Texas Rangers Win Bidding War To Talk To Japanese Pitching Phenom Yu Darvish

By: Tyler Ward

It was announced late Monday night that the defending American League champions Texas Rangers have won the Yu Darvish sweepstakes, successfully making a record bid of $51.7 million to talk to the Japanese pitching phenom, who was heavily courted by many teams including the Rangers, New York Yankees and others.

Although Rangers general manager Jon Daniels did not say how much the bid was, sources say it eclipsed the $50 million mark. Bidding closed last Wednesday and Darvish's former team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, had until 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday to accept.

The Rangers now have thirty days to negotiate a deal with Darvish and his representatives, Don Nomura and Arn Tellem. If the Rangers and Darvish fail to come to an agreement, the posting fee will be voided and the pitcher will return to Japan to pitch next season. Along with the winning bid, the Rangers will likely spend over $100 million on the pitcher if they reach an agreement.

Darvish is considered to be one of the best pitchers in Japan, along with being noted as one of the most highly-touted prospects in recent history.

Tellem said of the Rangers' winning bid, "We were pleased to learn that the Texas Rangers were the high bidders for Yu Darvish. The Rangers are an extraordinary franchise in an exceptional city with equally exceptional fans. Yu is honored to be prized so highly and recognized as a once-in-a-generation pitcher. We look forward to getting negotiations under way."

The bid on Darvish is slightly higher than the one given to Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2007 by the Boston Red Sox. Matsuzaka and his representatives were paid $51.1 million. Boston eventually signed Matsuzaka to a six-year, $52 million contract, so the Red Sox invested a total of $103.3 million in the pitcher.

However, it is questionable as to why the Rangers placed a bid on Darvish, as they already seemingly have their rotation set for the 2012 season with Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Alexi Ogando, Matt Harrison and Neftali Feliz, who spent last season as the team's closer, but will enter the starting rotation next season -- the Rangers signed former Twins closer Joe Nathan in the offseason to take the place of Feliz in the closer role.

Texas lost their No. 1 starter C.J. Wilson during the offseason, as the left-handed ace signed with the Rangers' division rival, the Los Angeles Angels, on a five-year, $77.5 million deal -- and as we all know, these same Angels agreed on a 10-year, $252 million contract with Albert Pujols.

The 6-foot-5 right-hander posted an 18-6 record last season with a league-leading 1.44 ERA and 276 strikeouts. He also pitched in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Darvish started pitching professionally when he was just 18 years old.

Although putting up mediocre numbers in his first professional season, Darvish came back to post a 12-5 record in his second season with a 2.89 ERA and 115 strikeouts. He has slowly gotten better and better since then and has become arguably the best pitcher in Japan and now will take his talents to the United States if he can reach a deal with Nolan Ryan's Rangers -- a team who has won the American League pennant the last two seasons, but failed to win the World Series in both years.

The 25-year-old is thought to have an amazing collection of seven different pitches that also includes a two-seamer that he added to the repertoire in 2010.

For his career, Darvish has a 93-38 record in Japan in seven season with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He has started a total of 164 games, completing 55 of those contests and also posting 18 shutouts. Darvish has also registered 1,268.1 innings pitched, giving up just 916 hits and 281 earned runs -- which comes out to a 1.99 ERA. He has also struck out 1,259 batters, which averages a shade under one strikeout per inning.

He has also posted an ERA under 2.00 in five straight campaigns, with his best season coming last season, as the right-hander posted an 18-6 record with ten complete games and six shutouts -- he also struck out 276 batters and accumulated a 1.44 ERA in last year's juncture.

However, with the unfortunate history of Japanese and Chinese pitchers lately, it is unclear as to how Darvish will fare in the majors. Many scouts project that he will be a team's No. 1 or 2 pitcher and he will be the best prospect thus far.

But for the team's sake, they better hope that Darvish will eventually become one of the team's top starters, if they can come to an agreement with the pitcher. Hopefully, he would perform better than former Japanese players that have decided to take their talents to the United States.

Let's take a look at some of the former players that have come to America before Darvish:

* Kei Igawa, New York Yankees: 2-4 record, 6.66 ERA, 53 strikeouts; $46 million investment

* Kazuhisi Ishii, Los Angeles Dodgers: 39-34 record, 4.44 ERA, 435 strikeouts; also pitched for the New York Mets

* Hideki Irabu, New York Yankees: 34-35 record, 5.15 ERA, 405 strikeouts; also played for the Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers (Died in 2002)

* Tomo Ohka, Boston Red Sox: 50-67 record, 4.20 ERA, 573 strikeouts; also pitched for the Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians

* Akinori Otsuka, San Diego Padres: 13-15 record, 2.44 ERA, 217 strikeouts, 39 saves; also played for the Texas Rangers

* Shingo Takatsu, Chicago White Sox: 8-6 record, 3.38 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 27 saves; also played for the New York Mets

* Kazuhiro Sasaki, Seattle Mariners: 7-16 record, 3.14 ERA, 242 strikeouts, 129 saves

* Mac Suzuki, Seattle Mariners: 16-31 record, 5.72 ERA, 327 strikeouts; also played for the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers

* Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Los Angeles Angels: 45-44 record, 3.71 ERA, 447 strikeouts; also played for the Seattle Mariners

* Hiroki Kuroda, Los Angeles Dodgers: 41-46 record, 3.45 ERA, 523 strikeouts; currently a Free Agent

* Takashi Saito, Los Angeles Dodgers: 21-15 record, 2.18 ERA, 389 strikeouts, 84 saves; also played for the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers -- signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2012 season

* Junichi Tazawa, Boston Red Sox: 2-3 record, 7.46 ERA, 13 strikeouts

* Koji Uehara, Baltimore Orioles: 5-9 record, 3.13 ERA, 188 strikeouts; was traded to the Texas Rangers on July 30, 2011

* Hisanori Takahashi, New York Mets: 14-9 record, 3.55 ERA, 166 strikeouts, 10 saves; signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Dec. 2, 2010

* Hideo Nomo, Los Angeles Dodgers: 123-109 record, 4.24 ERA, 1,918 strikeouts; considered the best Japanese pitcher of all-time -- also played for Mets, Brewers, Tigers, Red Sox, Rays and Royals

* Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox: 46-27 record, 4.18 ERA, 542 strikeouts; underwent Tommy John surgery in early June 2011

* Hideki Okajima, Boston Red Sox: 17-8 record, 3.36 ERA, 215 strikeouts

Of course, since Japanese players have immigrated to Major League Baseball, there have been more pitchers, but the ones listed above are just the notable ones and as the readers can see, most of these players have been mediocre throughout their MLB careers. Few have actually stood out and had decent careers, such as Nomo, Matsuzaka, Okajima, Kuroda and Ishii. Some of the others were just flat out mediocre and were never able to make a name for themselves, other than checking their names in the "Bust Box", most notably Igawa.

If you want to look at it on paper, there have been better hitters to come to the United States than pitchers -- including Ichiro, who is undoubtedly the best Japanese player to ever put on a MLB uniform. Others include Kosuke Fukudome, Hideki Matsui, Kaz Matsui, So Taguchi, Kenji Johjima, Tad Iguchi, Akinori Iwamura and Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who made his professional debut last season with the Minnesota Twins.

The point here is that there have really never been that many great players that have come over from Japan other than Ichiro, who is likely to eventually make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hideki Matsui, Matsuzaka and Nomo have all been good players -- so in reality, only four players out of the myriad of Japanese players have gone on to successfully build a solid career, which means the odds are stacked up against Darvish.

But personally, I believe Darvish will flourish in Major League Baseball and I haven't thought that since Ichiro arrived many years ago. The pitcher seems to have all the tools to become a great pitcher in the United States and he will definitely use those to his advantage. I believe that he will eventually become a top player in the Rangers' rotation, perhaps even their No. 1 starter in the next couple of seasons.

If the two sides are able to reach an agreement and if Darvish is able to make it into the Rangers' rotation and start thirty games, I believe his record will look like this for his rookie season: 14-7 record, 3.22 ERA, 167 strikeouts, 73 walks, along with two complete games, including one shutout. We'll see what happens.

I'm not going to guarantee it, but I have a good feeling that Darvish will succeed and it will be worth the $100+ million the Rangers will spend in order to bring him to their franchise.

Rangers Defeat Yankees 6-1; Advance To World Series

By: Tyler Ward

The Texas Rangers are moving on to their first World Series. Their opponent, though, we are still waiting to find out if it'll be the Phillies or Giants. But, for now, it's the Rangers' time. They will be appearing in their first World Series, even though they just won their first postseason series earlier this month when they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays.

In a pitching matchup that featured Colby Lewis and Phil Hughes, only one would do well. And that was Lewis. The pitcher, who was added to the roster earlier this year after spending two years in Japan, threw a spectacular game. Lewis pitched eight strong innings, surrendering three hits and one earned run. He also walked three batters and struck out seven. Hughes, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. The young pitcher managed to only pitch 4.2 innings, giving up four earned runs and four hits. He also walked four, struck out three, and had a crazy wild pitch.

The Rangers got off to a good start in the first inning when Vladimir Guerrero got the first of his three RBI's. He was able to ground out to second, but Elvis Andrus scored on the play to give the Rangers a 1-0 advantage.

New York would answer in the top of the fifth when Alex Rodriguez scored on Colby Lewis' only mistake - a wild pitch. But, there was some controversy on the play. Lewis' pitch clearly hit Nick Swisher in the shin, but the umpire did not see it that way. He ruled it as a wild pitch and Swisher did not reach base on the play. Rodriguez still scored on the play and the game was tied 1-1, but it wouldn't last for long.

In the bottom of the inning, Guerrero stepped up to the plate again, slapping a double to center and scoring Mitch Moreland and Josh Hamilton on the play. After the play, Hughes was relieved by David Robertson. However, Robertson would then proceed to give up a two-run homer to Nelson Cruz, sealing the Yankees' fate. The blast by Cruz put the Rangers up 5-1 and that's all they needed. Two innings later, in the seventh, Ian Kinsler hit a sacrifice fly to to left field, scoring long-time Ranger, Michael Young. As far as runs go, that was the end of it.

Neftali Feliz came into the game in the ninth, pitching a perfect inning. He would strike-out Curtis Granderson and get Robinson Cano to pop up. Alex Rodriguez was the last batter of the game and Feliz struck him out to end the game. Fireworks would go off and the celebration began. 

Outfielder Josh Hamilton was named ALCS MVP after he hit four home runs in the series, tying an American League record for most home runs in the championship series. Hamilton was also intentionally walked five time, a major league record, including three times in the clinching game. A humbled Hamilton was more than happy that he helped his team reach their first World Series. 

"I don't want to talk about myself," Hamilton said, "I want to talk about them, because we are the reason we're here." 

The ALCS MVP would then go on to say, "This group's here because they don't know how to fail. The chemistry on the team is something like I've never known anywhere. All the guys love each other and we support each other. And we love the fans."

Michael Young, the longest-tenured player on the team, was also more than happy. He was ecstatic. "The World Series is coming to Texas," Young said, "Totally worth the wait, totally."

Hamilton and Young weren't the only happy people on the field. Co-owner, team president, and former Rangers great Nolan Ryan witnessed their victory from the front row - he headed onto the field after Feliz struck out Rodriguez to end the game. Ryan was the first person to hold the ALCS trophy at the postgame celebration and the fans gave him a roaring ovation. "Our fans have waited a long time, this organization has waited a long time," Ryan said. "This team coming out of spring training was on a mission."

The Yankees were dominated in every aspect of the game in the series. Their run differential of -19 was the second-most in team history; they were -23 in the 2001 World Series when they lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, their first championship, too. They allowed 37 runs in the ALCS, also the second-most in team history - they gave up 41 runs in the 2004 ALCS when they lost in seven games to the Boston Red Sox.

When it comes to sports, it's not about which team is the best. It's about which team plays the best and the Rangers did that.

If there was a Game 7, Cliff Lee was expected to be the starter, but now with the Rangers' victory, it looks like Lee will start Game 1 on Wednesday against the Phillies or Giants. The Giants currently lead the series 3-2.

The Rangers' series win was somewhat bittersweet. The Rangers, in their only three postseason berths prior to this season, were knocked out by those very same Yankees. Now, the Rangers finally got their revenge. The Yankees and their $200+ million payroll could not withstand the Rangers' pitching and hitting. There were many questions entering the postseason, including whether or not the Yankees' pitching could hold up. It appeared that there was validity for those questions. The Bronx Bombers' pitching was nothing, but mediocre at best. As a team, they had an astounding 7.11 ERA for the series and frankly, that will not win games. New York will now have many questions to answer in the offseason, as they are still looking to claim their 28th World Series championship.

A disappointed Joe Girardi said after the game, "We didn't accomplish what we set out to. And as I told my guys, this hurts. I've been through it as a player. I've been through it as a coach and now I've been through it as a manager. It's not a lot of fun watching other teams celebrate. They beat us. They outhit us, they outpitched us, outplayed us and they beat us."

With the Yankees sent home, the Rangers are now looking forward to their World Series matchup against the Phillies or Giants. Game 1 will be on Wednesday and the Rangers are hoping they can bring Texas their first championship in the team's 50-year history.

Game 6 Box Scores (Courtesy of ESPN):

Rangers Power By Yankees 10-3; Take 3-1 Series Lead

By: Tyler Ward

Are the Yankees not going to make their third straight World Series? It's sure looking that way. I'm not going to say the Rangers are going to win because frankly, anything can happen if the 2004 Red Sox showed us anything. But, it's sure looking like the Yankees aren't showing any heart or passion and it looks like they could care less.

On Tuesday night, the Rangers blasted four home runs and beat the Yankees 10-3. The Rangers now have a commanding 3-1 series lead and could possibly close out the series in Game 5. The series is now rather lopsided in favor of the Rangers.

The matchup featured Tommy Hunter against A.J. Burnett, who has struggled this season. Most people already though (including myself) that the Rangers would win the game, simply because Burnett was pitching for the Yankees. And if you haven't watched much baseball season, then you don't know that Burnett has struggled mightily this year and has had one of the worst seasons for a Yankees pitcher, statistically. So, automatically, the Yankees were behind.

Rangers catcher Bengie Molina hit a three-run home run off of the great Burnett in sixth inning (please note that it was sarcasm). MVP candidate Josh Hamilton hit two home runs in the game to help seal the Rangers' victory.

It was thought to be an interesting game in the second inning when the Yankees' Robinson Cano hit a solo home run in the first inning. However, the Rangers answered back in the third inning when Elvis Andrus grounded out to first, but David Murphy scored on the play to tie the game up at 1-1. Michael Young also hit an infield single in the third and scored Molina. In the previous two games, the Rangers did not give up a lead when they had it, so many thought that the Rangers would pull away.

But, the Yankees weren't done. In the bottom of the third, Curtis Granderson hit an infield single and scored Derek Jeter. At that point, the game seemed interesting and the game was tied up once again. The Yankees would actually take a lead in the fourth when Brett Gardner grounded into a fielder's choice - Cano was out at third, Lance Berkman advanced to second, and Alex Rodriguez scored to give the Yankees the lead at 3-2.

However, the Yankees would not put up any more runs on the board. With the Rangers down 3-2, Bengie Molina hit a three-run shot in the sixth inning to give the Rangers a two-run advantage. They would not look back.

Molina, after the game, had a funny comment for the reporters after the game, stating, "It's not bad for a fat kid that everyone makes fun of when he runs."

Hamilton started off his great night in the seventh with a solo shot to put the Rangers up 6-3. Later in the inning, Ian Kinsler would single and score Nelson Cruz. 

In the ninth, Hamilton would step up to the plate and hit another solo home run to give him two on the night. Even with a 9-3 lead, the Rangers still weren't done. Cruz would add to the barrage of home runs, hitting a solo home run of his own. The Rangers would hold on to that 10-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth and the game would be over.

A.J. Burnett, who signed an $82.5 million contract with the Yankees, hasn't been pitching like it. He lost seven of his previous eight starts and was taken out of the starting rotation. His start Tuesday night was his first since October 2. Burnett pitched six innings and gave up six hits, resulting in five earned runs. He also walked three and struck out four batters. The Rangers' starter, Tommy Hunter, also struggled, pitching 3.1 innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs in the process. Derek Holland would receive the win for the Rangers, as he pitched 3.2 innings and was nearly perfect. He gave up one hit, along with two walks and three strikeouts. Darren Oliver pitched 1.2 innings and got the save for Texas.

Texas is now just one game away from advancing to the franchise's first World Series. They are now just one step closer from beating the 27-time world champions. But, as stated above, I'm not going to count the Yankees out just yet. Even though they are one game away from winning the series, there is still a long way to go for the young Rangers.

Nelson Cruz, a key player for the Rangers, said after the game, "We're going to keep focused. We haven't done anything yet."

C.J. Wilson, Game 5's probable starter for the Rangers, mentioned after the game, "Tomorrow's game is the most important game in the history of this franchise." Yes it is, C.J. This is by far the most important game for the Rangers this season. 

The Yankees will be without power-hitter Mark Teixeira for the rest of the postseason as the first baseman suffered a hamstring injury in the loss Tuesday. It's a big loss to the Yankees, who could struggle even more without one of their best players. The Yankees better hope that the injury will generate some new people in the lineup and hopefully, they can get a spark, along with a Game 5 victory.

Game 5 will be held later in the day and will feature Wilson and C.C. Sabathia, a rematch of Game 1's starters. The Rangers are looking to not only clinch their sixth straight postseason victory, but also an improbable championship series win over the Yankees. We'll see what happens later today.

Rangers Even Up Series; Beat Yankees 7-2

By: Tyler Ward

It's not going to be a sweep for the Yankees. The Rangers got their first postseason victory at home in their 50 seasons with a 7-2 blowout win over the Yankees.

After a bullpen collapse last night, the Rangers were able to hold on to their lead. The Rangers' bullpen was the complete opposite of what it was in their loss to New York on Friday. The Yankees were only able to obtain one hit in a little over three inning against the Rangers' bullpen.

Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis pitched well into the sixth inning and Texas threw in five relievers that completely shut down the Yankees' star-studded offense. Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes had arguably one of the worst outing in ALCS history - the young pitcher had four innings of work, while surrendering 10 hits, along with 7 earned runs. He also gave up three walks and struck out three. According to the Bill James Game Score rating system, Hughes had the third-worst ALCS pitching performance in baseball history, only behind Jim Perry (1970 Twins) and Fausto Carmona (2007 Indians). The rating system showed that Hughes scored a 14.

Texas' Elvis Andrus got the Rangers off to a fantastic start, after an incredible steal of homeplate, putting the Rangers up 1-0. MVP candidate Josh Hamilton also stole second base on the play. Manager Ron Washington said about the double steal after the game, "Opportunity seemed right, so I took a chance. That's the way we play. It worked. Got us going."

Outfielder David Murphy would then hit a solo shot in the second inning, putting the Rangers up 2-0. Michael Young would then double later in the inning, scoring Mitch Moreland.

Murphy would come back in the third inning, doubling to right field and scoring Nelson Cruz on the play, while extending the Rangers' lead to 4-0. Bengie Molina would then proceed to double and scoring Murphy on the play.

The Yankees would finally get on the board in the fourth inning when Lance Berkman singled and scored Robinson Cano - Berkman was thrown out at second, trying to extend the play.

In the fifth inning, Ian Kinsler got the lone triple of the night, scoring Nelson Cruz, putting the Rangers' lead at 6-1. Mitch Moreland then singled and scored the aforementioned Kinsler. The Rangers were now looking at a blowout and had the Yankees at a 7-1 lead.

Robinson Cano hit a 448-foot blast in the sixth inning, but it was too late. The Yankees would not get another run and the game would end at that same score, 7-2.

Neftali Feliz came in the ninth inning and pitched near-perfect. He did surrender two walks in the inning, but struck out Derek Jeter to start the inning. That set the tone for the rest of the inning and after walking Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixiera, he was able to get Alex Rodriguez to ground out and Cano to fly out to end the game.

Game 3 will be on Monday at Yankee Stadium - Cliff Lee, who has won his last four starts in New York, will start for the Rangers. Andy Pettitte will start for the Yankees. But, that is Monday night, and the Rangers are looking forward to it. With their win on Saturday, the Rangers ended their 10-game postseason losing streak against the Yankees. With the momentum on their side, they're hoping that they can take a 2-1 series lead on Monday.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said after the game, "That's what they have been doing for us all year. That's how we got to this point. Last night, we didn't get it done. We didn't make any excuses about it. We took the whipping, we took a shower. ... I was going to give the ball back to those guys if it presented itself. It presented itself, they did a great job. I expected that."

And we expected it, too, Mr. Washington.

Brandon Inge Breaks Hand

By: Stephen Patterson

The Detroit Tigers are going to be missing Brandon Inge for at least 4-6 weeks after the third baseman suffered a broken bone in his left hand Monday night against the Rangers. The injury occurred when Inge was struck by a pitch from Scott Feldman in the third inning. This is going to do some major damage to Detroit's odds of winning their division.

Although Inge originally stayed in the game after the injury, he was taken out in the next inning. His x-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal. The injury comes at a bad time, as the team needs to make a move to pull away in the division race over the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins. That move, however, might not be coming with Inge out of action for the foreseeable future.

While he may not be having a great offensive season, Inge has been a constant defensive presence for the Tigers in recent years. The team doesn't have a solid back-up that plays third primarily, leaving them with a couple of options. They could rotate between Ryan Rayburn, Don Kelly, and Ramon Santiago to help fill the void. Another option Detroit could explore is making a move before the deadline to acquire a solid player to step in until Inge can return.

Inge wasn't the only player to have to leave the Rangers-Tigers last night. Rangers pitcher Dustin Nippert was struck in the head with a line drive from Austin Jackson in the sixth inning. Although Nippert was able to return to his feet relatively quickly, he was taken out of the game and sent to the hospital for tests. His CAT scan came back negative revealing no serious damage. The team will still list him as day-to-day as a precaution.

Youkilis' Walk-Off Sacrifice Fly Lifts Boston Past Texas

By: Tyler Ward

The Red Sox have finally had a bright spot in the last few weeks. The injury-plagued Red Sox spoiled Cliff Lee's bid for a second straight complete game and were able to rally in the 11th to seal the win. The Rangers were hoping to ride Bengie Molina's cycle last night and take the series from Boston, but were not able to close the game out.

Not only did Youkilis hit the game-winning sacrifice fly in extra innings, but he also hit a double in the ninth inning, driving in Marco Scutaro to tie the game, 2-2. 

Youkilis said after the game, "I had the same approach all game. I was comfortable. I felt good."

In the first inning, David Ortiz singled to center, driving in Darnell McDonald to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Cliff Lee, the opposing pitcher, settled down after the first, retiring 22 of 23 batters between the second and eighth innings.

The game would remain 1-0 until the sixth inning, when All-Star Josh Hamilton singled to right field, driving in Ian Kinlser. Later in the inning, Nelson Cruz singled to center, driving in ex-Angel Vladimir Guerrero. John Lackey, the Red Sox pitcher, was pulled after seven innings of work, surrendering those two lone runs. He would watch Boston's rally from the dugout.

Entering the ninth inning, the game was still 2-1 in Texas' favor. Lee, who was trying to pitch another complete game, gave up a double to Youkilis, which scored Scutaro to tie the game. The Red Sox would not be able to capitalize and the game was sent into extra innings.

"I was going right at him. It worked for me all night," Lee said. "No reason for me to change my approach there. Obviously, I wish I could have that pitch back."

After neither team scored in the tenth, the next inning was everything the fans were hoping for. 

Scutaro led off the 11th with a walk and Darnell McDonald bunted on a sacrifice attempt. Texas' relief pitcher Alexi Ogando fielded the ball and threw the ball to second, but it hit Scutaro and went into left field - he would then advance to third, while McDonald went to second. The next batter, Ortiz, was intentionally walked to load up the bases.

The hero of the night, Youkilis, would then hit a sacrifice fly to center and Boston's rally would finally be done. This was the first walk-off sacrifice fly by a Red Sox player since Carlos Baerga hit one in the 11th inning against the Yankees in 2002.

Rangers' manager Ron Washington, clearly frustrated, said after the game, "We had to get an out on the bunt. Ogando tried to make a play and it didn't work. If he gets him, everybody's saying 'What a great play.'"

After being taken off the disabled list on Saturday, Manny Delcarmen pitched a perfect 11th to increase his season record to 3-2. Boston's Lackey and Texas' Lee would both receive no decisions.

The Rangers are now only 5-9 in their last 14 games, including losing four straight before the All-Star break. This is also Boston's third win in the last ten games.

Molina Hits For Cycle Against Red Sox

By: Tyler Ward

Friday night was just a horrible day all the way around for the sinking Boston Red Sox. The newly-acquired catcher, Bengie Molina, completely dominated Boston, becoming the ninth player ever to hit for the cycle and a grand slam in the same game. His last two at-bats were the grand slam and a triple to seal the cycle.

Going 4-for-4 on the night, Molina hit a grand slam in the fifth inning to cap off a five-run inning for the Rangers. Texas took a 7-3 lead and Boston was never able to recover. Leading off the eighth inning, Molina hit a triple over Boston center fielder, Eric Patterson, to still remain as the only Molina brother to hit for the cycle. He, then, proceeded to smile at his teammates as they cheered the slow catcher on.

Molina's cycle was the fifth in Rangers history - he also hit for the cycle on April 29, 2009, as a member of the San Francisco Giants. This was the first time since 1978 that the Red Sox have given up a cycle at Fenway Park.

The depleted Red Sox line-up has suffered many injuries as of late, with former MVP Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Varitek, and Jeremy Hermida all currently on the disabled list. Clay Buchholz made a rehab start for Triple-A affiliate, Pawtucket, on Friday. Additionally, former Cy Young winner Josh Beckett is expected to make a rehab start for Pawtucket on Saturday.

In the first inning, Elvis Andrus scored on an infield single by Ian Kinsler. Later in the inning, Nelson Cruz singled to center, scoring Kinsler to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. The Red Sox answered in the second inning with J.D. Drew singling to right center, scoring Kevin Youkilis. Drew then proceeded to score on a wild pitch by opposing pitcher, Colby Lewis.

The Red Sox took a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning when Adrian Beltre hit a solo home run. The lead wouldn't last long as Texas loaded the bases against young relief pitcher, Fernando Cabrera. Cabrera surrendered a walk to David Murphy, which scored All-Star Michael Young. Later, Cabrera was facing the hero of the night, Bengie Molina. He got ahead of Molina on a 0-2 count, but then proceeded to give up a grand slam, giving the Rangers a 7-3 lead.

The lead was cut to three in the sixth inning when Youkilis hit a sacrifice fly, scoring David Ortiz. They would get no more runs and the Rangers scored one more run in the eighth inning to give the Rangers an 8-4 win.

With the loss, the Red Sox are now 6.5 games behind the defending champion New York Yankees for the AL East crown. Second place, Tampa Bay Rays, remains the leader for lone Wild Card spot, leading the Red Sox by 3.5 games. This puts the injury-plagued Red Sox at a 51-39 record.

The Rangers still remain first in the AL West, with a 52-38 record. They are are 4.5 games ahead of second place Los Angeles Angels.

MLB Second Half Predictions (AL)

By: Stephen Patterson

Since it's officially the All-Star break, I've decided to toss out some predictions for what might coming during the second half of the MLB season. This season, no team has a five game lead or higher in their division for the first time in history. While that probably means several of the divisional races will come down to the wire, I'm still going to give this a shot. The Yankees currently are the best team in the AL with a record of 56-32, but there are several other really hot teams in the American League. Some of the races will definitely be interesting in the last few weeks of the season and will be close in end. With that said, here are my divisional predictions and also my Wild Card pick for the AL:

AL EAST

Current Division Leader: New York Yankees

Predicted Winner: New York Yankees

Reason: There are several reasons why I've picked the Yankees: 1) They are my team, therefore, I am biased 2.) Boston is riddled with injuries and Tampa Bay has been inconsistent 3.) They have the best record in both leagues 4.) They win the division way more often than not. With that being said, the Rays have the best chance of catching New York, but unless they can put an end to some recent struggles, I don't expect them to make a big enough run.

AL CENTRAL

Current Division Leader: Chicago White Sox

Predicted Winner: Minnesota Twins

Reason: The White Sox are just the third team in MLB history take the lead of their division for the first time all season in their final game before the break. Unless Chicago can make a deal and upgrade their roster, I don't think they can hold off the Twins and Detroit Tigers. The loss of Jake Peavy to season ending surgery will definitely catch up to this team late in the season.

AL WEST

Current Division Leader: Texas Rangers

Predicted Winner: Texas Rangers

Reason: The Rangers have on of the best line ups in MLB and with the addition of Cliff Lee, are now one of the most dangerous teams in the American League. With Josh Hamilton, Vlad Guerrero, and Michael Young all having great seasons, I expect them to pull away from the Angels in their division. Even though they were just swept by Baltimore, they still hold a 4 1/2 game lead over Los Angeles, which is the largest lead in any division.

AL WILD CARD

Predicted Winner: Tampa Bay Rays

Runner-Up: Boston Red Sox

Reason: The AL East is definitely the best division in baseball, and will likely send two teams to the postseason. If Tampa Bay can get offense together (they've been no-hit twice this season), they have the potential to make a strong second half surge and make the division interesting with New York. If Boston can ever get healthy (not seeming likely), they have a chance at the Wild Card, but I don't think they have enough in the tank to catch the Rays or Yankees.

Check back later for my NL predictions and other MLB second half predictions.

Orioles Shoo Away Cliff Lee In Debut

By: Tyler Ward

Yesterday, as most of you know, the Rangers acquired former Cy Young pitcher, Cliff Lee, and reliever Mark Lowe in exchange for first baseman Justin Smoak, second baseman Matt Lawson, along with right handers Josh Lueke and Blake Beaven. Even though they acquired Lee yesterday, they penciled him in as the starter for tonight's game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Lee was almost a Yankee, but talks broke down at the last minute and he was then traded to the lonestar state.

Despite going through bankruptcy proceedings, the Rangers still acquired Lee in hopes of making their first playoff appearance since 1999. The Rangers (50-37) are 2.5 games ahead of the Angels in the division going into the All-Star break.

His Rangers debut didn't turn out as well, as he gave up a leadoff double to Corey Patterson on his very first pitch. The next batter, Miguel Tejada, hit a single on the first pitch too, driving Patterson in to make it a 1-0 Orioles lead. Two pitches into his Rangers career, Lee was already down in the first inning. After that, Lee got his command back and only needed 23 pitches to get his next nine outs. But, Baltimore's Nick Markakis hit his sixth home run in the fourth inning to give the Orioles a 2-0 advantage. He gave up a solo shot to Cesar Izturis the following inning and a two-run home run to Adam Jones in the sixth inning. That's all Chris Tillman and the Orioles needed to secure a 6-1 win over the division-leading Rangers.

Texas slugger Josh Hamilton went 0-4 Saturday, successfully ending his 29 game hit streak, one short of the Rangers record (Al Oliver in 1994; 30).

In his four previous starts, Lee pitched in 35 out of a possible 36 innings with three complete games. He had a 1.29 ERA in those four starts, but gave up six earned runs in his Texas debut. However, he did still pitch a complete game, but in a losing effort.

Lee's start overshadowed Baltimore's Charles Tillman, as Tillman took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Texas' Ian Kinlser broke up the no-hit bid in the seventh inning on a one-out single. Tillman was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game and replaced Kevin Millwood (2-8) in the rotation and only gave up two hits in a little over seven innings of work. This was Tillman's 17th career start, with five of those coming this season. He was 0-3 with a 8.40 ERA in four starts before being sent back to the minors on June 22.

Tillman's start couldn't have come at a better time since Baltimore claims the worst record in baseball right now (28-59). However, they have won their last three series before they enter the All-Star break. The Orioles also do not have a 4-game winning pitcher at the break for the first time in franchise history.

The Oriole pitched 7.1 innings, while striking out three and giving up one earned run on two hits to get his first win of the season. The lone run he gave up was on a wild pitch that plated outfielder David Murphy. The Rangers only managed to get four hits, while only scoring that one run.

With the win, the Orioles are now 31 games below .500 and are 27.5 games behind the New York Yankees for the AL East division lead.

Texas Rangers Acquire Cliff Lee

By: Stephen Patterson

The Yankees couldn't quite seal the deal with Seattle to acquire P Cliff Lee, and the Texas Rangers took advantage. The deal centered around Lee coming to Texas and first baseman Justin Smoak going to Seattle. The Rangers hope they finally found an ace to lead their struggling rotation. Texas has one of the best line ups in the major leagues, but have been in desperate need of a star pitcher. Lee will make his first start for the Rangers tonight.

The Rangers now have a proven pitcher to help them try to distance themselves from the Los Angeles Angels in their division. With Vladimir Guerrero, Josh Hamilton, and Michael Young leading the way offensively, Lee will have plenty of run support in his appearances. Over the past few seasons, he has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the major leagues. He has been moved a lot the past two seasons, with Texas being his fourth team, but he has been consistently good at every stop.

Last season, Lee started the year with Cleveland and beat the Yankees in the opening game at the new Yankee Stadium. He was dealt midseason to the Philadelphia Phillies, and helped lead them to the World Series. He went 4-0 in the postseason with a 1.56 ERA in five starts. He was also the only Phillies pitcher to pick up a victory over the Yankees in the World Series, winning two games against New York in the series.

Lee started this season with Seattle, and although the team has struggled offensively, he has been arguably the best pitcher in the AL this season. He went 8-3 in 13 appearances for the Mariners. He also has thrown five complete games with a 2.34 ERA, which leads the AL in both categories. If he continues to pitch like this, the Rangers could find themselves going far in the postseason. Acquiring Lee definitely gives the Texas an edge in their divisional race, and will almost certainly help end their eleven year postseason drought.

Josh Hamilton: Texas Heat

By: Stephen Patterson

Since lighting up All-Star weekend in 2008, when he blasted a record 28 first round homers during the Homerun Derby at Old Yankee's Stadium, Josh Hamilton has been one of my favorite players in Major League Baseball. He is definitely the Texas Ranger's most popular player, and having finally seen him play in person last week against the Pittsburgh Pirates, I can tell you exactly why he's so popular: The man is a monster on the field.

No one in the majors has had a better month of June than Hamilton. He is currently in the middle of a 25 game hitting streak, which covers the entire month of June. On Sunday, Hamilton blasted the 2nd longest home run in Rangers' ballpark stadium history, a whopping 468-foot bomb. Tommy Hunter (4-0) may be Josh Hamilton's biggest fan. Hamilton has homered in all five of Hunter's starts this season.

During the closing game of the Pirates series last week, Hamilton was making his return to the line-up after a day off to rest. While manager Ron Washington said he was just giving Hamilton a break after, it was later reported that the rest was due to a sore hamstring. In the game, Josh went 3-4 with two doubles and a stolen base. On a bad hamstring, Hamilton was still able to run out the throw and slide safely into second, causing the crowd to erupt.

For the month of June, Hamilton is batting .457 with 9 HR and 31 RBI. He has more hits in a month, with 48, than other other player in Texas Ranger's history. If he can keep putting up scorching hot numbers like these, Hamilton will likely receive plenty of MVP votes in the American League.

With a line-up including Vladimir Guerrero, Ian Kinsler, and Michael Young and with the team already leading the division over the Angels, I think the Rangers have an excellent chance of winning the AL West and making a deep postseason run if Hamilton can stay healthy. The only problem I can the Rangers having late in the season or in the postseason is pitching because they don't have any of the top pitchers in the American League. Hopefully with Hamilton, the Rangers will still find ways to overcome poor pitching outings when it counts.