over the weekend before losing two of three this week in Oakland.

Nick Martinez gave up just one hit and did not allow a run across his six innings pitched Tuesday, and the Texas bullpen held off a late rally to preserve a 2-1 victory over Sonny Gray and the A’s.

On Wednesday, however, a 10-strikeout performance by Yovani Gallardo went for naught as the bullpen failed to hold a 4-2 lead, with three Texas relievers giving up one run apiece in a 5-4 loss to Oakland.

The Rangers’ relief corps was even worse in a lopsided 7-0 defeat Thursday afternoon, as the trio of Sam Freeman, Jon Edwards and Ross Detwiler combined to allow six earned runs on three hits and three walks in just one inning of work.

Despite losing their series at O.co Coliseum, the Rangers were provided with an opportunity to face Athletics reliever Pat Venditte, a switch-pitcher who logged three and one-third scoreless frames against Texas while throwing both left- and right-handed.

Tate Selected in First Round of Draft

With the No. 4 overall pick in Monday’s first-year player draft (their highest selection since 1986), the Rangers took right-handed pitcher Dillon Tate out of the University of California-Santa Barbara.

Texas chose the 21-year-old Tate after shortstops had been taken with each of the first three picks – Dansby Swanson (Diamondbacks), Alex Bregman (Astros) and Brendan Rodgers (Rockies).

Tate was converted from a closer into a starter last season at UCSB, posting an 8-5 record with 111 strikeouts across 14 starts while relying on an above-average fastball and a sharp breaking slider.

In the second round of the draft Monday night, Texas picked high school outfielder Eric Jenkins at No. 45 overall. Jenkins, who had committed to UNC-Wilmington, projects as a center fielder whose strongest tools are speed and hitting for contact.

Gonzalez, Russell to Join Rangers Hall of Fame

Two-time American League Most Valuable Player Juan Gonzalez and former All-Star reliever Jeff Russell were announced this week as the newest members of the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame.

Gonzalez hit 372 home runs and racked up 1,180 RBIs — both franchise records — during his time in a Rangers uniform (1989-99, 2002-03), winning A.L. MVP awards in both ’96 and ’98 while anchoring the Texas lineup during the club’s first three playoff appearances.

Russell (1985-92, ’95-96) began his Texas career as a starter before he was moved to the bullpen full-time in 1989. He remains the team’s all-time leader with 406 relief appearances and ranks second behind John Wetteland with 134 saves.

The pair will be honored as the 18th and 19th members of the Rangers’ Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony July 11 at Globe Life Park.

Texas Activates Blanks, Options Patton

First baseman/outfielder Kyle Blanks was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday while right-hander Spencer Patton was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock in a corresponding roster move.

The Rangers also released left-handed pitcher Mike Kickham – who had been claimed on waivers from Seattle last month – from the Round Rock roster.

Rangers Salvage Split in Season-Opening Series

Shin-Soo Choo (center) is greeted by Carlos Corporan and Rougned Odor after his three-run home run Thursday afternoon in Oakland.

Having been shut out in two of the first three games of the season by a composite margin of 18-0, Texas bounced back to earn a split of its four-game series against Oakland with a convincing 10-1 victory Thursday at O.co Coliseum.

Toying with a revamped lineup in which Shin-Soo Choo batted second and Elvis Andrus hit seventh, the Rangers jumped to a quick lead against A’s starter Kendall Graveman and were backed by a solid outing from Nick Martinez.

Each of the first five Texas hitters reached safely versus Graveman (beginning with a leadoff walk drawn by Leonys Martin), and three runs came around to score before Martinez even took the mound.

Home runs with men on base from Mitch Moreland and Choo helped the Rangers pad their lead in the middle innings, and Adrian Beltre and Rougned Odor led off with solo shots in the seventh and eighth, respectively.

Meanwhile, Martinez recorded five strikeouts while scattering four hits across seven innings pitched, and Oakland hitters went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position in the game.

Offseason acquisition Yovani Gallardo was roughed up in his Rangers debut Monday – an 8-0 loss to the A’s – falling behind early when Sam Fuld tripled and Ben Zobrist hit a two-run homer in the first inning.

Athletics starter Sonny Gray, on the other hand, was dominant in his eight frames of work, keeping Texas off the board completely and not allowing a base hit until Ryan Rua connected for a single to lead off the top of the eighth.

On Tuesday, the Rangers – led by elder statesmen Prince Fielder and Colby Lewis – recorded their first win under manager Jeff Banister with a 3-1 victory over Oakland. Lewis allowed just one run on three hits across six quality innings and Fielder went 2-for-3 while driving in his first two runs of the season.

In a battle of southpaws Wednesday night, A’s starter Scott Kazmir completely stymied the Texas offense en route to a 10-0 shutout while the Rangers’ Ross Detwiler was shelled for eight runs on 10 hits in less than five innings pitched.

Veteran Rodriguez Signs Minor-League Deal

Left-handed pitcher Wandy Rodriguez agreed to a minor-league contract with Texas on Monday and was assigned to Triple-A Round Rock.

Rodriguez, 36, had spent the spring with Atlanta but was released by the Braves after they acquired Trevor Cahill from Arizona last week.

In a series of roster moves coinciding with the end of spring training, the Rangers selected the contracts of right-handers Anthony Bass and Keone Kela from Round Rock and Frisco, respectively, while optioning lefty Alex Claudio and righty Jon Edwards to Triple-A.

Additionally, starter Yu Darvish was placed on the 60-day disabled list on Sunday, and four other pitchers — Lisalverto Bonilla, Kyuji Fujikawa, Matt Harrison and Tanner Scheppers — were placed on the 15-day DL.

Gallo Undergoes Heel Surgery

Infield prospect Joey Gallo had surgery performed last Friday to remove a bone from his left heel and is expected to be sidelined for roughly three weeks.

Gallo, 21, led the minor leagues last season with a total of 42 home runs between High-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Frisco. He will re-join the RoughRiders when he returns to action later this month.

Rangers Notes: Cactus League Wrap-Up

Left fielder Ryan Rua led the ballclub with 11 runs batted in this spring while hitting five doubles, two triples and two home runs.

The Rangers ended the Cactus League portion of spring training with a record of 9-18-4 and have almost finished finalizing their active roster leading up to Monday’s season opener at O.co Coliseum.

Twenty-five-year-old Ryan Rua is expected to get the Opening Day start in left field for Texas after a solid debut late last season and a torrid performance this spring, batting .300 across 20 games (18-for-60) with nine extra-base hits and a team-leading 11 RBIs.

Rua won the starting job over more veteran players such as Ryan Ludwick, Carlos Peguero and Nate Schierholtz, as well as fellow youngsters Michael Choice and Jake Smolinski.

“I like the upside of [Rua],” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “He got off to a shaky start, but after he calmed down, the power showed up, the ability to hit the other way showed up. There will be some growth there for him, but I like him.”

With Rua in left, Leonys Martin in center and Shin-Soo Choo in right, Jake Smolinski will begin the season as the team’s fourth outfielder while Rule 5 Draft pick Delino DeShields is likely to stick with Texas as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement.

In the infield, 31-year-old Elliot Johnson was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash on Tuesday while Adam Rosales was informed he will make the Opening Day roster as the club’s utility infielder and super-sub.

The Rangers’ starting pitching plans became a bit clearer this week when right-handers Anthony Ranaudo and Nick Tepesch were both optioned to Triple-A Round Rock, clearing the way for Nick Martinez to claim the fifth spot in the rotation.

Freeman, Verrett Acquired from Cards, O’s

Two new pieces were added to the Texas bullpen over the past week in the form of left-hander Sam Freeman and righty Logan Verrett.

Freeman, 27, was obtained last Saturday from the St. Louis Cardinals for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Houston-born southpaw made a combined 81 relief appearances for St. Louis over the past three seasons, and he figures to be the Rangers’ situational lefty out of the ‘pen.

Verrett, 24, is a Baylor product who had spent his whole career with the New York Mets before getting picked up by Baltimore in December’s Rule 5 Draft. Texas claimed Verrett off waivers from the Orioles on Thursday.

Bullpen depth has become an issue for the Rangers with Kyuji Fujikawa, Tanner Scheppers and Shawn Tolleson all dealing with assorted ailments this spring, and one or more of those three could begin the season on the disabled list.

Texas Releases Oviedo, Wright

Right-handers Juan Carlos Oviedo and Jamey Wright were both released from their minor-league contracts over the last week, taking them out of the running for spots among the Texas relief corps.

Oviedo, who was signed by the Rangers in early January, allowed two runs in three and two-thirds innings pitched this spring, while Wright was hit hard for 11 runs across nine Cactus League appearances.

In other roster news, right-handed pitcher Ross Ohlendorf was re-assigned to the Texas minor-league camp on Saturday. Ohlendorf, 32, had not allowed an earned run over five innings but aggravated a groin injury last Thursday.

Rangers Notes: Forgettable Year Ends with Hope for ’15

Right-hander Lisalverto Bonilla has emerged as a strong rotation candidate for next season, going 3-0 in his three starts down the stretch.

Although they lost two of their final three games and placed last in the American League West division for the first time since 2007, the Rangers nonetheless mounted a strong finish to the season and have reason to be optimistic about next year and beyond.

Texas ended the season 31 games behind Los Angeles in the A.L. West, playing out the string just well enough to yield the worst record in baseball – and with it, the top pick in next summer’s amateur draft – to Arizona.

Injuries were the theme of the 2014 campaign before players even reported for spring training, beginning when starting pitcher Derek Holland underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee in early January.

The next key injury was sustained by second baseman Jurickson Profar, and as the year progressed the DL included more everyday players (Shin-Soo Choo, Prince Fielder, Mitch Moreland) as well as starters (Matt Harrison, Martin Perez, Tanner Scheppers) and relievers (Alexi Ogando, Joe Ortiz).

Over the course of the season, the Rangers used a major-league record 64 different players on their active roster, and by the end of September no fewer than 12 members of the team had made their way onto the 60-day disabled list.

Texas fell out of the division race by early summer as Los Angeles and Oakland laid claim to the top two spots in mid-May and never looked back, but the revolving roster did present a chance for young prospects to prove themselves at the major-league level.

The brightest star to emerge from this shipwrecked season was second baseman Rougned Odor, who filled in admirably for Profar following the departure of Ian Kinsler. The 20-year-old Odor batted .259 for the Rangers after being called up from Double-A Frisco in May, contributing seven triples and 14 doubles while earning a reputation for coming through in clutch situations.

A pair of right-handed hurlerspicked up from National League clubs – Lisalverto Bonilla and Shawn Tolleson – made a positive impact on the pitching staff in ’14, and both appear to be part of Texas’ plans going forward.

Bonilla, acquired from Philadelphia in the Michael Young trade two winters ago, logged 39 appearances at Triple-A Round Rock this season before getting called up, then won each of his first three big-league starts for Texas.

The 26-year-old Tolleson, an Allen High School graduate, was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers last November and went 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA across 64 games out of the Rangers’ bullpen this season.

Another bright spot for Texas was the play of catcher Robinson Chirinos, infielder Adam Rosales and outfielder Dan Robertson, each of whom exceeded expectations and put themselves in good position for a roster spot next spring.

Season Ends on a High Note

With an interim manager and nothing substantial to play for but pride, the Rangers generated some momentum for next year by winning 13 out of 16 games to complete their season.

The final homestand began with a three-game sweep over visiting Houston, as minor-league veteran Guilder Rodriguez provided the go-ahead RBI last Monday before Nick Martinez and Lisalverto Bonilla turned in back-to-back quality starts Tuesday and Wednesday.

Texas then split a four-game set with the Oakland Athletics over the weekend, a series that featured Adrian Beltre’s walk-off home run on Thursday and a combination of eight pitchers used en route to a 5-4 victory on Saturday.

Oakland will be the next regular-season opponent for the Rangers as well, as the two clubs are scheduled to start the 2015 campaign on Apr. 6 at O.co Coliseum.

Daniels Wants New Skipper this Month

Texas GM Jon Daniels spoke to the media following the final game of the year on Sunday, and he addressed his wish to hire a full-time manager by the end of the World Series this month.

Interim skipper Tim Bogar is one of at least three internal candidates who will be interviewed for the job, along with pitching coach Mike Maddux and Triple-A manager Steve Buechele, and the club is looking at several options outside the organization as well.

“It’s important to go through the process,” Daniels said. “There is a lot more conviction among the players, staff, fans, other people if we have gone through the process and [Bogar] is clearly the guy.”

The Rangers went 14-8 under Bogar’s leadership after Ron Washington abruptly announced his resignation on Sept. 5.