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: Hamels, Texas Beat King Felix in Opener

Rougned Odor is congratulated by Prince Fielder after scoring Monday on a bases-loaded walk to Shin-Soo Choo.

For the second year in a row, the Rangers managed just one hit in their season opener while the Texas starter put his team in an early hole by giving up a first-inning homer.

But unlike the 2015 opener (an 8-0 defeat to Oakland), Texas was able to manufacture some runs Monday afternoon against Seattle’s Felix Hernandez in a 3-2 comeback victory over the Mariners at Globe Life Park.

Left-hander Cole Hamels allowed a solo home run to Robinson Cano just three batters into the game before noted Ranger-killer Kyle Seager followed with a shot of his own in the top of the second, giving Seattle a quick 2-0 advantage.

Hernandez hit Texas leadoff batter Delino DeShields with a pitch but otherwise cruised through his first four innings of work, and Hamels settled down after his rocky start to keep the Mariners from adding to their lead.

Texas mounted its rally in the bottom of the fifth inning when Rougned Odor drew a leadoff walk against Hernandez and later moved to third base on a fielding error by Seager, which allowed Elvis Andrus to reach first.

Hernandez then issued consecutive walks to DeShields and Shin-Soo Choo to force home Odor with the Rangers’ first run of the season, and Prince Fielder tied the game with a bloop single into left field – the only hit Texas got all day.

With the bases still loaded and one out, Adrian Beltre hit a ground ball to shortstop Ketel Marte that could have been turned into a double play and ended the inning. Instead, Marte booted the ball for an error while DeShields came home to score the go-ahead run.

Hamels finished the day with eight strikeouts and turned the ball over to southpaw Jake Diekman after seven quality innings. Diekman worked a scoreless top of the eighth, and closer Shawn Tolleson struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to nail down the save.

Monday’s contest marked the second time in club history that Texas won a game despite getting just one hit. It first happened on July 27, 1993, when Rafael Palmeiro’s solo home run off Kansas City starter Kevin Appier gave the Rangers a 1-0 victory (although they were outhit by the Royals, 9-1).

Unfortunately for Texas, the relief performances on Monday seemed an aberration by the end of the series, as Seattle battered what was supposed to be a strong Rangers bullpen both Tuesday and Wednesday.

After Texas had rallied from another early deficit and tied Tuesday’s game at 2-2, right-hander Tony Barnette was given a rude welcome in his major-league debut, allowing two runs on three hits before he was pulled.

Trailing 4-2 in the top of the eighth, Tom Wilhelmsen was summoned to face his former team and failed to record an out. The Mariners had already collected four straight hits off Wilhelmsen – two doubles and two homers – when he hit Chris Iannetta with the first pitch of his at-bat.

Wilhelmsen was immediately ejected by home-plate umpire Marvin Hudson, and Rangers manager Jeff Banister was soon caught up in a brief but intense shouting match with first-year Seattle skipper Scott Servais.

New pitcher Andrew Faulkner was then greeted with a two-run home run from former Texas infielder Luis Sardinas, putting the wraps on an ugly 10-2 defeat.

The Mariners saved their late-game power surge for the ninth inning on Wednesday afternoon, turning a 5-4 deficit into a 9-5 victory with five unanswered runs off Shawn Tolleson.

Ramos Accepts Assignment to Minors

In making their final roster cuts of the spring, the Rangers assigned left-hander Cesar Ramos to Triple-A Round Rock after deciding not to use him in the big-league starting rotation to begin the season.

Although he could have opted out of his minor-league contract and tried to catch on with a different team, Ramos accepted the assignment and will be with the Express when they open their season Thursday in Iowa.

Right-hander A.J. Griffin was also assigned to Triple-A, but he is expected to get recalled when Texas needs its fifth starter later this week in Anaheim.

Owen Fills in for Beasley during Treatment

As he did for much of spring training, former big-league infielder Spike Owen has picked up the in-game duties of third-base coach while Tony Beasley continues to undergo treatment for rectal cancer.

The 54-year-old Owen has worked in the Texas organization since 2009 and was originally slated to manage the Low-A Hickory Crawdads this season.

Texas Sends Freeman to Brewers

One week after being designated for assignment by the Rangers, left-handed reliever Sam Freeman was traded to Milwaukee on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations.

Freeman made 54 appearances out of the Texas bullpen last year, posting an ERA of 3.05 while holding opponents to a .218 batting average.

Rangers Notes: Cruz Still Looking for Right Landing Spot

Free-agent outfielder Nelson Cruz (left) has not yet found a team willing to meet his original contract target of $75 million over four years.

Along with Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury, Nelson Cruz was thought to be one of the top outfielders available on this winter’s free-agent market.

While the first three have all found homes with new clubs, however, Cruz remains unsigned as the new calendar year begins.

A number of factors are at play for Cruz, beginning with his relatively steep asking price of around $75 million. Some teams are also wary of a production drop-off following last season’s suspension for his ties to Biogenesis, and the fact that Texas made him a qualifying offer means that whatever club signs Cruz will be forced to give up draft pick compensation.

At the time of his 50-game suspension last year, Cruz was the Rangers’ leading power producer with 27 home runs and 76 runs batted in, and he finished second behind Adrian Beltre with a .506 slugging percentage.

His abbreviated 2013 season came at the end of a very productive five-year span in which Cruz established himself as one of the top sluggers in the game, having racked up 135 homers, 143 doubles and 407 RBIs since 2009.

Tracy Ringolsby of MLB.com notes that while Cruz was linked to a number of teams earlier this offseason (including Colorado, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Seattle), those organizations have already filled their power-hitting needs with other players.

“There’s no single issue that would scare a team away from Cruz, given the person he is,” Ringolsby writes. “The chain of events, however, has left Cruz – as respected as he is within the game – still waiting to find a team to play for in 2014.”

One recent example that could make ballclubs leery about signing Cruz is that of Blue Jays outfielder Melky Cabrera, who saw a significant drop in production last year after receiving a 50-game suspension in 2012 for testosterone use.

The Rangers have indicated that their offseason shopping is largely complete, but as Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe notes, “It seems Cruz needs to reestablish his value” and therefore may be willing to accept a one-year “pillow” contract.

Bringing Cruz back to Texas is a nice thought, but it would require some reshuffling of a lineup that already has three everyday outfielders (Choo, Leonys Martin and Alex Rios) and a designated hitter (Mitch Moreland).

St. Louis Claims Ortega from Texas

Minor-league outfielder Rafael Ortega continued a busy offseason this week when he was acquired by the St. Louis Cardinals on a waiver claim from the Rangers.

Ortega, 22, had spent his entire six-year career within the Rockies organization before getting picked up by Texas in late November.

The Rangers added Ortega to their 40-man roster, but he was ultimately designated for assignment as part of the domino effect from the Shin-Soo Choo signing, allowing St. Louis to grab him on Monday.

Special Assistant Maddux Elected to Hall

It was announced Wednesday that three new players will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, including former Braves hurler Greg Maddux, who is starting his third season with Texas as special assistant to general manager Jon Daniels.

Maddux, the younger brother of pitching coach Mike Maddux, won 355 games and four National League Cy Young awards over his 23-season career, and he will be enshrined in Cooperstown next to longtime teammate Tom Glavine and former MVP Frank Thomas.

“His accomplishments are well-documented, and it’s an honor for us to work with one of the true greats,” Daniels said of Maddux. “He has made an impression on all of us with his passion for and knowledge of the game, his willingness to share it with all, and his ability to keep things loose and have fun.”

Among the many players who fell short of the requisite 75 percent of the vote total needed for election were former Rangers Sammy Sosa (7.2 percent), Rafael Palmeiro (4.4), Eric Gagne (0.4) and Kenny Rogers (0.2).

Rangers Notes: Season Ends in Stunning Fashion

Michael Young walks through the Texas dugout after Friday’s 5-1 Wild Card loss to the Orioles at Rangers Ballpark.

On the heels of back-to-back World Series trips and for a time holding the American League’s best record, the Rangers were unable to maintain their A.L. West division lead when they were swept in Oakland last week, then saw their season come to an abrupt halt by losing the Wild Card play-in game, 5-1, to Baltimore on Friday.

Texas had a four-game lead over the A’s with only six to play, but that lead had been trimmed to just two games by the time Oakland hosted the Rangers at O.co Coliseum in the final regular season series of the year.

On Monday, Rangers left-hander Martin Perez turned in his third consecutive poor start, allowing four earned runs across four-plus innings of work as the Athletics held on for a 4-3 win, pulling to within a game of Texas.

Oakland pulled even in the American League West race on Tuesday when rookie Travis Blackley outdueled Matt Harrison over six frames, leading the A’s to a 3-1 victory and setting up a winner-take-all scenario for the division crown in Wednesday’s finale.

Ryan Dempster allowed three consecutive hits as Oakland manufactured a run in the first inning Wednesday afternoon, but the Rangers scored five times in the top of the third to take a 5-1 lead and chase starter A.J. Griffin from the game.

Dempster was pulled when the Athletics began to rally in the bottom of the fourth, and Derek Holland recorded two quick outs before yielding a two-run, game-tying double to Coco Crisp.

Texas could have escaped the inning having allowed just four runs worth of damage, but Oakland’s Yoenis Cespedes hit a fly ball to center that was lost in the sun and dropped by Josh Hamilton, who was charged with a fielding error as both Crisp and Stephen Drew came around to score and put the A’s in front, 7-5.

The Rangers failed to score again versus a combination of five Oakland relievers while the Athletics tacked on an additional five runs to make for a 12-5 final, completing an improbable comeback and taking the A.L. West title by one game on the last day of the season.

With a record of 93-69, Texas finished tied with Baltimore for the two American League Wild Card spots in this year’s new playoff format, and the Rangers held home field advantage for Friday’s play-in game by taking five of seven regular-season contests from the Orioles.

Facing veteran southpaw Joe Saunders, Texas continued its recent lack of timely hitting as the team scattered nine singles but went a mere 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding eight men on base and grounding into three double plays.

Meanwhile, Baltimore chipped away at Yu Darvish with an unearned run in the first inning – the result of a Michael Young fielding error – and one run apiece in the sixth and seventh. The Orioles then scored twice off Joe Nathan in the top of the ninth to seal a 5-1 win, meaning they will advance to face New York in the A.L. Division Series.

Beltre Named Player of the Month

Although the Rangers had a disappointing start to October, third baseman Adrian Beltre was named American League Player of the Month for September, when he hit .337 in nearly 100 at-bats with 11 home runs, 19 RBIs and an MLB-leading .724 slugging percentage.

It marked the third such honor for Beltre in his career, as he was also named Player of the Month in September 2011 and, while with the Dodgers, in September 2004.

The 33-year-old Gold Glover becomes the seventh different player to win the monthly award multiple times in a Texas uniform, joining teammate Josh Hamilton as well as Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, Ivan Rodriguez and Ruben Sierra.

Rangers Notes: Texas Takes Silver Boot with Series Victory

Catcher Yorvit Torrealba reacts after completing a strikeout-caught stealing to end the Rangers’ 3-2 win Wednesday in Houston.

After winning two out of three games against the Astros last week in Arlington, the Rangers did the same thing this week at Minute Maid Park in Houston to secure a 4-2 overall victory in this year’s Lone Star Series, taking home the Silver Boot trophy for the fifth straight season.

On Tuesday, every Texas starter collected at least one hit while Josh Hamilton, Mitch Moreland and Ian Kinsler all went deep to help the Rangers beat Houston, 7-3, and snap their two-game skid.

The Astros drew first blood when Michael Bourn singled against left-hander C.J. Wilson in the bottom of the first and came around to score on a stolen base, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from Carlos Lee.

Leading off the top of the third against Houston starter Jordan Lyles, Wilson helped his own cause with a triple into the right-center field gap – his first major-league hit – and he tied the game on Ian Kinsler’s run-scoring groundout. Josh Hamilton then connected for a solo homer off Lyles before three consecutive singles provided the Rangers with another run and a 3-1 advantage.

Texas padded its lead further with a pair of runs against Lyles in the sixth inning, one scoring on Yorvit Torrealba’s RBI single and another on a run-scoring triple from Kinsler.

Moreland and Kinsler added late-inning homers against Astros right-hander Aneury Rodriguez, and Texas reliever Yoshinori Tateyama allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth before Neftali Feliz came on to record his 15^th save of the season.

Ian Kinsler kept his hot hitting alive on Wednesday with two more home runs as the Rangers held off a late charge by the Astros to grab a series-clinching 3-2 win at Minute Maid Park.

Kinsler homered against Astros right-hander Brett Myers to lead off the top of the first inning, his 10^th long ball of the year. Shortstop Andres Blanco followed with a double and was driven home on an RBI single from Josh Hamilton to give Texas an early 2-0 lead. After a perfect second inning, Myers was taken deep again by Kinsler in the top of the third, padding the Rangers’ lead to three runs for starter Colby Lewis.

Lewis retired the first 11 batters he faced before allowing a two-out single to Hunter Pence in the bottom of the fourth. After getting the final out of the inning, Lewis led off the top of the fifth with a double to Tal’s Hill in center field, although he was left stranded at second base.

Carlos Lee sparked a Houston rally when he homered off Lewis with one out in the bottom of the seventh, and Clint Barmes added an RBI single to bring the Astros to within a run before southpaw Darren Oliver came on and got out of the jam.

Rangers closer Neftali Feliz issued a leadoff walk to Lee in the bottom of the ninth, but he struck out Matt Downs before a strikeout-caught stealing double play ended the ballgame, securing both the victory and his 16^th save of the season.

Having clinched the Silver Boot trophy, Texas had a chance to wrap up the month of June the same way it started – with a series sweep on the road – but instead the Rangers were shut out for only the third time this season as Houston hammered its way a 7-0 victory on Thursday.

Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez allowed four hits and three walks over seven scoreless innings of work, and he benefitted from three double plays turned by Houston’s infield behind him.

Texas starter Matt Harrison, on the other hand, was roughed up for five earned runs across six innings pitched, though he had given up just one hit over the first three frames before yielding a leadoff homer to Carlos Lee in the bottom of the fourth. With one out in the fifth, Michael Bourn was hit by a pitch from Harrison and advanced to second on an Angel Sanchez bunt, then came home when Hunter Pence grounded an infield single to third baseman Adrian Beltre.

A throwing error by Beltre allowed Pence to go to second base, and Harrison issued an intentional walk to Carlos Lee before Jason Michaels connected for an RBI ground-rule double. Chris Johnson then lined a two-run single up the middle to drive in Lee and Michaels and give the Astros a 5-0 lead.

Michaels wrapped up Houston’s scoring barrage with a two-run homer off right-hander Dave Bush in the bottom of the seventh, making for a 7-0 final.

Young Named A.L. Player of the Week

Rangers infielder Michael Young received his third career American League Player of the Week honor after batting .481 (13-for-27) across six games from June 20-26, also collecting three doubles, four home runs and nine runs batted in.

Young, who also led the league with 28 total bases and a 1.037 slugging percentage, becomes the first Texas player to win the weekly award since catcher Bengie Molina did so last July after hitting for the cycle in Boston.

A six-time All-Star, Young tied a career-best with home runs in three consecutive games against the New York Mets over the weekend.

In addition, Young recently passed Rafael Palmeiro for the most games played in a Rangers uniform (1,574), and he’s on pace to break Palmeiro’s franchise record for runs scored (958) sometime next month.

Davis Sizzling at Round Rock

At the minor-league level, infielder Chris Davis has been on a hitting tear for the Triple-A Round Rock Express this week, batting .444 (8-for-18) in four games against Oklahoma City with four home runs, five runs scored and eight RBIs.

Davis, 25, was named to the Pacific Coast League team for this year’s Triple-A All-Star Game in Salt Lake City. He is currently tied for fourth in the PCL with 19 home runs in just 33 games while batting .374 with 52 runs batted in.