Rangers Notes: Darvish’s Return Lifts Texas into First Place

Yu Darvish is 2-0 across his first two major-league starts this season, striking out 12 batters while issuing just two free passes.

Backed by a pair of strong starts from a healthy Yu Darvish, the Rangers moved past Seattle in the American League West standings and now hold a three-game division lead over the Mariners following a weekend sweep in Arlington.

Darvish made his first big-league start in nearly two years May 28 against Pittsburgh, scattering three hits and recording seven strikeouts across five innings as Texas cruised to a 5-2 victory.

After he retired the side in the top of the first, Darvish’s teammates gave the three-time All-Star some quick support with three runs off Pirates right-hander Juan Nicasio. Jurickson Profar led off with a single and came around to score before Adrian Beltre launched a two-run homer to center field.

Mitch Moreland took Nicasio deep in the bottom of the fourth to pad the Rangers’ lead, and Darvish allowed his only run on an RBI single from Cole Figueroa in the fifth.

Relievers Tony Barnette, Jake Diekman and Matt Bush followed Darvish on the mound with one scoreless inning apiece, and Sam Dyson permitted one run before retiring Sean Rodriguez to seal the win for Texas.

Pittsburgh had rolled to a 9-1 rout over the Rangers and Cole Hamels the night before, setting up a rubber match Sunday between southpaws Martin Perez and Francisco Liriano.

The Pirates drew first blood against Perez, scoring one run on Andrew McCutchen’s first-inning RBI double and another on David Freese’s solo homer in the third.

In the bottom of the fourth, Prince Fielder hit a towering home run to right field off Liriano – his first long ball in more than a month – before walks to Beltre and Ryan Rua set the table for Moreland’s go-ahead three-run shot.

The Texas bullpen trio of Bush, Barnette and Dyson combined to allow just one hit over three shutout innings as the Rangers took the series with a 6-2 win.

After winning two out of three games at Progressive Field in Cleveland last week (the only defeat courtesy of Yan Gomes’ walk-off single in the 11th inning on Wednesday), Texas returned to Globe Life Park for a weekend matchup against the Mariners.

Darvish was given an early lead with which to work again Friday, retiring the side in order before Beltre hammered a three-run home run off Seattle starter Taijuan Walker in the bottom of the first.

Beltre would later add a two-run double to finish the night with five RBIs, and Darvish was backed up by another solid performance from the bullpen as part of a 7-3 victory for Texas.

On Saturday, Perez scattered six hits and allowed single runs in three different innings, but he was bailed out by a potent Rangers offense that scored early and often against Nathan Karns.

Nomar Mazara’s sacrifice fly brought home the first tally for Texas, and Rua followed with a two-run double down the left-field line. Holding a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning, the Rangers scored four more times to put the game out of reach, with Elvis Andrus’ three-run homer off Vidal Nuno the nail in Seattle’s coffin.

Texas fell behind 2-0 Sunday when Nelson Cruz blasted a two-run shot off former teammate Derek Holland, but the Rangers’ lineup rallied for three runs against Hisashi Iwakuma in the bottom of the fifth.

A single from Rougned Odor and a fielding error by Seattle’s Luis Sardinas set up Jared Hoying’s run-scoring single to put Texas on the board. Andrus came home when Bobby Wilson followed with a sac fly, and Profar provided the go-ahead run on an opposite-field RBI single.

Holland was followed on the hill by shutout performances from Bush, Diekman and Dyson, who tossed a perfect ninth inning to complete the 3-2 win and earn his seventh save of the year.

Young to Join Team Hall of Fame

Former infielder Michael Young was announced as the 20th member of the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday, and he will be inducted during a pregame ceremony next month in Arlington.

The seven-time All-Star spent 13 of his 14 major-league seasons with Texas, collecting more total bases (3,286), hits (2,230), runs (1,085), doubles (415) and triples (55) than any player in franchise history.

Young took home the 2005 A.L. batting title with a .331 average and the following year was named MVP of the All-Star Game at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park.

“It means a lot,” he said. “Obviously nowadays it’s rare that a player spends as much time with a team but it was a great time for me … reaching new heights. To be in one place like that for a long time and have the relationship with the fans, it’s very special.”

After splitting his final season between the Phillies and Dodgers, Young returned to Texas and officially retired in a Rangers uniform on Jan. 31, 2014.

Roster Reinforced with Darvish, Profar

When Rougned Odor’s seven-game suspension began on May 27, infielder Jurickson Profar was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock as right-hander Shawn Tolleson was placed on Major League Baseball’s family medical emergency list.

Joey Gallo was optioned back to Triple-A the following day in order to clear an active roster spot for Yu Darvish, and more transactions were needed when Odor and Tolleson re-joined the club a week later.

On Friday, Tolleson was reinstated while left-hander Alex Claudio was optioned to Triple-A, and Hanser Alberto followed Claudio to Round Rock on Saturday when Tom Wilhelmsen was recalled by the Rangers.

In addition, right-handed swingman Nick Tepesch – who had a chance to earn the fifth starter’s role during spring training – requested and was granted his unconditional release Saturday.

Rangers Notes: Texas Settles for Split in Seattle

Left-hander Martin Perez gave up five earned runs in five innings pitched Wednesday against the Mariners.

Despite a lackluster West Coast road trip that produced a 5-5 record, the Rangers were able to maintain a slim lead over Minnesota for the second American League Wild Card spot.

At 73-66, Texas is one game ahead of the Twins (72-67) and three games ahead of the Angels (70-69) as it prepares for a crucial homestand against division foes Oakland and Houston.

The ballclub had to settle for a series split at Safeco Field this week, taking each of the first two games against Seattle before Vidal Nuno and Felix Hernandez shut down the Rangers’ offense on Wednesday and Thursday.

Adrian Beltre broke a scoreless tie Monday with a two-run single off Roenis Elias in the top of the sixth, and Rougned Odor came home on a wild pitch by Rob Rasmussen one inning later to give Texas a 3-0 lead.

Yovani Gallardo, meanwhile, scattered five hits over five and one-third shutout innings of work, and the relief trio of Andrew Faulkner, Sam Dyson and Shawn Tolleson combined to secure the Labor Day victory for the Rangers.

On Tuesday, Cole Hamels received plenty of early run support from the Texas lineup – including homers from Shin-Soo Choo, Mitch Moreland and Rougned Odor – as he earned his ninth win of the season.

Seattle climbed back into the ballgame with three runs in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth, but Keone Kela and Tolleson combined to retire the final six batters of the game and nail down the Rangers’ 9-6 victory.

On the heels of a nine-run outburst, Texas was held to just one hit in a 6-0 loss Wednesday to Vidal Nuno and the Mariners, and Nelson Cruz clubbed his 40th home run of the season Thursday to support Felix Hernandez and lift Seattle to a 5-0 win.

Prior to their four-game set at Safeco Field, the Rangers had taken two out of three against the Padres in San Diego before dropping two of three to the Angels in Los Angeles.

Gallo, Stubbs among Roster Additions

Infielder Joey Gallo was one of six players added to the team when active rosters expanded last Tuesday, along with recent acquisition Drew Stubbs and catcher Carlos Corporan, outfielder Josh Hamilton and right-handed pitchers Luke Jackson and Ross Ohlendorf.

Spots on the 40-man roster were created for Ohlendorf and Stubbs when left-hander Alex Claudio was placed on the 60-day disabled list and right-hander Roman Mendez was designated for assignment.

Hamilton’s availability for the final few weeks of the season is now in doubt, however, after it was announced that he will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his ailing left knee Friday.

The 34-year-old Hamilton was used twice as a pinch-hitter on the Rangers’ recent road trip but has not made a start since Aug. 15.

Scheppers Recalled from Round Rock

Right-handed pitcher Tanner Scheppers was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock before Sunday’s game in Anaheim, and on Wednesday he saw his first big-league action since Aug. 1.

Scheppers, who had been placed on the 15-day disabled list with left knee inflammation on Aug. 2, induced a double play and struck out a batter in his one and one-third innings pitched versus Seattle.