Ron Washington confident in Josh Hamilton
Hamilton, representing the tying run, whiffed on Los Angeles Angels closer Ernesto Frieri's tailing 96-mph fastball to end the game. It was his third consecutive strikeout, capping an 0-for-5 effort that dropped his batting average to a season-low .293. He is hitting .180 for the month of July and is 5-for-35 (.143) since the All-Star break.
Hamilton stranded 11 runners during the weekend set against the Angels and has only one extra-base hit over the last nine games.
Still, with the game on the line and capacity crowd on its feet, Washington wanted his No. 3 hitter in the box.
"He was locked in but, you know, he got beat," Washington said. "It happens."
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Richard Durrett
Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.
Tim MacMahon
Tim MacMahon joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. Tim covers the Cowboys and Mavericks. He has covered the local sports scene from high schools to colleges to pros during his six-year tenure at The Dallas Morning News. MacMahon is a graduate of UNT.
103.3 FM ESPN PODCASTS
Play Podcast Rangers manager Ron Washington joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett for his weekly visit to discuss Yu Darvish's pitch count and how he spends time in the clubhouse during weather delays.
Play Podcast Nolan Ryan joins Galloway & Company for his weekly visit to discuss the latest Rangers news.
Play Podcast Reid Ryan joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his new position with the Houston Astros and whether he could see his dad, Nolan, joining him there in the future.
Play Podcast ESPN MLB Insider Jayson Stark joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss if the Rangers are the best team in baseball, what makes them so good and if he thinks the team will trade Jurickson Profar.
Play Podcast Jim Bowden joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Ron Washington's decision to send Yu Darvish to the mound for the eighth inning Thursday night and how he would handle a situation like that if he were still a GM.
Play Podcast Randy Galloway, Matt Mosley and Glenn "Stretch" Smith discuss the latest Rangers news, including the Yu Darvish-Justin Verlander matchup.
Play Podcast Nelson Cruz joins Galloway & Company to discuss the Rangers' series in Oakland, his ups and downs at the plate and if the PED talks before the season were a distraction.
Play Podcast Rangers manager Ron Washington joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett live from Oakland for his weekly visit.
UPCOMING GAMES
| W-L | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAK | 24-22 | 13-10 | 11-12 | W4 | |
| TEX | 29-16 | 14-6 | 15-10 | L1 |
| W-L | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAK | 24-22 | 13-10 | 11-12 | W4 | |
| TEX | 29-16 | 14-6 | 15-10 | L1 |
| W-L | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEX | 29-16 | 14-6 | 15-10 | L1 | |
| SEA | 20-25 | 11-9 | 9-16 | L4 |
TEAM LEADERS
| WINS LEADER | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Yu Darvish
|
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| OTHER LEADERS | ||||||||||||
| BA | L. Berkman | .309 | ||||||||||
| HR | N. Cruz | 11 | ||||||||||
| RBI | N. Cruz | 33 | ||||||||||
| R | E. Andrus | 28 | ||||||||||
| OPS | M. Moreland | .922 | ||||||||||
| ERA | Y. Darvish | 2.97 | ||||||||||
| SO | Y. Darvish | 86 | ||||||||||
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