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The Rangers opened a three-game series Monday at their American League West rivals, the Los Angeles Angels. The focus this time around should be the second of six series between the teams, not Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton. The Rangers finish the week with a four-game series in frigid Minnesota.

Here are some things to watch for:

Rangers atop the West: The Rangers moved back into sole possession of first place Sunday by a half-game after their sweep of the Seattle Mariners, which coincided with the A's losing three straight to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers are 9-4 against AL West rivals Seattle and Los Angeles.

Angels on the move: The Angels, off to another brutal start at 7-10, have won three consecutive games after Mark Trumbo's walk-off home run Sunday completed a sweep of Detroit. The Angels are 14-25 in April over the last two seasons, but they may have turned a corner with Sunday's emotional win over one of the American League's preseason favorites.

Trumbo, Trout heating up: Third-year player Trumbo and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout have the Angels' offense at the top of the American League in batting average. Trumbo has reached base in all 17 games and has hits in 15 of them. His walk-off homer against Tigers reliever Phil Coke was his second of the season. Trout has 13 hits in his last seven games, raising his batting average to .307. He also had two stolen bases Sunday, giving him three for the season.

Improved Twins: The Twins have won four straight after Josh Willingham's three-run double in the seventh inning gave Minnesota a 5-3 victory and a two-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox. The Twins moved above the .500 mark at 8-7 and are a game behind first-place Kansas City in the AL Central.

Mauer starts strong: Twins catcher Joe Mauer is in his familiar spot among the AL leaders with a .375 batting average, sixth best in the AL. Rangers DH Lance Berkman is right in front of him at .378. Mauer has two home runs, seven RBIs and has a .437 on-base average -- Berkman leads the AL with a .509 on-base average.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Justin Grimm isn't going anywhere.

That's the message he sent Sunday as he gets a big chance in the Rangers' starting rotation with Opening Day starter Matt Harrison out until at least the All-Star break.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said in a news conference earlier this week that Grimm would start Sunday and the club would see from there what was next for the 24-year-old rookie. That came at the same time Daniels announced Harrison was having back surgery on Tuesday.

Grimm left no doubt about his status in an 11-3 win over Seattle. He set a career high with nine strikeouts. He pitched out of trouble when he had to, especially in the fifth inning when he had a chance to give up a lead he had been given in the bottom of the fourth.

"I was just going out there and being aggressive. I wasn't worried about the runners in scoring position," Grimm said. "I was just trying to pitch a close game and attack hitters. My whole mindset was to keep it close and just keep executing pitches."

Grimm went four innings in his first start last week at Seattle, taxing himself by throwing 92 pitches. He didn't mess around Sunday.

His best pitch Sunday was his curveball, which he used to get six of his strikeouts. The other three came on fastballs. He also threw four or five sliders for the first time in any game -- big leagues or minors -- a pitch that could be developing for him.

But it was the fifth inning in which Grimm responded after Mitch Moreland's two-run home run gave the Rangers their first lead at 3-1.

Mariners No. 9 hitter Brendan Ryan, who was batting .152 entering Sunday, singled to start the inning. Leadoff hitter Endy Chavez followed with a double that appeared to be a catchable ball for Rangers center fielder Leonys Martin. It carried over his head, allowing Ryan to score to cut the Rangers lead to 3-2.

Grimm needed to shut things down from there, and he did so against the heart of the Mariners' lineup. Kyle Seager, who had hits in his first two at-bats, struck out on a 1-2 curveball. Kendrys Morales was called out on strikes when Grimm snuck a fastball in after four curveballs and a changeup. Cleanup hitter Michael Morse ended the inning by striking out on a curveball in the dirt.

Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux and bullpen coach Andy Hawkins preach to their pitchers that they're always one pitch away from greatness. Grimm got the first of what he hopes are many messages.

"You're one pitch away from greatness," Washington said. "He executed pitches when he was in trouble, he showed that in [his first start in] Seattle. We're just trying to make him understand to do that all the time. Not when you're in trouble."

NOTE: The Rangers' other rookie starter, Nick Tepesch, who was hit by a line drive on his right wrist in Saturday's game, said things went well after he played catch before Sunday's game. He remains on target to start Thursday's series opener at Minnesota.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- This is the damage the Rangers' offense can do when it's in sync.

From Leonys Martin's first career home run to Nelson Cruz's fifth career grand slam. From Mitch Moreland's go-ahead two-run home run in the fourth inning to Adrian Beltre's two-run shot in the sixth.

The Rangers finally started hitting home runs with runners on base in Sunday's 11-3 throttling of the Seattle Mariners. Let the rest of the American League be put on notice: The Rangers can still slug it with the best of them.

"We're dangerous all the way one through nine," Cruz, who belted his grand slam in the fifth inning, said. "I'm glad it was there for the whole team. It was a good series."

The Rangers scored 23 runs in three wins against Seattle, earning their first sweep since last June. They reached a season high in runs with 11 on Sunday, a drastic improvement after scoring four runs or less in the seven games that preceded Friday's series opener against the Mariners. The Rangers were the only team in baseball that hadn't score eight runs in a game.

Have the bats finally awoken in Texas?

"We'll get consistent," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Everyone will realize if we're consistent or not."

This weekend was a good start. Sunday was a great start as far as home runs go.

Martin's home run was a solo shot to tie the score at one in the third inning. That made it 15 of 19 home runs with no one on base for the Rangers. Moreland's fourth-inning homer changed that trend.

Fighting through a 1-for-20 slump, Moreland kept his approach -- grind out at-bats. Put a good swing on the ball. He got a sinker that didn't sink on a 2-1 pitch from Aaron Harang. Moreland crushed it 422 feet to center field. The two-run homer gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead.

"I got up there and missed a pitch early in the at-bat," Moreland said of a first-pitch sinker that he fouled off. "I got another one in the zone over the plate. I'm just trying to grind out at-bats."

Cruz said he's been trying to stay patient with his at-bats as his average has dropped from .458 to .277 in the past 11 games. He had two RBIs in 12 games before his grand slam.

Cruz took advantage of a 2-0 count against Harang and ripped a fastball seven or eight rows up in the center-field stands for the Rangers' first grand slam since last August (by Moreland). Another sign that the Rangers offense is starting to percolate.

"This game was an indication of that," Moreland said. "We definitely took a step forward. Nellie's swing today was a big blow."

Beltre added a two-run home run in the sixth inning, his third of the season. Beltre came into Sunday's game batting .222, but it appears he is starting to drive the ball. Three of his past four hits have gone for extra bases.

Martin had the most memorable home run of the day. He also had a triple in the fifth inning and scored on Ian Kinsler's single. Martin didn't have an extra-base hit before Sunday.

"I just made a connection," Martin said. "I didn't know it was a home run until it went in the stands. It was exciting. I'm not going to forget that for the rest of my life."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers finished off their first three-game sweep of the season with a 11-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Rangers Ballpark. The Rangers, who moved into first place in the American League West, have won five series and split two this season.

Grimm has career day: Rookie right-hander Justin Grimm could easily have had six shutout innings Sunday. He settled for one earned run allowed and a career-high nine strikeouts. Grimm used a curveball and 4-seam fastball to dice up the Mariners. He did his best work in the top of the fifth, after the offense had given him a 3-1 lead. The inning started poorly with a leadoff single by Mariners No. 9 hitter Brendan Ryan and a double by Endy Chavez that was misplayed in center field by Leonys Martin. But Grimm kept the tying run at second base with the Mariners' 2-3-4 hitters coming up, striking out the side.

Offense revs up: The Rangers scored a season-high 11 runs. They produced their season high in runs twice in the series, first matching their season-best total in their 7-0 victory on Friday and then with Friday's first double-digit total in 18 games this season.

Martin's first HR: Martin belted his first home run of the season, a 377-foot solo shot to right-center field to tie the game at 1-1 in the third inning. Martin also had a triple as he had his second two-hit game of the season. The Rangers now have three RBIs from their center fielders, all in this series against the Mariners.

Moreland breaks through: First baseman Mitch Moreland snapped out of a 1-for-20 stretch with a two-run home run to straight-away center field to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Moreland's third homer of the season came with two outs and after Nelson Cruz had reached on a single.

Cruz slams door: Cruz swatted the fifth grand slam of his career to give the Rangers an 8-2 lead in the fifth and basically put the game out of reach. Cruz has hit all of his grand slams at Rangers Ballpark. It was the Ranger's first slam since Aug. 22, 2011 by Moreland.

Making most of HRs: The Rangers had hit 15 of their 19 home runs with no one on base after Martin's solo shot in the third inning. Their next three long balls came with runners on. Moreland had a two-run shot, Cruz had a grand slam and Adrian Beltre had a two-run homer.

Andrus ends drought: Shortstop Elvis Andrus was hitless in his previous 13 at-bats before he lined a solid single into right field in the first inning. Andrus was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Up next: The Rangers begin a seven-game road trip in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels. Sizzling left-hander Derek Holland (1-1, 1.64 ERA) will start the opener against Angels right-hander Joe Blanton (0-3, 8.59). Game time is 9:05 p.m. CT on FSSW and on ESPN-FM 103.3 and 1540-AM.

During this three-game weekend series with the Seattle Mariners, the Texas Rangers have collected tens of thousands of essential items for the West victims and residents that filled two large meeting areas at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington as well as thousands of dollars in gift cards. In addition, some $40,000 in cash donations will go to the citizens of West from Texas Rangers fans and employees and the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation.

The Rangers, with the assistance of the Fox Sports Southwest Fan Express, are planning to deliver the items collected this weekend to West, Texas during this upcoming week. More information will be announced when it is available.

Carter BloodCare reported that 80 donors were processed during today’s blood drive at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The number of units of blood drawn today equates to over 200 lives saved.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers rookie right-hander Nick Tepesch had good range of motion in his pitching arm Sunday morning and still expects to make his next start Thursday at Minnesota.

Tepesch was hit in the right wrist by a line drive off the bat of Seattle's Jesus Montero with two outs in the second inning. The ball scraped off of his elbow and left a visible cut. But fortunately it didn't catch him flush and x-rays were negative.

Tepesch was scheduled to be re-evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister. Tepesch was going to play catch before Sunday's game. He'll throw a bullpen Monday in Anaheim and if all goes well, he'll start Thursday.

"It feels pretty good," Tepesch said.

It's not the first time Tepesch has been hit in the pitching arm by a line drive. He was hit on the right elbow in college at Missouri, but said he made his next start.

Other Rangers notes:

Frasor's role: Right-hander reliever Jason Frasor has mostly come in with the Rangers behind this season with Tanner Scheppers getting the eighth inning work. But manager Ron Washington said Sunday that bullpen roles still haven't been defined and Frasor could assume a more important role.

"We have to get Frasor out there and get him going," Washington said. "When we get him going things will pick up for him."

Frasor has made six appearances this season, five of them scoreless. He has appeared twice in the last three games after having six days off.

Bullpen is good: Manager Ron Washington said his bullpen is in good shape for Sunday's game, even after long man Derek Lowe went four innings in relief. Joe Ortiz, Tanner Scheppers and Jason Frasor finished Sunday's game after start Nick Tepesch came out in the second inning.

Berkman in lineup: Washington considered giving Lance Berkman a day off Sunday, but the Rangers' DH wanted to be in the lineup. He missed four games on the recent seven-game road trip and didn't want to be out of the lineup another day.

"I went to Berkman and he said he wanted to play," Washington said. "I didn't ask any more questions."

With cold weather expected in Minnesota next Thursday-Sunday, Berkman will likely get to rest his surgically-repaired right knee.

Quirky schedule: The Rangers are in the midst of a strange schedule where they've played in Seattle and Chicago, come home for three games in Texas, and now go to Anaheim to play the Angels and then to Minnesota, where it's expected to be cold.

"I'm just concerned with the cold weather," Washington said. "We don't want to get any doubleheaders."

Tracking Lindblom: Right-hander Josh Lindblom, who came to the Rangers in the Michael Young trade with Philadelphia, is likely the guy to watch as the next starting pitcher in waiting.

Lindblom went five innings in an 8-7 victory for Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday night, allowing an earned run. He threw 95 pitches, 64 for strikes. Lindblom had seven strikeouts. He has 18 strikeouts in 17 innings as a starter with a .161 opponent's batting average.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Here are the starting lineups for Sunday's contest between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers.

Rangers
Ian Kinsler 2B
Elvis Andrus SS
Lance Berkman DH
Adrian Beltre 3B
David Murphy LF
Nelson Cruz RF
Mitch Moreland 1B
Geovany Soto C
Leonys Martin CF
Justin Grimm

Mariners
Endy Chavez CF
Kyle Seager 3B
Kendrys Morales DH
Michael Morse RF
Justin Smoak 1B
Kelly Shoppach C
Dustin Ackley 2B
Jason Bay LF
Brendan Ryan SS

The Rangers send a rookie to the mound for the second consecutive game Sunday afternoon when right-hander Justin Grimm faces Seattle right-hander Aaron Harang. Game time is 2:05 p.m. on FSSW and ESPN-FM 103.3 and 1540-AM.

Grimm (0-0, 4.50): Grimm can entrench himself in the Rangers' rotation with a strong outing as the Rangers face three months without injured left-hander Matt Harrison ... He makes his fourth career start and his second this season ... Grimm lasted four innings in his debut this season, pitching four innings and allowing two runs in the Rangers' 4-3 victory last Thursday ... Grimm threw 92 pitches, 50 of them for strikes ... He allowed five hits and three strikeouts and gave up a home run to Seattle center fielder Franklin Gutierrez ... Grimm was a fifth-round draft pick by the Rangers in 2010.

Harang (0-1, 5.40): Harang makes his second start for the Mariners since being acquired by Seattle in a trade with the Colorado Rockies on April 11 ... He suffered a loss in his Seattle debut, allowing three runs in five innings ... Harang had six strikeouts and no walks ... Harang spent the 2012 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing with a 10-10 record and a 3.61 ERA for 31 starts ... He allowed a .202 batting average with runners in scoring position ... Harang is an even 105-105 in 300 games ... He is 1-0 with a 9.35 ERA in four career starts against the Rangers ... He last pitched against Texas on June 16, 2007 ... Harang has been hit hard at Rangers Ballpark with a 0-0 record and a 12.34 ERA for three career starts in Arlington ... He was originally drafted by the Rangers in the sixth round of the 1999 June entry draft.

Hitters: Michael Morse was 2 for 2 against Grimm in last Thursday's game. Lance Berkman (15-for-58, 7 HRs, 15 RBIs) has the most history against Harang, who has spent most of his career in the National League.

The Rangers and their fans have offered an overwhelming amount of support in the direction of West, Texas, where last week's fertilizer plant explosion has left 14 dead and more than 200 injured.

Officials from West have requested that Rangers fans who attend Sunday's game against Seattle and wish to make a donation to do so in the form of gift cards or cash donations.

The Rangers said the items will be collected at Rangers Ballpark gates beginning at noon on Sunday and continue until 30 minutes after the 2:05 p.m. first pitch.

Also, the Rangers and Carter BloodCare will host a blood drive for fans coming to Sunday's game. The blood drive will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rookie pitcher Nick Tepesch gets it. He knows he had a close call Saturday night with a line drive that scraped off his right wrist in the second inning of Saturday's 5-0 victory over Seattle.

"It definitely could have been a lot worse," Tepesch said.

Instead, X-rays on his wrist came back negative. He will be re-evaluated Sunday, but the Rangers expect Tepesch to make his next start Thursday at Minnesota. With Opening Day starter Matt Harrison out until at least the All-Star break and reinforcements such as Colby Lewis still a month or more away, the Rangers can't afford to lose another starting pitcher.

Rangers manager Ron Washington definitely thought the worst when he saw Seattle catcher Jesus Montero's line drive glance off of Tepesch with two outs in the top of the second. Washington, pitching coach Mike Maddux and senior director of medical operations Jamie Reed rushed out to the mound to check on Tepesch.

"I thought maybe something was broken," Washington said. "He's a tough kid."

Tepesch threw four warmup pitches after getting hit, and he said they all of them felt fine. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski said he has never seen a pitcher get cut by a line drive like that.

"I thought he was going to stay in," Pierzynski said. "he wanted to stay in. Obviously, the team and organization made the right call by taking him out of there. Hopefully, in five or six days, he's ready to pitch again."

The Rangers decided to play it on the safe side with a 24-year-old pitcher just breaking into the big leagues, knowing Tepesch wanted to stay in the game.

"He really wasn't saying anything," Washington said. "He wasn't showing any emotion. He was walking around because I'm quite sure it was hurting. He got on the mound, and he threw, and, in actuality, he thought he could finish. But we weren't going to take that chance."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- So that's the reason 39-year-old pitcher Derek Lowe made the Rangers out of spring training.

For night's like Saturday, when the Rangers needed a long man out of the bullpen because their rookie starter got drilled by a line drive in the wrist.

Maybe that's not the exact script, but Saturday night was all about Lowe, who gave the Rangers four hitless innings in a superb performance that keyed a 5-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Lowe was forced into action when rookie Nick Tepesch had a line drive scrape off his right wrist, forcing him out of the game for precautionary reasons.

Enter Lowe, who needed 31 pitches to get through four innings. It was vintage Lowe, the one who has racked up 176 victories because of a devastating sinker that has made him one of the premier ground-ball pitchers in baseball.

"I liked it," Lowe said of his sinker. "It put a smile on my face."

Of the 12 outs he recorded, nine of them came on ground balls. The only Mariners hitter who reached against Lowe was Kendrys Morales, who was hit by a pitch to start the fourth inning. Lowe quickly erased that with a double-play ball. He and catcher A.J. Pierzynski took advantage of an aggressive Mariners lineup.

"We certainly needed it," Washington said. "He had a good sinker working tonight. He was moving the ball up and down. It was just an outstanding job, especially when we were just trying to hold onto a one-run lead."

With the Rangers continuing to struggle offensively, Lowe had to be sharp. Pierzynski gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with a one-out home run in the bottom of the fourth. Lowe made the run stand up, getting the first two batters he faced in the top of the sixth before Washington went to the bullpen for left-handed reliever Joe Ortiz.

Ortiz, Tanner Scheppers and Jason Frasor all had to work around baserunners, but they were able to finish off the Rangers' second consecutive shutout. The Rangers have 21 consecutive scoreless innings heading into Sunday afternoon's game.

"They proved that they have a heartbeat," Washington said of Ortiz and Scheppers. "It's not easy at the major league level. That's a good challenge for them."

Low showed he has a heartbeat, too. The Rangers signed him late, so he didn't begin spring training until early March. He gave up a three-run home run to Rick Ankiel in his debut in the season opener on March 31. He pitched an inning on April 10 before going 2⅔ innings Thursday in Chicago.

Lowe was back at it Saturday, proving he can handle the layoff in between appearances.

"That's where a veteran player understands this, where a young guy gets kind of antsy," Lowe said. "I understand I have to be prepared every day. That's something I've always taken pride in my whole career, is show up every day, work hard and expect to play that day. That's what makes it a little bit easier being 39 years old, you don't get discouraged when you don't pitch in eight or nine days."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers survived an injury to starting pitcher Nick Tepesch, getting home runs from A.J. Pierzynski and David Murphy and four hitless innings from reliever Derek Lowe for a 5-0 victory over Seattle on Saturday night at Rangers Ballpark.

Tepesch knocked out: The rookie Tepesch was removed from the game after he took a line drive off his right wrist with two outs in the second inning. He was diagnosed by Dr. Keith Meister with a right wrist contusion and will be further evaluated on Sunday. Tepesch had three strikeouts through 1⅔ innings in his third big league start.

Lowe comes through: Derek Lowe entered the game in an emergency situation and was lights out. Lowe, who had a 4.91 ERA coming into Saturday, produced four hitless innings. He did it the Derek Lowe way, using his sinker to get ground balls. Lowe picked up eight outs on ground balls, including a double play to erase the lone runner he put on by a hit batter. He lowered his ERA to 2.35.

Ortiz, Scheppers wobbly: Reliever Joe Ortiz and Tanner Scheppers each entered the game with two outs and no one on base and proceeded to put the first two batters they faced on base. Ortiz was able to escape on a hard-hit ground ball by Mariners cleanup hitter Michael Morse to shortstop. Scheppers got out of his jam with a strikeout of Mariners No. 9 hitter Brendan Ryan.

Making the most: The Rangers had two hits off Mariners rookie Brandon Maurer in 6⅔ innings, but they made the most of them. Pierzynski had a home run to center field in the bottom of the fourth to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. David Murphy gave the Rangers an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-out solo shot to right-center field for a 2-0 lead.

Andrus struggles again: Shortstop Elvis Andrus made it 13 consecutive at-bats without a hit with an 0-for-4 game on Saturday. He also couldn't get a bunt down with runners at first and second with no outs in the bottom of the eighth. Then, he struck out after the runners had moved up to second and third on a passed ball.

Berkman, Pierzynski produces: Designated hitter Lance Berkman picked Andrus up, taking advantage of a drawn-in infield for a two-run single past a diving Dustin Ackley with one out to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead. Pierzynski followed with a run-scoring single up the middle for a 5-0 lead.

Home sweet home: The Rangers improved to 6-2 at home this season and have a .633 winning percentage at home since the start of the 2010 season, second only to the Yankees' .635 winning percentage at Yankee Stadium.

Up next: Another rookie starter takes the mound for the Rangers as right-hander Justin Grimm (0-0, 4.50 ERA) faces Mariners right-hander Aaron Harang (0-1, 5.40 ERA) at 2:05 p.m. Sunday afternoon. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest and will be on the radio at ESPN-FM 103.3 and 1540-AM.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Elvis Andrus isn't worried. His manager isn't worried. No one is worried.

So you shouldn't be, either.

Andrus, who is hitless in his past nine at-bats coming into Saturday night's game, is going to start hitting. In fact, he's been hitting the ball as hard as any Rangers player going back to the start of the last road trip in Seattle.

The problem is Andrus has only five hits in his past 31 at-bats. Going back further, he has nine hits in 50 at-bats. Andrus' batting average is at .209 entering Saturday's game.

His tough-luck stretch includes another frustrating at-bat from Friday -- a scorching line drive in the third inning that popped out of Mariners shortstop Robert Andino's glove. The ball was hit so hard that Andino had time to recover and nip the speedy Andrus at first base.

"Elvis has been stinging the baseball and getting nothing for it," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "So I don't see where he's in a skid. I don't want him to change anything because when that starts finding holes, it's coming to come in droves."

Andrus said he was laughing as he went back into the field after the Andino play. He also hit a rocket back to the pitcher's mound for an out later in the game.

"There's nothing I can do about it," Andrus said. "Just keeping hitting that way.

"You get mad a little bit," he said. "You just have to keep swinging. They're going to fall eventually."

Andrus' offensive hard luck hasn't carried over into the field. Andrus hasn't made an error in 16 games. He made two brilliant plays up the middle in Friday's win.

"I learned a long time ago that offense is offense and defense is defense," Andrus said. "Especially when you're not hitting. I always say when I'm not hitting I better stop everything [in the field]."

Baker brings experience: Manager Ron Washington is thrilled with the job utility man Jeff Baker has done so far. Baker had a home run in Friday's 7-0 victory over Seattle, giving the Rangers their first run of the game.

Baker can play both corner outfield positions and also made a start at first base on Friday. More importantly, he's experienced in playing a bench role, something Washington appreciates, being that guy for several years with the Minnesota Twins. Baker is batting .308 in 13 at-bats.

"He doesn't panic," Washington said. "It's been a while since we've had one of those kind of guys playing a utility role. It's comforting that I understand what that role is, and it's nice to have a guy who has played that role and was successful. We made a nice choice in bringing him on."

Washington said Baker has been mentoring rookie Leury Garcia, the Rangers' utility infielder. First-base coach Dave Anderson was also a key bench player during his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, which had made him a valuable mentor for Garcia as well.

2011 draft jinx: It's a tough time for first-round draft picks from the Rangers' 2011 draft class. Left-handed pitcher Kevin Matthews, taken with the 33rd pick, is out for the season because of a bone spur in his left shoulder and needs surgery. Matthews, who hasn't appeared in a game this season, will have surgery on Monday.

Outfielder Zach Cone, selected with the 37th overall pick, is out for the season after having surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon. The 23 year old was batting .308 with two doubles in seven games for Class A Myrtle Beach this season.

Berkman vs. Harang: Rangers designated hitter Lance Berkman has 15 hits against Seattle's Sunday starter, Aaron Harang, and seven of them are home runs. Berkman is batting a pedestrian .259 against Harang for 58 at-bats. "It's a statistical anomaly," Berkman said.

Darvish in good company: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only three pitchers reached 10 career double-digit strikeout games in fewer starts than Yu Darvish -- Hideo Nomo (23), Dwight Gooden (24) and Bob Feller (27). Darvish did it in start No. 33.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Here are the starting lineups for Saturday's contest between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers.

Rangers
Ian Kinsler 2B
Elvis Andrus SS
Lance Berkman DH
Adrian Beltre 3B
A.J. Pierzynski C
Nelson Cruz RF
David Murphy LF
Mitch Moreland 1B
Leonys Martin CF
Nick Tepesch P

Mariners
Franklin Gutierrez CF
Kyle Seager 3B
Kendrys Morales DH
Michael Morse RF
Justin Smoak 1B
Raul Ibanez LF
Jesus Montero C
Dustin Ackley 2B
Brendan Ryan SS
Brandon Maurer P

The Rangers try to take their second straight from Seattle on Saturday night when right-hander Nick Tepesch faces off against Mariners right-hander Brandon Maurer in a rematch of last weekend's pitching matchup, a game Texas lost 4-3. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN-FM 103.3 and 1540-AM.

Tepesch (1-1, 3.46): This is the third career start for the 24-year-old Tepesch … It's his first home start since Tepesch made his major league debut when he allowed a run in 7⅓ innings against the Tampa Rays on April 9 … He took the loss against the Mariners last Saturday, allowing four runs in 5⅔ innings … Tepesch took a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning but allowed consecutive RBI singles to Jesus Montero and Dustin Ackley … Tepesch relies on his sinker, a pitch that wasn't as sharp against Seattle … In his debut against Tampa Bay, Tepesch recorded 15 of 22 outs on ground balls … He became the 14th pitcher in Rangers history to win a start in his big league debut.

Maurer (1-2, 9.95): The hard-throwing 22 year old gets another start against the Rangers … It's Maurer's fourth start of his major league career … Maurer won his first big league game last Saturday against the Rangers, allowing two earned runs in six innings … He allowed five hits and had five strikeouts to go with one walk … Maurer didn't make it out of the first inning in his previous start against Houston, allowing six runs while recording two outs … He had never started above Double-A before this season … Maurer, a 23rd-round draft pick, throws his fastball at 94 mph.

Hitters: Mariners catcher Jesus Montero and third baseman Kyle Seager each were 2-for-3 against Tepesch last Saturday. Seager had two doubles. Mitch Moreland (1-for-2) and Lance Berkman (1-for-2) drove in the only runs last weekend against Maurer.