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SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Colby Lewis didn't have his best stuff Thursday, but he wasn't concerned about it, either. He simply shrugged his shoulders, gave the Chicago Cubs credit and vowed that he'd try to do better in his next start after allowing six runs on nine hits in five innings of an 11-4 loss.

Lewis noted that he gave up four of his runs on two bad pitches to Joe Mather, one of the hottest hitters in the Cactus League, and Alfonso Soriano, who blasted home runs to give the Cubs an early lead. Other than that, Lewis said he was pleased with his slider and changeup and his ability to induce some ground balls.

"They earned it," Lewis said. "But I was able to do some things. I was able to move the ball in and out when I wanted to and throw breaking balls for strikes and down [in the zone] and curve balls for outs. My changeup was really good."

Lewis said his No. 1 job was to get his five innings in, work on his location and keep building his arm strength. One focus Thursday was to throw inside and he was pleased with how he did that, even to left-handed hitters.

"Sometimes you get swings and misses and sometimes you don't," Lewis said. "The slider was really good today, but they spit on it when it wasn't in the zone. I got ambushed a couple of times with guys swinging at first-pitch fastballs. But I'm trying to go out there and pound strikes and get ahead of guys. I don't felt like I hurt myself. I didn't walk a whole bunch of guys. They hit some balls I missed."

Lewis walked just one batter and got three strikeouts and six ground-ball outs. He said that despite the results, he felt about the same about his repertoire as he did in his last Cactus League start, four scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox with five strikeouts.

Nathan impressive: The Rangers' closer finally got to pitch the ninth inning for the first time this spring and pitched well. He faced Cubs minor leaguers, but threw strikes, had his velocity where he wanted it (hit 93 mph several times on the fastball) and got three straight outs. Nathan had allowed six runs on five hits in his last two Cactus League innings, so putting together a solid inning was big for him. More on Nathan on the blog later.

Big blast: Joe Mather crushed a two-run homer off Lewis in the second on the first pitch he saw. Mather, vying for a bench spot with the Cubs this spring, leads the team in RBIs this spring with 12. Lewis allowed an AL-high 35 homers in 2011.

Defensive gem: Ian Kinsler backhanded a ball behind the second base bag hit by Blake DeWitt in the first inning and made an off-balance throw to Michael Young and first base to get the out. Kinsler had a long way to go and still managed to make the play.

Good throw: The Cubs tested Craig Gentry's arm in the fourth inning. Geovany Soto decided to try to tag up from first to second on a ball hit to deep center field. Gentry caught it and immediately threw the ball to second. Kinsler gloved it and had enough time to turn and make the tag.

Nice tag: Elvis Andrus slid over to cover second base as Joe Mather tried to steal second with two outs in the fourth. Mike Napoli's throw was to the first-base side of the bag and not particularly close, but Andrus snagged it and quickly slapped the tag on a sliding Mather to record the out. It was a terrific athletic play.

Patience: Young, who came into the game with two walks in 28 plate appearances this spring, walked twice Thursday and had a single. He also played first base, a position he played some in 2011 and could see some time when needed in 2012.

Uehara struggles: Koji Uehara continues to have difficulties this spring. After getting a 1-2-3 inning against the Cubs on Tuesday, Uehara couldn't duplicate the feat on Thursday. He allowed four runs on three hits and one walk (on four pitches). Three of the runs scored on a homer by Brett Jackson.

Lowe-down: Mark Lowe allowed a run on a solo homer in his lone inning of work and was pleased that he was able to limit the damage.

"That’s the worst I’ve felt all spring as far as everything working," Lowe said. "Only giving up one run with nothing working … I’ll take it. I battled and made it through."

MESA, Ariz. -- Texas Rangers right-handed starter Neftali Feliz did not come out for the fourth inning Tuesday because of right shoulder stiffness.

The team said he will continue to be evaluated.

Feliz threw 49 pitches in three scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs with a walk and a strikeout. His fastball velocity was 93 to 95 mph and he did a nice job of pitching out of a few jams. But after the third inning, he did not trot out for the fourth. Left-handed pitcher Neal Cotts came in at that point. Feliz was scheduled to pitch four innings.

Feliz, 23, is making the transition from closer to the rotation this spring. He was the AL Rookie of the Year with 40 saves in 2010 and had 32 saves as the closer in 2011. But the club has wanted to see if Feliz could establish the secondary stuff to go along with his lively fastball and become a starter. He's penciled in as the fifth starter as of now.

Feliz was on the disabled list once last season, April 21-May 5, with right shoulder inflammation.

LAS VEGAS -- Matt Harrison and Derek Holland did exactly what they should've done to the overmatched split squad roster the Chicago Cubs brought to Las Vegas.

They dominated.

Harrison, just like Holland on Satuday, suffocated the Cubs' offense by attacking the strike zone and getting ahead in the counts against a lineup that featured regulars Alfonso Soriano and Bryan LaHair and a couple of backups. It's the oldest and most reliable pitching formula in baseball.

In five innings, Harrison allowed one hit and one run with a walk and five strikeouts in a 3-2 loss to the Cubs. In his outing, Holland allowed no runs on a hit with no walks and two strikeouts.

"So far, so good," Harrison said. "Hopefully, I can keep doing the same thing: pounding the strike zone and making quality pitches. I want to make them swing the bats because good stuff happens when they do that."

Harrison struck out 126 batters in 185 innings last year. He's not trying to increase his strikeouts, but if he can make his changeup a consistent weapon, the numbers will naturally rise. He's been working on using his fingertips to slow down the ball when he releases it instead of slowing down his arm speed down.

At least two of his strikeouts occurred on changeups.

"I've always thought that was his second-best pitch," Ron Washington said. "He worked on it the second half of last season, and he came into spring training, and he's continued to work on it and it's gotten better."

LAS VEGAS -- It's amazing, sometimes, the effect a small adjustment can make.

Mike Adams, frustrated by his lack of command since he arrived in spring training, spent his bullpen session Thursday throwing nothing but fastballs in a quest to get a feel for the pitch.

Well, it looks like he found it.

He struck to the side on 12 pitches Saturday afternoon in the Rangers' game against the Cubs.

"It was just a small thing, but now my mechanics are smooth," Adams said. "I was excited about my bullpen session and I was excited about getting in a game and using my pitches."

Adams struck out Bryan LaHair on a cut fastball and Wellington Castillo on a four-seam fastball. Junior Lake took a called third strike.

LAS VEGAS - Before Sunday's spring training game against the Cubs, Derek Holland told catch Yorvit Torrealba that he wanted to treat Saturday's game like a regular-season contest.

He wanted to establish his fastball and pound the strike zone instead of working on his breaking ball early in the count.

Mission accomplished.

Holland yielded just one hit, no runs and two strikeouts in four quality innings. He had no walks and just one three-ball count.

"I had a lot of movement on my fastball, so I just wanted to work off of that," he said. "Even if I got behind 1-0, I wanted to come back and locate the fastball because if you don't that's when you get behind and have to throw certain pitches."

Torrealba said Holland made his job easy.

"All I had to do today is put my glove down," he said. "He threw all his pitches for strikes and pounded the strike zone. He has more experience -- he had experience last year, but he was still learning. Now, he knows what he can do."

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers are taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks in Surprise and the Chicago Cubs in Las Vegas. Here are the lineups for both games, starting with the Vegas squad:

Rangers vs. Cubs

RANGERS
SS Elvis Andrus
CF Julio Borbon (L)
LF Josh Hamilton (L)
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
1B Mitch Moreland (L)
C Yorvit Torrealba
DH Joey Butler
2B Matt Kata

PITCHERS
LHP Derek Holland
RHP Alexi Ogando
RHP Sean Green
RHP Roman Mendez

CUBS
RF Reed Johnson
3B Blake DeWitt
LF Alfonso Soriano
CF Joe Mather
1B Bryan LaHair
C Welington Castillo
SS Junior Lake
2B Adrian Cardenas

PITCHERS
RHP Jeff Samardzija
LHP James Russell
RHP Rafael Dolis
RHP Blake Parker
RHP Manny Corpas

Rangers vs. Diamondbacks

RANGERS
2B Ian Kinsler
RF David Murphy (L)
3B Michael Young
DH Mike Napoli
1B Brad Hawpe (L)
LF Conor Jackson
CF Engel Beltre (L)
C Zach Zaneski
SS Greg Miclat (S)

PITCHERS
RHP Scott Feldman
LHP Miguel De Los Santos
RHP Koji Uehara
LHP Ben Snyder
RHP Jake Brigham

DIAMONDBACKS
3B Ryan Roberts
2B Aaron Hill
RF Justin Upton
LF Jason Kubel (L)
CF Chris Young
1B Paul Goldschmidt
DH Gerardo Parra (L)
C Henry Blanco
SS John McDonald

PITCHERS
LHP Joe Saunders
RHP Chris Jakubauskas
RHP Sam Demel
RHP David Hernandez
RHP Jensen Lewis
RHP Brett Lorin

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Here are the coaches and players who will make the trip to Las Vegas for the Texas Rangers' two-game series this weekend against the Chicago Cubs.

POSITION PLAYERS

SS Elvis Andrus
C Dusty Brown
C Chris Robinson
C Yorvit Torrealba
C Luis Martinez
OF Nelson Cruz
1B/OF Mitch Moreland (L)
CF Julio Borbon (L)
OF Leonys Martin (L)
3B Adrian Beltre
OF Josh Hamilton (L)
OF Ryan Strausborger
INF Renny Osuna
INF Guilder Rodriguez (S)
OF Jared Prince
C Elio Sarmiento (S)
OF Joey Butler
OF Mike Bianucci
INF Leury Garcia (S)
INF/OF Matt Kata (S)

PITCHERS
RHP Mike Adams
RHP Alexi OGando
LHP Derek Holland
RHP Justin Miller
LHP Matt Harrison
RHP Roman Mendez
RHP Mark Hamburger
RHP Sean Green
RHP Johan Yan
RHP Tyler Tufts
LHP Corey Young
RHP Derek Hankins
LHP Zach Jackson

STAFF
Manger Ron Washington
3B coach Dave Anderson
Hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh
1B coach Gary Pettis
Pitching coach Mike Maddux
Bullpen coach Andy Hawkins
Special assistant Greg Maddux
Coach Jason Wood

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington left Surprise on Thursday to handle a family emergency.

His brother-in-law passed away Wednesday. Washington will be in New Orleans with his wife for two days. He'll rejoin the Rangers in Las Vegas on Saturday for their two-game series with the Chicago Cubs.

Bench coach Jackie Moore will be the acting manager during Washington's absence.

Tickets for the Rangers-Cubs series in Las Vegas on Saturday and Sunday, March 17-18, go on sale Monday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. central time. You can purchase tickets at the Cashman Field box office or through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000.

The cost is $35 for reserved seats, berm and grandstand, $45 for plaza and $50 for field seats. The spring training games will feature split squads.

ESPNChicago.com is reporting that, according to a source, the Rangers have been talking to the Cubs about acquiring right-hander Matt Garza.

The Rangers were interested in Garza last year, when the Rays traded him to Chicago. He went 10-10 with a 3.32 ERA and 197 strikeouts for the Cubs last season.

Read the full story here.

Free agency isn't the only route the Rangers will attempt to take this offseason. They'll look at trades too. So as the Winter Meetings approach, let's take a look at another possibility: Matt Garza.

Garza could be on the market for the right deal, as noted by Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.

The Rangers had strong interest in Garza last offseason, but lost out to the Cubs, who sent five minor leaguers to the Rays as part of the deal. Levine says the Cubs would want a package of four or five players and lists Mitch Moreland as a potential possibility for inclusion. But you can bet the Cubs would want a solid pitching prospect or two as well.

Why? Because Garza is under team control for two more seasons (as arbitration eligible) before becoming a free agent after the 2013 season. He was 10-10 with a 3.32 ERA for a team that finished 20 games below .500. He had 197 strikeouts and 63 walks in 198 innings. Six times Garza left with a late lead only to see the bullpen blow it.

The right-hander from Selma, Calif., has the equivalent of about four full seasons in the AL under his belt. He is 2-3 with a 6.04 ERA in just 28 1/3 career innings at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (five starts).

Garza has the ability to miss bats and give a club innings. Texas was interested in him a year ago and there's no reason to think they won't be this time. But because of his contract -- he made $5.9 million in 2011 and could get around $8 million or so in 2012 -- and the two-years of team control, he won't come cheap. Still, if the Rangers want to look at pitchers who have the stuff to be a No. 1 or No. 2, Garza fits the bill.

Are you interested in Garza? What would you be willing to give up to get him?

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ron Washington said he wished pitching coach Mike Maddux well in his quest to become a first-time big-league manager, but the Texas Rangers manager also said he's certainly not upset that Maddux removed his name from the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox managerial searches.

Washington said that with Maddux's return his entire staff should be back for the 2012 season.

"When you've got a guy of his caliber as pitching coach, you don't want to lose him, but you certainly don't want to stand in the way of his advancement either," Washington said. "So, that decision was Mike's decision and the Chicago Cubs' decision. As it turned out, going into 2012, so far one good thing has happened for the Texas Rangers."

Washington said Maddux "means everything" to his pitching staff.

"He makes them believe. They certainly go out there and compete at a high level," Washington said. "I certainly attribute it to both Mike and Hawk [bullpen coach Andy Hawkins]. No one expected the Texas Rangers pitching staff to step up the way they stepped up, but they did because of Mike's belief in them, his work ethic with them and because of his relationship. All of those types of things come into play in the performance of baseball payers. And he's right on in every one of those areas."

All five Rangers starters won at least 13 games last season and the staff finished with the fifth-best ERA in the American League.

It appears that Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, a key hire by Nolan Ryan three years ago, will be back in the saddle next season. Maddux, who removed his name from the Boston Red Sox's managerial search, apparently did the same with the Chicago Cubs earlier this week.

According to an ESPNBoston.com report, the Cubs have offered their post to Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum, who is also of interest to the Red Sox. ESPNChicago.com reported that Maddux, who had interviewed with the Cubs, removed himself from the running.

That's good news for the Rangers. The staff has improved greatly under Maddux's tutelage and calm, hand-to-shoulder meetings at the mound. The Rangers' team ERA of 3.79 this season ranked fifth in the American League and ranked fourth in strikeouts. All five starters won at least 13 games and they combined to post 73 wins among team's record-setting 96 victories.

Colby Lewis was the lone starter -- among C.J. Wilson, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando to finish the season with an ERA that exceeded 4.00.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels confirmed Thursday that the Cubs and Red Sox have requested and been granted permission to interview pitching coach Mike Maddux for their managerial openings:

"Mike is in a key role for us and has had a prominent hand in our success the past few years. But this is a unique opportunity to discuss a coveted position with two storied franchises, and we believe in allowing our people to pursue opportunities that they're interested in. It reflects well both on Mike and our organization that he's under consideration."

Daniels said the Rangers don't plan further comment until the process is complete.

Maddux, 50, has been instrumental in the team's ability to pitch better in the last three seasons. In his first season (2009), the staff ERA dropped nearly a full run from 2008, the second-largest drop in team history. The 4.38 ERA in 2009 was the lowest since 1993 (before the team moved into Rangers Ballpark in Arlington). It got better in 2010 as the Rangers sported a 3.93 ERA, fourth-best in the AL. And this past season, the Rangers had a 3.79 ERA, the seventh-lowest in franchise history and the lowest since a club-record 3.31 ERA in 1983. It was just the second time in club history that the Rangers finished in the top-5 in ERA in the AL in consecutive years.

Read more about Maddux here.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Derek Holland was pretty pleased with his spring debut Thursday against the Chicago Cubs, just as the Texas Rangers' young lefty has been pleased with his attitude, his mindset and life in general heading into what could be his breakthrough season.

His happiness, or perhaps a newfound self-comfort level, is expressed by his t-shirts. Yes, his t-shirts. There's definitely a little goof-ball in Holland, who is allowing his personality to shine through this spring, which is seemingly a good thing as he strives for a focused, but relaxed approach to the season.

Holland collects t-shirts with silly or off-beat sayings and/or pictures that he finds in stores, online or wherever.

For example, his latest acquisition was an impluse buy while picking up groceries at the Suprise Wal-Mart. The gray t-shirt has a drawing of a yellow chick being pulled backward by a cartoon magnet: "Chick magnet," Holland explained.

He can reach into his locker and pull out a number of these things. One has the face of "Seinfeld" character George Costanza in the middle of the shirt with the quote, "Nobody's sicker than me. Nobody," around it. Another shirt reads: "Literally too stupid to insult."

Another has the dad character Peter Griffin from "Family Guy" that shows Peter wearing a t-shirt that reads: "No Fat Chicks."

Yet another bears the face of Chuck Norris and reads: "Breakfast of Champions."

"I’ve just always had them and when I went to workout one time in Dallas, [Ian] Kinsler was there and I put on a goofy shirt and he said, 'What is wrong with you, man?'' Holland said. "The shirts just kind of took off from there."

But, he never really wore them around the clubhouse until this spring when he dons a new one seemingly everyday. For a high-strung hopeful like Holland, they seem to be somewhat therapeutic.

"I’m just being myself, have fun, that’s the main thing. I want to go out relax and have fun," Holland said. "This is the most fun I’ve had so far. It’s kept me relaxed, too. That’s another thing, just being able to goof off and wear these shirts and do whatever."

Ultimately, Holland's baseball fun will come on the mound. In his short major-league career, he's had shining moments and awful ones, too, right through the World Series when he came in on relief and couldn't throw a strike to save his life. Even last year he was learning ways to better harnass his anger and frustrations, and he battled back from that moment to have a good one on baseball's biggest stage.

He's tried to build off of that this season. And in Thursday's two-inning outing in which he gave up one run on three hits, he thinks he did that. Two of the Cubs' ground-ball hits Holland attributed to the notoriously hard fields here in Arizona. Otherwise, he was pleased with the tenchnical side of his day.

"I felt great about it. My location was good, my offspeed pitches were really good," Holland said. "I'm going to keep bringing the same mentality."

After pitching 138.1 innings in 2009, including 21 starts out of 33 appearances, many thought Holland's breakthrough would come last season. But, he appeared in just 14 games for the Rangers, 10 starts, throwing 57.1 innings, while racking up 62.2 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City. Now the expectations have transferred to 2011.

"We have pretty high hopes of Derek," manager Ron Washington said. "He’s certainly come into this spring and handled himself as a professional, going about his business, doing everything he can to up his game. Just like every other starting pitcher, he’s going to get an opportunity to see if he can crack this starting rotation...We always thought he could, but what we think sometimes doesn’t matter. It’s got to be what the player thinks of himself."

At this moment, Holland thinks he's starting material for a rotation that is unsettled beyond C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis.

"As far as I see it, my head is focused on getting that starting spot," Holland said. "I’m not worried about anything else. I want to be a starter and that’s what I’m shooting for."