THE RANGERS REPORT – September 1, 2009

NFL betting is upon us and, while the Rangers have done a good job holding off the Cowboys for our attention this summer, they’ll need a big push to do it in October. They’ve stumbled in the Wildcard race and the Angels seem out of reach in the AL West. Does Texas have anything left in the tank?

Season record: 72-58
AL West rank: 2
World Series odds: 35 to 1

THE LINEUP

As the Rangers showed yesterday, when they cut an 11-run deficit to one before losing 18-10, offense isn’t the problem lately. Michael Young continues what will go down as one of his best seasons; he needs three homers to set a new career high and is on track to post a plus-.900 OPS for the first time in his career. Ian Kinsler has sizzled since returning from the DL, batting .311 with 14 RBI in 16 games.

THE ROTATION

The Ranger arms kept Texas afloat while the bats slumped, but they’re falling on hard times. Derek Holland has been rocked twice in a row after he flourished for most of August. Kevin Millwood has one win in his last six starts. Scott Feldman remains a revelation, having tossed 12.2 scoreless innings over his last two starts (both wins, of course). The Rangers and online betting fans alike hope the rest of the rotation can step up; perhaps Brandon McCarthy, who returned to the big club when the rosters expanded, can give the rotation a shot in the arm.

THE BULLPEN

Frank Francisco posted a 6.97 ERA in August but really hasn’t pitched badly; of the eight runs he allowed that month, six came during his one blown save. He actually held opponents scoreless in nine of his 11 August appearances and thus hasn’t been the problem for Texas.

Neftali Feliz continues to set the world on fire. Stat update: 17.2 innings pitched, 22 strikeouts, one earned run, one walk. Wow. I’m betting management gives him a chance to start next season.

OVERALL OUTLOOK

No matter what happens, 2009 will not go down as a failure for the Rangers. They’ve shown us that their great farm system has set them up for future success the same way the Rays’ system boosted them. If Texas falls short of the playoffs in the end, next season could be an entirely different story, as the young guns will only get better.