NewsContending Rangers fight through rain
Texas (80-62) vs. Oakland (64-78), 7:05 p.m. CT
By Todd Wills / Special to MLB.com
09/14/09 12:05 AM ET
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers try to keep their momentum going knowing that their routine could be disrupted again by a wet Texas September as they get ready to host Oakland starting Monday. The Rangers were rained out Friday, didn't get to finish Saturday's game because of more rain and had to wait almost five hours from the original scheduled time to play Sunday's doubleheader against Seattle because it rained all morning up until 3 p.m. CT. It can get you sidetracked, especially in a playoff race. Not to mention that the Rangers came back home from Cleveland after a sweep of the Indians in one of their best series of the season, especially on offense. Then they answered that by scoring only three runs in an 8-3 loss to Seattle on Saturday night when the Rangers didn't get to finish their at-bat in the ninth inning because of a heavy downpour. "It can affect your mental state," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Sometimes in these situations you can't do much about it." Rookie starter Tommy Hunter fought through Sunday's delay to pitch a complete game in a 7-2 win over the Mariners. It helped that he added on to his pregame ritual by playing cards, Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball on Super Nintendo and ping pong with outfielder David Murphy (for the record Murphy crushed Hunter in five sets). "I had to go out there and pitch," Hunter said. "We're pushing for the playoffs." Washington said before the game that he was worried that the waiting would impact his ballclub. "You can find yourself in a tailspin that you can't out of," he said. Pitching matchupTEX: RHP Scott Feldman (16-4, 3.46 ERA)
Feldman takes a seven-game winning streak over eight starts into this game. He has a 2.29 ERA in those eight games and he has allowed just one run in his last four starts and 261/3 innings. He is the only Rangers right-hander to allow just one run over four starts. Feldman has started five of the Rangers 11 league-leading shutouts, including three in his last four starts. He is trying to become the first Rangers right-hander to win at least 17 games in a season since Rick Helling won 20 in 1998. He beat Oakland twice earlier this season, both times in May, by holding them to two runs in six innings in both starts. He won 3-2 on May 6 and 5-2 on May 29. OAK: RHP Brett Tomko (4-3, 4.47 ERA)
Backed by seven runs in the game's first two innings, Tomko picked up an easy victory in an 11-3 win against the White Sox on Tuesday night. Tomko probably would have liked to go deeper into the ballgame, however. Despite a hefty cushion, he lasted only 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk. He threw 82 pitches, but A's manager Bob Geren had seen enough after Tomko surrendered a homer and walk in the sixth. Tomko has thrown six innings only once in his five starts with the A's. Lifetime against the Rangers, Tomko is 1-3 with a 7.94 ERA in 13 games (five starts). Tidbits
Right-hander Dustin Nippert will start Wednesday's game against Oakland. ... Hunter had the Rangers' third complete game of the season in the Game 1 victory over Seattle on Sunday. Kevin Millwood (April 18 vs. Kansas City) and Matt Harrison (May 14 vs. Seattle) had the others. ... First baseman Chris Davis was batting .281 with four home runs and 16 RBIs in 17 games, including Sunday's Game 1, since being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Aug. 25. Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.
On the Internet
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Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes On television
• FSSW HD On radio
• 105.3 The Fan, KFLC 1270 (Español) Up next
• Tuesday: Rangers (Brandon McCarthy, 7-2, 4.81) vs. Athletics (TBD), 7:05 p.m. CT
• Wednesday: Rangers (Dustin Nippert, 5-2, 3.95) vs. Athletics (Clay Mortensen, 1-2, 6.75), 7:05 p.m. CT
• Thursday: Off-day
Todd Wills is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
