In a Friday staple, we'll discuss who's in a groove and who's in a rut for the Texas Rangers.
Who's On?
Leonys Martin — The rookie center fielder has taken kindly to being the everyday guy in center. He had already pretty much established that but Craig Gentry's trip to the disabled list solidified it. Over his last five games, Martin is hitting .368 with a stolen base and his big two-homer game on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
Nelson Cruz — Cruz has been fairly consistent lately, which is a rare, yet good, thing for him. He's hitting .292 over the last week with a double, two homers and a team-high seven RBIs in his last six games. He mashed his 20th homer Wednesday, etching his name in Rangers history with a franchise record five straight seasons with at least 20 home runs.
A.J. Pierzynski — The veteran catcher continues to produce at the plate and work well with the Rangers' pitchers with three doubles and a homer in his last five games. He's second behind Cruz over the last six games with four RBIs.
Derek Holland — The up-and-down lefty with tons of potential turned in perhaps the best outing of his career on Thursday, pitching a two-hit, complete-game shutout in Yankee Stadium, a yard that's haunted him throughout his career.
Who's Not?
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
Adrian Beltre — Over his last six games, Beltre is hitting just .200 in the Rangers' cleanup spot. Don't expect this little slump to last too long, because Beltre's rarely do, but if he can pick it back up for the Rangers the offense will get only that much better.
Mitch Moreland — Since returning from the disabled list last week, Moreland has had trouble getting back to where he was before he injured his hamstring, which was a claim as one of the Rangers' best hitters this season. He's 4-for-23 in his last six games with a double and three RBIs.
Robbie Ross — Ross has worked two innings over the last week and given up two runs, including a home run to Ichiro in a game the Rangers eventually won. Ross, along with the rest of the "winning pieces" of the bullpen are being overworked at the moment, making Thursday's day off (thanks to Holland) huge for everyone.
