Texas Rangers (52-34) at Seattle Mariners (36-51) LHP Derek Holland (5-4, 5.05) vs. RHP Kevin Millwood (3-6, 3.69) Game #87 • Road #42 (23-18) • Fri., July 13, 2012 • Safeco Field • 9:10 p.m. (CDT) • TXA21 / 103.3 FM / 1540 AM WINS AND LOSSES: The Rangers beat the Twins 4-3 in 13 innings in last ALL-STAR RECAP: A club-record 7 Rangers appeared in Tuesday’s All-Star game on Sunday in Arlington…Texas has won 2 straight after a 5-game losing Game in Kansas City (Darvish did not appear), including a club-record 5 posi- streak…club is 8-6 in last 14, but has won 18 of 26 and 19 of 28, the longer tion players…the 5 batters (Andrus, Beltre, Hamilton, Kinsler, Napoli) com- span beginning June 8…club is 37-30 since a 15-4 start…club has won 8 of bined to go 1-for-9, while the 2 pitchers (Nathan, Harrison) combined to allow last 9 series, including 7 straight from June 8-July 1…club is 18-9-1 overall in 3 R-ER in 2.0 IP…a Texas player has had a hit in 10 straight All-Star Games series in 2012…tied for major league lead with 52 wins and at .605 (52-34), with a plate appearance beginning in 2003, lone exception being 2007, when Rangers have 2nd-best winning pct. in majors (see note below)…own team’s Michael Young (Ranger lone All-Star that year) did not appear. best record ever after 86 games, and will also hold best 87-game mark regardless of tonight’s outcome…club was a season-high 21 games above REHAB FRONT: Alexi Ogando made his first appearance on an injury rehab .500 (50-29) on July 1…own majors’ best winning pct. since 2011 All-Star assignment last night for Round Rock against Memphis, tossing a perfect first break at .622 (97-59). inning with 2 SO and a groundout (15 pitches/10 strikes)…Neftali Feliz (54 RANGERS’ BEST RANGERS’ BEST pitches) and Koji Uehara (28 pitches) each threw live BP yesterday at 86-GAME RECORDS 87-GAME RECORDS Rangers Ballpark before the team left for Seattle…hitters for the session: Rk W-L Year(s) Rk W-L Year(s) Mitch Moreland, Brandon Snyder, Leonys Martin, and Alberto Gonzalez. 1 52-34 2012 1 51-36 1996 2 50-36 1996, 2010 2 50-37 2004, 2010 HAMILTON AT THE BREAK: Josh Hamilton was just the 6th player in 3 49-37 1979, 2004 3 49-38 1979 American League history with minimums of a .308 average, 27 HR, and 75 RBI at the All-Star break (since 1933)…the 27 HR match the most ever by BEST RECORDS IN MAJORS AT ALL-STAR BREAK a Ranger prior to the break, done one other time: Alex Rodriguez (27) in Win Pct. Team W-L G 2002…Rodriguez would go on to hit a club-record 52 HR that year…Hamilton .612 New York-AL 52-33 85 is the first Ranger to ever reach those minimums in HR and RBI prior to the .605 Texas 52-34 86 All-Star break…the 75 RBI rank T7th-most in club history before the break. .590 Washington 49-34 83 AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYERS WITH .308 AVG., 27 HR, AND 75 RBI .565 Pittsburgh 48-37 85 PRIOR TO THE ALL-STAR GAME, 1933-2012 .558 Los Angeles-AL 48-38 86 Year Player Tm Avg/HR/RBI Year Player Tm Avg/HR/RBI 1994 Frank Thomas CWS .383/32/78 2003 Carlos Delgado TOR .313/28/97 FIRST HALF NOTES: Texas finished the first “half” with a 52-34 (.605) record, 1999 Ken Griffey Jr. SEA .310/29/81 2007 Alex Rodriguez NYY .316/30/86 highest winning pct. ever at the break and tied for most wins ever prior to the 2000 Carlos Delgado TOR .363/28/80 2012 Josh Hamilton TEX .308/27/75 All-Star Game (52-39 in 1979). WINNING LATE, OF LATE: The Rangers won each of their last 2 games prior Batting- Rangers led majors in average (.280), runs (443), hits (844), total to the break (in Arlington) in extra innings…it marked the first time to win con- bases (1352), and on-base pct. (.343) before break, 2nd in majors with .449 secutive games in walk-off fashion since Sept. 10-11, 2010 vs. New York- SLG, T3rd with 283 extra-base hits…marked highest average, OBP, and SLG AL…it was the first time to win consecutive games in extra innings since May prior to break since 2008 (.283/.354/.461). 16-17, 1994, at Oakland (W 11-7, W 8-7, both in 10 innings)…the Rangers Pitching- Staff ranked among first “half” A.L. leaders in opp. OBP (1st, .304), have played extras in 3 of the last 5 games after going 44 games without an WHIP (2nd, 1.24), complete games (T2nd, 5), ERA (3rd, 3.72), SO/BB ratio extra-inning affair from May 27-July 3. (3rd, 2.96), strikeouts (4th, 670), and opp. avg. (6th, .248)…Rangers’ 3.72 Sunday’s win was the Rangers’ first win all year when trailing after 8 innings ERA is 8th-lowest ever prior to the break, lowest since club-best 3.10 in (had been 0-30)…was also first Texas win when trailing by 3-or-more in 9th- 1983…the .304 opp. OBP set a club record…the 670 K’s were a pre-break or-later since 6/9/07 vs. MIL (trailed 3-0 entering 9th, scored 4 in 9th to win). club record, and the 2.96 SO/BB ratio was easily best ever by Rangers (pre- vious 2.26 in 2011)…club’s 1.2374 WHIP prior to break was just shy of pre- BETTER HALF?: In 2011, the Rangers had 3 players in the majors’ top 6 in break club record set in 1983 (1.2373). batting average after the All-Star break: Mike Napoli (2nd, .383), Adrian Beltre RANGERS HIGHEST WINNING PCT. AT ALL-STAR BREAK, ALL-TIME (5th, .359), and Michael Young (6th, .357)…Young is a career .300 (926-3089) Win Pct. Year W-L Win Pct. Year W-L hitter after the break, while Napoli has a .280 (235-839) figure in second “half”. .605 2012 52-34 .571 1991 44-33 .586 1996 51-36 .570 2004 49-37 BEEN HERE BEFORE: Texas opens the second “half” on the road for the 3rd .571 1979 52-39 .568 2010 50-38 straight year and 7th time in the last 8 seasons (at home in 2009)…club fol- lowed the All-Star Game last year with a 4-game series in Seattle, winning all STILL AMONG THE BEST: Texas enters the second “half” tied with the 4 games, part of a 5-game win streak after the break (overall 12-G win streak Yankees for the major league lead in wins (52), as well as having MLB’s 2nd- spanning ASG). best record (see chart above)…Rangers have had majors’ best record for 12 So Has Holland: Derek Holland was the starter for the second “half” opener days overall since June 1 (5 straight, June 20-24; 7 straight, June 28-July here in Seattle last year, posting a CG shutout in his only career start at Safeco 4)…marks first time for the club to ever have sole possession of best mark in on July 14, 2011. ML after June 1…Rangers became 1st ML team to 50 wins on June 30 in ON ROAD: Texas has lost its last 3 away games in the first “half” (swept at game no. 79, joining the 2009 Dodgers as only teams to reach 50 wins in as CWS), matching longest road losing streak in ‘12 (3rd time)…only time to lose few as 79 games over the last 6 seasons. more than 3 straight road games since start of last year was 5 in a row, June 11-16, 2011…team is 5-4 last 9 road contests overall but is 8-11 away from LEAD AT THE BREAK: The Rangers have had a 4.0-game lead in the A.L. home beginning May 21…at 23-18 (.561), the Rangers have the A.L.’s 3rd West for 8 straight days, this after having a lead of at least 4.5 games for 20 best road winning percentage, matching team’s best road mark ever after straight days…only Yankees (+7.0) have a larger lead, and Nationals also 41 road games (also 23-18 in 1977, 1992, 1998, and 1999)…only one of have 4.0-game dead…have led by at least 3.5 games for 83 of last 87 days those years that club won road game no. 42 was 1998 (24-18)…team was 19- beginning April 17…have had outright possession of A.L. West lead for last 95 22 after 41 road games in 2011. days and have held at least a share of the West lead for 96 of 98 days in 2012 and 232 of last 234 days beginning May 16, 2011…beg. June 8, 2010, Texas VS. SEATTLE: Rangers are 5-5 vs. M’s this season, losing 2 straight and 4 of has held 1st place for 382 of 398 days. 5…dropped 2 of 3 in other series in Seattle, May 21-23…Texas has won 10 of Texas has an outright lead in the A.L.