Baseball season half over and...

[Bob Of Burleson]

Rangers find a fitting way to end troubled first half

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/06/29 ... rylink=cpy

By Drew Davison
ddavison@star-telegram.com

ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers didn’t have many things go their way in the first 81 games.

They lost significant players to injuries. They were forced to use players at unfamiliar positions. And they suffered more losses than wins, leading them to shift their focus to development this season.

Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins seemed somewhat fitting to the season’s storyline, as the Rangers fell to 37-44 at the midway point.

Colby Lewis had perhaps his best start of the season, but gave up one of his two runs on a checked-swing double down the left-field line. Joakim Soria felt he pitched well, too, but the Twins found a few holes to produce the game-deciding run in the ninth.

“That’s part of baseball,” said Soria, who was charged with the loss. “Today the ball found the holes, found the lines. Sometimes you have a tough one.”

Soria entered a 2-2 game in the ninth and gave up a one-out single to Josh Willingham, for whom Sam Fuld pinch-ran. Then Kendrys Morales lined an opposite field double down the left-field line that ricocheted off the wall, into foul territory and back into shallow left field.

That allowed Fuld to score without a throw home, but manager Ron Washington and left fielder Michael Choice both felt Fuld would have scored even without the Twins getting a favorable bounce.

Soria allowed a season-high four runs, three earned, in his previous outing Friday, marking the first time he’s allowed earned runs in consecutive outings since 2011.

“You move on and hopefully we get it done next game,” Soria said.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/06/29 ... rylink=cpy