Friday Night - Rangers vs. A's

[WorsterMan]

All positive MOJO tonight HHD and fellow Zealots... This team is on a mission.... Lee pitching a commanding 4-1 lead over the 2nd place A's v5th. Rangers need to keep their foot on the gas and take at least 2 of 3 from these guys.

 

[Texanne]

I'm down with that! Just hope I can stay awake 'til the end!

Rangers! Still 4-1 after 7 -- Lee looks masterful.

 

[Dude]

Teagarden getting it done!

 

[WorsterMan]

5-1 v 8th - glad the R's are giving Lee some breathing room for a change.

 

[Texanne]

For poor Cliff Lee, five runs must feel like an embarrassment of riches.

 

[WorsterMan]

Hello win column - 5-1 is your final and Lee gets the vicktree. 9.5 game lead over the A's. Very nice

 

[Horn69]

CLee looked like he was grooving working with Taylor. You know TT had to absolutely feel loved stroking the bomb as well as the double and then catching another Lee masterpiece. Outstanding. 9.5 game lead makes my baseball pants go wild!

Hook'em!!!

 

[Horn2Run]

my ranger pants are flying around the room too...Lee and T had great games tonite, this team is looking solid

 

[HornHuskerDad]

It was indeed nice to see the offense drum up some run support for Cliff. And he was (as usual) a strike-throwing machine.

You folks will have to take it this afternoon - I won't be near the TV. WorsterMan, it looks like we have the perfect recipe for mojo - please file this recipe so we don't lose it!

HHD

 

[Texanne]

I'm unavailable this afternoon, too. My Austin crowd is having it's annual Mel Brooks Film Festival, and I have to be there.

Keep the mojo going, boys, and I'll check in when I can.

 

[hookem2003]

Baseball Prospectus has our chances of making the playoffs at 99.4%.

 

[Dewbrewer]

I have tried but have failed today (Saturday). Harden could not throw a strike and it's just gone downhill from there. Bright spot: HR for Teagarden.

 

[WorsterMan]

I had to catch some of the Sat. game vs the A's on the wireless and Harden did not have a good outing. Threw more balls than strikes during his appearance. R's lose 6-2. Gotta take the Sun. game

 

[Texanne]

While three earned runs in 2 1/3 isn't exactly a shelling, it's unacceptable against a team that hits as poorly as Oakland. They win with pitching.

And then Feldman ... I wish I knew what was going on there. He was very impressive all last year and was this year's Opening Day starter, now relegated to the bullpen.

I'm ready to pull the plug on both of them. Harden looked pretty good his first start off the DL, but I just don't think he's got it anymore, nor do I think he's going to reacquire it.

And watching Feldman is like watching a carcass slowly rot.

Both. Must. Go.

 

[Horn69]

And speaking of Sunday's game

...

While I definitely thought we were the underdog going against Cahill, we absolutely vomited our chance to beat him as a result of Oliver's continued poor pitching. He hasn't' been the same since the All Star break.

And I hate Josh Lewin's cavalier attitude of, "oh well, we're still 7 1/2 ahead." Yeah, but we could have been 9 1/2 ahead. Two game difference is HUGE! There's 16 games before we play Oakland again. While we're playing NYY, Boston and Tampa, they're playing Seattle, Minn and Cleveland. Good luck on that 2-game swing not mattering. Hrrrmph.

Hook'em!!!

 

[WorsterMan]

H69 - yeah I heard Lewin utter that also and I thought the same thing you did. The R's just cannot afford to lose winable games & give up any ground with some tougher teams coming up and a lot of basa-ball to play in Aug. & Sept. That 7.5 game lead can evaporate in a short time for many reasons Mr. Lewin.

Your right about Oliver - the coaches have to get him straightened out or bench him... he is killing us right now.

 

[HornHuskerDad]

^You'd wonder why they don't go directly to Matt Harrison as the bullpen lefty. Clearly Oliver has lost something and they can't rely on him right this minute. Darren is an experienced veteran and can pass a lot of info on to the younger guys - but if he's going to stay as the "Go-to" lefty, he's got to get the job done consistently. And yesterday he let a W get away.

HHD

 

[Horn69]

One thing they might do with Oliver is just make him situational. The first half of the season he carried that pen by being able to go 1 or 2 innings. You can't trust him now against the righties. Since they do have Harrison now that adds to the depth and they can go L-R-L if they need to.

Hook'em!!!

 

[Horn2Run]

justa thought...has oliver become the 2010 version of jason jennings? a guy that was used too heavily early in the yr & had nothing left from mid july on?

 

[Horn69]

Any time I hear Wash say, "well, we still have a x game lead," I want Jimmy Johnson to suddenly appear, bust him in the balls and say, "Dude, it's only early August...you need to be trying to get to a 12 game lead!!!"

Okay, I feel better.

Hook'em!!!