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The Rangers will certainly make other great defensive plays this season. Third baseman Adrian Beltre is a perennial Gold Glover. Shortstop Elvis Andrus is as good as it gets at his position.

PODCAST
Jim Bowden joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett for his weekly visit to discuss his opinion on Wrigley Field as a baseball venue, what he thought of Lance Berkman's comments about the historical park and his take on the Rangers early in the season. Listen

It will be difficult to top center fielder Craig Gentry's diving catch on a sinking line drive that clinched Tuesday night's 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

"It was certainly the biggest catch of this year," Rangers manager Ron Washington said Tuesday night after the game. "Saved the game for us."

Gentry's catch was amazing on many fronts -- degree of difficulty, the risk/reward involved -- and it kept the Rangers from a blowing a four-run ninth-inning lead after getting down to the last strike on five consecutive Cubs hitters.

Let's start with the degree of difficulty involved. Gentry got an exceptional jump on the sinking liner off the bat of the Cubs' Darwin Barney. That gave Gentry a chance. Still, the ball was tailing away from Gentry, and that's where his speed closed the gap.

"To get that final out was a little tough for us," Gentry said. "But luckily I was able to get a good jump on it and catch it. It was a big sense of relief."

There was also the risk-reward involved. If Gentry had made a dive and missed and the ball had gotten past him, it may well have cleared the bases (Cubs catcher Welington Castillo was running from first and might not have scored). If he pulls up and let's the ball drop, at worst it ties the game and the Rangers are headed to extra innings.

"He has to go right there; that’s one of the times when you dive and you have to," Washington said. "You just got to. It gets by you, that’s the way it is."

Gentry gave the diving catch high marks. It kept closer Joe Nathan from blowing a save and the Rangers from suffering one of their worst losses in recent memory.

"In the situation, it’s definitely a big catch, it ends the game right there," Gentry said. "If that ball drops we’re probably still playing right now. Given the situation, it’s probably a top five or six (all-time catch for me)."

CHICAGO -- With a rainout Wednesday night and more showers expected in the area all day Thursday, the pregame chat with Ron Washington focused on the possibility of another rainout. Washington was asked what positives may come from a few unexpected days off early in the season.

PODCAST
Jim Bowden joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett for his weekly visit to discuss his opinion on Wrigley Field as a baseball venue, what he thought of Lance Berkman's comments about the historical park and his take on the Rangers early in the season. Listen

“There’s no benefit, you want to play,” Washington said. “We’re not really having a bunch of nagging injuries right now. There’s not too many guys that need days off, I was thinking of getting some guys some days off if we’d have continued to play. But these days helped that out, so (that’s) a blessing in disguise. When we’re able to play ball again, we’re just going to have to get out there and see if there’s any rust.”

If the Rangers are indeed washed out Thursday, it means left fielder David Murphy will have four straight days without getting a game in (the Rangers had a scheduled off day on Monday and Murphy sat Tuesday).

“(It) shouldn’t (affect him, as long as) he gets in the cage and continues to swing,” Washington said. “At this point, all the at-bats you had in spring training and the 50 or 60 you have in the regular season (help). Those that can’t hit, it might affect them, they will continue to not hit. Those that can hit … it’s mind over matter. You want to keep playing, but you’re not. You go in the cage and you continue to swing the bat and just keep the repetition going. When you’re able to get back on the field, then you’ll see where you are. You certainly don’t want to be sitting around during a rain delay.”

Washington said that the only work the players have gotten done over the past 24 hours is hitting in the cages. Wrigley Field has limited facilities for the players -- both the home and road teams -- so there weren’t many options since the field was unusable. Pitching coach Mike Maddux ran the pitchers and had them "use their arms."

Berkman gets a break: Washington did find a positive spin for one of his players. Lance Berkman was not expected to start any of the games in Chicago. Washington also admitted that Berkman was unable to get loose in the cold weather of Tuesday night’s game to be a pinch-hitting option.

“This could be a blessing in disguise for him as we move further on into the season,” Washington said. “He got a break, not because we wanted to give him a break, but because it worked out that way. We don’t have too many nagging injuries, I know those guys want to play, but it could be a blessing in disguise. We’re being challenged, sometimes over the course of a year, this happens. Believe me, it’s gonna get to the point where we’re gonna wish we had some days off. So you just take it in stride.”

Sizing up the competition: Washington discussed the team’s next opponent, the Seattle Mariners, saying that he felt they’re undoubtedly an improved team from last year’s last place 75-87 squad.

“They got some experience in that lineup to supply for their offense,” Washington said. “They’ve always played tight ballgames, they’ve always pitched, they’ve always played defense. They are improved. The only thing I see them lacking is some speed. But they certainly got some guys in that lineup that can hurt you and that have hurt people before. They’re no different than some teams.”

Seattle, 6-10 on the season, is tied with three teams for seventh in runs scored (56) and is 14th in batting average (.220) in the AL, and although their pitching is usually strong, they’ve allowing the sixth most runs per game (4.56) in the league.

Washington said no team had really separated themselves from the pack early on except for the 12-4 Oakland Athletics.

“Right now everything they’re doing is working,” Washington said. “They’re putting all kinds of runs on the board, they’re offense is lighting it up, the pitchers are doing a good job. They’re playing extremely well. At some point everyone else is going to catch up, as well.”

Oakland currently leads the league in numerous offensive categories, including runs (96), runs per game (6.00), OBP (.354), OPS (.818) and home runs (20), while the pitching has been solid, posting a 3.55 team ERA.

Alexi Ogando will get the start as the Texas Rangers try again to get in a game against Carlos Villanueva and the Chicago Cubs. Rain could impact Thursday's contest, but the clubs plan to do everything they can to get it in. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. on FSSW and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM. Here are the lineups:

RANGERS
Ian Kinsler 2B
Elvis Andrus SS
Adrian Beltre 3B
Nelson Cruz RF
A.J. Pierzynski C
David Murphy LF
Mitch Moreland 1B
Leonys Martin CF
Alexi Ogando P

CUBS
David DeJesus CF
Starlin Castro SS
Anthony Rizzo 1B
Alfonso Soriano LF
Nate Schierholtz RF
Welington Castillo C
Luis Valbuena 3B
Darwin Barney 2B
Carlos Villanueva P

After Wednesday's rainout, the weather hasn't gotten any better for the Rangers and Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday.

With heavy storms throughout the evening, numerous reports of flooding in the area have filtered in Thursday morning. By 9:45 a.m. CT, there was still a steady rainfall with the field and bullpen at Wrigley covered and rain water pooling in certain parts of the warning track.

According to weather services, heavier storms are expected to come around 11 a.m. Media has been informed that the teams will wait as long as needed to get the game in to avoid any scheduling headaches that may occur due to a pair of rainouts. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m.

CHICAGO -- Manager Ron Washington decided to skip Justin Grimm and stick with Alexi Ogando as his starter for Thursday's game against Carlos Villanueva and the Chicago Cubs. Yu Darvish is scheduled to pitch Friday, followed by Nick Tepesch, Grimm and then Derek Holland for the series opener against the Angels. Rain could impact Thursday's game, but the clubs will try to do everything to get it in. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. on FSSW and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM.

Ogando (2-0, 1.08): Ogando has been solid in his return to the rotation, allowing only two earned runs in 16 2/3 innings pitched with 17 strikeouts and five walks. … Despite his impressive start, Ogando has only pitched six full innings in one of his three starts. … This will be Ogando’s first appearance against the Cubs. … Ogando has performed well in his 27 interleague innings, posting a 2.33 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks. … Ogando has three hits (all singles) and two strikeouts in five career plate appearances.

Villanueva (0-0, 0.64): Villanueva has been impressive in his two starts with the Cubs, allowing only one earned run in 14 innings. … The lone run recorded off Villanueva this season came via a solo home run from Braves center fielder B.J. Upton. … Villanueva was in line for the victory in both games he pitched this season, only to see a leaky Cubs bullpen blow the lead. … Villanueva had 4.16 ERA while striking out 122 and walking 46 in 125 1/3 innings (38 appearances, 16 starts) with the Blue Jays last season. … Villanueva struggled with a 4.50 ERA as a starter last season, but impressed with a 22.9 percent strikeout rate while walking only 6.7 percent of the batters he faced. … Villanueva has a 3.69 ERA in 85 1/3 interleague innings and is 1-1 with a 3.16 ERA in 25 2/3 innings against the Rangers.

Hitters: Nelson Cruz (3-for-10, 1 HR, 1 2B), Adrian Beltre (3-for-6, 1 2B) and Jeff Baker (3-for-5) have had success against Villanueva. Ogando has only faced two current Cubs, Nate Schierholtz (0-for-1) and David DeJesus (1-for-2).

CHICAGO -- After opening the season with three straight brilliant performances, manager Ron Washington had nothing but bouquets to throw Derek Holland’s way. What’s the difference between the Holland that’s shown up this season and the inconsistent performer of the past?

PODCAST
Derek Holland joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett to discuss his desire to become an elite pitcher, his hot start to the season and what it's like to play at Wrigley, which also happens to be the name of his dog. Listen

“His breaking ball has much more depth this year,” Washington said. “We’ve been trying to get him to back foot it and he’s finally been able to back foot it. He brought his changeup back into play, which in his first couple years was his bread and butter. For some reason it got away from him. Now he’s throwing his changeup and making quality pitches with it. He’s not leaving his fastball up and over the dish with all the regularity that he has in the past; he’s able to put it where he wants to. That’s all because of his dedication to what he wanted to do for himself and the team.”

In previous years, there were rumors that Holland had been distracted. Washington admitted that was likely the case, but that’s an issue in Holland’s rear view mirror.

“It wasn’t just talk, he was distracted,” Washington said. “That was fact. I think what happened is with another year older he’s graduated mentally. He understands what’s priority now, not that he didn’t understand priority, he just didn’t know how to put it in proper perspective. He has done that. The key now is to hold on to it.”

Washington added that in Holland's three starts this season, he has yet had to go out to the mound to get Holland back on track. It’s little things like that which show Washington just how much Holland has matured since he made his major league debut nearly four years ago.

“He came up, maybe, when he wasn’t ready. It was a growing pain time,” Washington said of Holland’s inconsistencies. “He started in the bullpen and was going back and forth. The past three years he locked into one situation and was a starter. All that he went through from the first year he got here to right now, it’s all come together. If he’d had time in the minor leagues to put that together, he might have been the pitcher we think he should be – that he’s become now – sooner.

"But that’s the way baseball is now. We bring these kids up here now and they have to learn on the job. It’s not easy learning how to play at the big league level. Some guys can get away with it, some guys go through growing pains. He’s one of the guys that we had to go through growing pains with.”

PODCAST
Jim Bowden joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett for his weekly visit to discuss his opinion on Wrigley Field as a baseball venue, what he thought of Lance Berkman's comments about the historical park and his take on the Rangers early in the season. Listen

Washington pointed out that Holland is a much more polished pitcher than he was in 2011 when he won 16 games and tossed 8 1/3 shutout innings against the Cardinals in Game 4 of the World Series. Washington went on to say that he’s not just going on three games evidence on this season. He’s confident that this start is for real because since Day 1 of spring training, Holland showed up with improved stuff.

Yu update: Yu Darvish will start on Friday, going on six days rest. Darvish said the extra days won’t change much – he did not throw an extra bullpen session – it just gives him some extra time to relax.

After being one out from a perfect game in his first start of the season, Darvish has given up three earned runs in each of his next two starts, going a combined 11 innings. Darvish was able to keep both games close despite not having his best stuff, something he often failed to do last season, his first in the big leagues.

“I don’t really know (what’s different),” Darvish said. “But I think emotionally and psychologically I’m a little bit more stable this year than last year.”

Darvish said that in Japan he was always able to keep games close, even when he went to the mound without his A game, and he’s glad he’s finally able to do that here.

Darvish also added that the blister on his right ring finger is a non-issue, saying that it’s "perfect."

Sticking with Kirkman: Michael Kirkman got two quick outs in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over the Cubs. However, he couldn’t find a way to get the ever-elusive third out. Kirkman allowed a soft single and a walk before he was replaced by closer Joe Nathan.

Washington didn’t hesitate when asked what he’d do if faced with a similar situation and Kirkman as the logical choice to go to in the pen.

“What you do is, you keep giving him the ball in situations where if he has hiccup he can work his way out of it until he finds it,” Washington said. “He’s gonna be important to us in that bullpen. He had bad period, then he had two pretty good (outings), then he had another (bad) one. We just gotta keep giving him the ball. We gotta figure out a way to get him right, and the only way to do that is to keep giving him the ball.”

Washington said he can’t keep going to Robbie Ross or Joe Ortiz, because if he did, they’d be burned out by June. Kirkman has a 7.20 ERA in six appearances (five innings) on the season.

CHICAGO -- With Wednesday’s matchup between the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs postponed by rain, manager Ron Washington has decided to skip starter Justin Grimm and stick with Thursday’s planned starter, Alexi Ogando.

PODCAST
Jim Bowden joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett for his weekly visit to discuss his opinion on Wrigley Field as a baseball venue, what he thought of Lance Berkman's comments about the historical park and his take on the Rangers early in the season. Listen

“He’s been pitching extremely well,” Washington said of Ogando. “(He’s) still trying to find the command of the fastball; once he finds that he should get even better. It’s nice that he’s able to throw his secondary stuff for strikes. But his bread and butter is always going to be the command of his fastball.”

Ogando has a 1.08 ERA in his three starts this season, striking out 17 and walking only five in his 16 2/3 innings of work.

Washington said his rotation going forward after Ogando on Thursday would be Yu Darvish pitching Friday, followed by Nick Tepesch, Grimm and Derek Holland opening the series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Washington said that skipping Grimm was more about keeping his other pitchers on schedule -- Darvish and Tepesch had already been pushed back -- than a commentary on Grimm’s performance.

The weather for Thursday’s game isn’t expected much better than Wednesday, but Washington was unsure what his plan would be if there was another postponement.

“What we’ll end up doing is we haven’t looked that far,” Washington said with a smile. “But Yu’s going to throw Friday. Maybe we’ll skip Tepesch and insert Ogando (on Saturday). I didn’t get a scenario as to if we get rained out tomorrow.”

It appears that the Cubs will try their hardest to get tomorrow’s 1:20 game in despite the inauspicious forecast. Both May 6 and May 9 have been discussed as possible makeup dates for Wednesday’s rainout.

Derek Holland is brimming with confidence.

PODCAST
Derek Holland joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett to discuss his desire to become an elite pitcher, his hot start to the season and what it's like to play at Wrigley, which also happens to be the name of his dog. Listen

The Rangers lefty, off to a 1-1 start with a 1.64 ERA this season, joined ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Fitzsimmons and Durrett on the phone from Wrigley Field on Wednesday afternoon and said he is gunning for a major pitching award and another World Series trip.

"I'm trying to bring the Cy Young to Texas," Holland said, "and also the World Series."

Holland tempered his Cy Young talk by saying all pitchers set lofty goals. But he is backing up his talk so far.

Holland has pitched at least seven innings in all three of his starts and allowed two runs or less in each of them. He tossed seven shutout innings Tuesday in Chicago for his first victory of the season after a hard-luck loss against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Holland said that World Baseball Classic helped him; that and the hard work he put in during the offseason. He focused on all of his pitches, but it's his changeup that has been his most improved pitch.

"The changeup never left," Holland said. "It's a feel pitch. I didn't have the best feeling for it, but it came around at the end of last season. I spend a lot of time on all of my pitches. I want to command all of my pitches.

"I'm trying to be a perfectionist, even though it's nearly impossible."

Weather permitting, Justin Grimm will make his second start of the season as the Texas Rangers (9-5) take on the Chicago Cubs (4-9) at Wrigley Field on Wednesday. The Rangers held on for a 4-2 in the series opener Tuesday to give Derek Holland his first win of the season. Texas will be aiming for a sixth consecutive interleague road victory. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and can be heard on KSKY 660 AM. Here are the lineups:

RANGERS
Ian Kinsler 2B
Elvis Andrus SS
Adrian Beltre 3B
Nelson Cruz RF
A.J. Pierzynski C
David Murphy LF
Mitch Moreland 1B
Leonys Martin CF
Justin Grimm P

CUBS
David DeJesus CF
Starlin Castro SS
Anthony Rizzo 1B
Alfonso Soriano LF
Nate Schierholtz RF
Welington Castillo C
Luis Valbuena 3B
Darwin Barney 2B
Carlos Villanueva P

CHICAGO -- The forecast for Wednesday night's game between the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field appeared dire heading into the day.

However, by 3 p.m. local time the rain had subsided and some Cubs players were playing catch in the outfield while officials tended to puddles of water that had pooled in parts of the warning track.

Both the field and the bullpens are currently covered by tarps and the sky is still overcast. Radar shows that the worst of the weather may not pass over Chicago until around 7 pm. Earlier in the day, reports of 60-mph wind gusts and hail had been reported in the area.

Justin Grimm gets his second start of the season as the Texas Rangers take on Carlos Villanueva and the Chicago Cubs in the second game of a three-game set at Wrigley Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on FSSW and KSKY 660 AM.

Grimm (0-0, 4.50): Grimm lasted just four innings in his only start of the season. He threw 92 pitches, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two against Mariners. … This will be Grimm’s first appearance against the Cubs. … Grimm has made one interleague start in his young career, going six solid innings against the Astros, allowing three runs while striking out seven and walking none in his major league debut. … Grimm has yet to record a plate appearance in his career.

Villanueva (0-0, 0.64): Villanueva has been impressive in his two starts with the Cubs, allowing only one earned run in 14 innings pitched. … The lone run recorded off Villanueva this season came via a solo home run from Braves center fielder B.J. Upton. … Villanueva was in line for the victory in both games he pitched this season, only to see a leaky Cubs bullpen blow the lead. … Villanueva had 4.50 ERA while striking out 122 and walking 46 in 125 1/3 innings (38 appearances, 16 starts) with the Blue Jays last season. … Villanueva struggled with a 4.50 ERA as a starter last season, but impressed with a 22.9 percent strikeout rate while walking only 6.7 percent of the batters he faced. … Villanueva has a 3.69 ERA in 85 1/3 interleague innings and a 3.16 ERA in 25 2/3 innings against the Rangers.

Hitters: Nelson Cruz (3-for-10, 1 HR, 1 2B), Adrian Beltre (3-for-6, 1 2B) and Jeff Baker (3-for-5) have had success against Villanueva. Grimm has not faced a player currently on the Cubs roster.

The Rangers pushed Yu Darvish's start back from Thursday to Friday to give him an extra day of rest. And to give him another shot at the Seattle Mariners.

Ok, not really on the second part, though the Rangers would enjoy seeing Darvish find some success against the Mariners. The AL West rival has been his nemesis early on in his career.

Darvish is 18-10 with a 3.80 ERA since debuting in the big leagues last year. His walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) is 1.23 for his career. He's had rough outings against the Sox -- Chicago and Boston -- but has faced each team just once. Darvish has made five starts against Seattle.

Darvish is 2-3 with a 6.21 ERA and 1.45 WHIP against the Mariners. He has struggled with his command against Seattle, with 17 walks and four hit batters in 29 innings. He has averaged six innings per start against Seattle. He's close to seven innings per start against the rest of the league.

PODCAST
Jim Bowden joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett for his weekly visit to discuss his opinion on Wrigley Field as a baseball venue, what he thought of Lance Berkman's comments about the historical park and his take on the Rangers early in the season. Listen

Darvish allowed three first inning runs at Seattle last Friday, and even though he followed that with four scoreless innings, he still took another loss against the Mariners.

Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager had a two-run double in the first inning off Darvish. That's no surprise since no one has Darvish's number like Seager, who is batting .385 with seven RBIs against him. Seager has two more RBIs than any hitter against Darvish; Detroit's Torii Hunter is next i nline.

The silver lining? Darvish has been much better against the Mariners at home. He is 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.26 WHIP against Seattle at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. And most of the damage in Arlington came when he allowed four runs on four hits, three walks and a wild pitch in the first inning of his Rangers debut last April against Seattle. Darvish and the Rangers actually won that game 11-5.

Darvish gets another crack at the Mariners on Friday. Can he reverse the Starbucks curse?

As expected, there's a strong possibility that rain will impact the Rangers and Cubs for Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

It's cold now in Chicago -- 43 degrees and it feels like 38. There's still a 100 percent chance of rain for this afternoon and tonight. There's a 90 percent chance of rain Thursday.

There is rain in the Chicago area, mostly to the west. You can follow the latest in Chicago right here at weather.com.

Here's the radar for the Wrigley Field area.

CHICAGO -- The Texas Rangers' pitching staff has been strong early in the season, and slowly but surely it appears the bats are beginning to wake up as well. Tuesday night was Adrian Beltre’s turn to start swinging a hot stick. On a night when the wind seemed to be knocking down everything hit to left field, Beltre was able to line one into the stands to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead over the Chicago Cubs.

“I hit it good -- I was just waiting for the wind to die down a little bit so I can swing the bat,” Beltre said with a laugh. “No, I hit it good, I didn’t know it was going to go out -- I knew it had a chance. I was just looking for a pitch I could drive to get that run in, and lucky enough, I did.”

Beltre went 2-for-4 on the evening, with his big two-run homer, a double and two runs scored in the Rangers’ 4-2 victory over the Cubs.

“We expect to be better,” Beltre said of the Rangers’ offense. “I don’t think we’re where we want to be right now. We know we’re going to be better; we have such great talent on this ball club. It’s nothing to worry about, we’re gonna be better. But it’s always good to know the pitching staff has been solid, and hopefully it stays that way. It’s like they say: You go as far as the pitching staff will take you.”

The Rangers’ staff has put up a 2.85 ERA with 113 strikeouts and 35 walks in 123 innings pitched, while only a few bats have performed early on.

Derek Holland, who picked up the win by giving up just two hits and striking out six in seven scoreless innings, has never been concerned with what the offense does; he knows they’ve been there for him in the past and they’ll continue to show up in the future.

“They’re always capable of it,” Holland said. “I’m not worried about it; my main thing is if I go out there and make my pitches, everything else is gonna fall into place. It’s just a matter of time. They’ve done things for me -- they gave me the highest run support (in the past), so I’ll take whatever I can get. As long as I’m out there doing my job, that’s all that matters.”

The Rangers built a four-run lead, but things got a little tight in the ninth inning. After getting two quick outs, the Cubs managed to load the bases and pinch hitter Nate Schierholtz knocked in a pair of runs as left fielder Jeff Baker failed to make a diving catch on Schierholtz’s line drive.

Washington left Baker in left field in the late-inning situation because he had used his only other utility infielder, Leury Garcia, to pinch hit earlier in the game. That left him with only Baker as a backup infielder in an emergency situation.

“I put myself in a corner; I pinch-hit Garcia -- that was my only coverage on the infield,” manager Ron Washington said. “I take Baker out and something happens, I’m through, I have no coverage. He’d been making all the plays out there all night, he just ended up trying to make one he didn’t make.”

But Washington and the Rangers were saved by center fielder Craig Gentry’s brilliant play in center. With two down, the bases loaded and the Cubs trailing by two, second baseman Darwin Barney looped a ball into center that hung up just long enough for Gentry to make a sliding grab to end the game.

“I was not worried at all,” Washington said. “I was thinking four runs -- we’ll get an out before they got four or five. We ended up doing; it took a great play in center, but we did it. One of the best catches I’ve seen this year. It saved the game for us.”

Beltre, who is known to make a defensive gem or two himself at the hot corner, was impressed by Gentry’s performance.

“Unbelievable, I saw that go in center field and how low it was -- I thought he had no chance,” Beltre said. “He came over and made a great, unbelievable save for us.”

CHICAGO -- Derek Holland’s early-season dominance continued as he delivered another impressive performance for the Texas Rangers. Holland lowered his ERA to 1.64 with seven innings of shutout baseball against the Chicago Cubs. Holland has pitched a minimum of seven innings in each of his three starts on the season.

“He’s really been locked in,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “He’s been using all his pitches, keeping the ball down; he’s been moving it around the zone. The good thing about him is he’s been getting three outs. Derek used to have trouble getting that third one, but he’s found a way to get it.”

Washington was happy to see Holland settle down after a 27-pitch first inning in which three of the four batters he faced forced him to toss at least seven pitches.

Holland didn’t allow a bitterly cold evening -- the temperature was 39 degrees and dropping, with a slight breeze coming in from the Chicago lakefront -- to deviate from his game plan.

“You just gotta go out there and go after the hitters,” Holland said. “We both gotta battle it; to use the cold as an excuse is terrible. [Cubs starter Travis Wood] has gotta pitch in it, I gotta pitch in it. We just gotta make our pitches, that’s the main thing.”

Holland wasn’t about to come into Tuesday’s game overconfident against a Cubs lineup that has struggled mightily against left-handed starters.

“I never use that as an excuse, because anybody can beat anybody on any given day,” Holland said. “It doesn’t matter how bad you are against one guy. I look at it as if I go out there and do my job, it’s gonna be hard for them. That’s what I want to do, make it as hard as possible for those guys.”

After Holland shut them down, the North Siders' line dropped to .144/.202/.216 when a southpaw starts.

A hot start from Yu Darvish has given the Rangers an impressive one-two punch with Darvish and Holland at the top of the rotation. It’s a welcome sign for a team that has been known for its bats during its recent playoff run over the past three seasons.

“We want our pitching staff to be recognized, because [the team has] always been known for hitting,” Holland said. “So our job is to go out there and do what we can as a pitching staff.”