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BALTIMORE -- Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington isn't taking any chances. Neither is Adrian Beltre, for that matter.

Beltre said his strained left hamstring felt good enough in early work to make him a player in tonight's game. But he's not in the field. Not yet, anyway. He took grounders and moved around with no issues, but Washington wants to see how Beltre feels after getting more at-bats as the designated hitter. It's Beltre's first start since last Monday in Toronto.

"We'll see how he comes out of that," Washington said. "I want to put hiim in the field as much as everyone wants to see him there. But I want to be sure we can keep him there."

Beltre said he's taking things day to day as he tries to make sure the hamstring injury doesn't turn into something long-term. He's going through treatment every day and trying different things before the game to test it out, though nothing that would risk hurting it more. Asked if he was going crazy, Beltre said: "You could say that."

Beltre has managed hamstring issues for a while now. He's trying to make sure he listens to his body and doesn't push it when he doesn't have to do so.

"I'm just trying not to go crazy running," Beltre said. "I'm going to be limping, for sure. I'm going to protect it. I have to be smart and not try to stretch a single into a double or try to score on a close play or anything like that. For now, I'll go station to station and hopefully get better."

Beltre said it took a while last year when he returned to feel like he could go all out. But he also didn't want to test it too much, either.

Other notes:

* If the Rangers ever get into a situation where a position player has to pitch, like the Orioles did Sunday, Washington said he'd go with Mitch Moreland. The Rangers first baseman admits he was a bit jealous of Chris Davis, the former Ranger who threw two scoreless innings and got the win in Baltimore's 17-inning victory over the Red Sox.

"That was pretty cool," Moreland said. "I've pitched a lot in college, and it's something I think would be fun. But I hope it doesn't come to that for us. If I ever needed to, I'd love to."

Moreland said he was a late-inning reliever in college and that his longest outing was four innings.

"I'll be ready to go if they need me," Moreland said.

* Washington said his gut told him to put Nelson Cruz in the lineup tonight, no matter who was pitching. Cruz is just 3-for-26 on this road trip and hitting .216 overall this season. In his last 15 at-bats with runners in scoring position, Cruz has just two hits.

"One swing could be the difference," Washington said, knowing Cruz is a streaky hitter and sometimes one big hit can spark him into a long streak of success.

The skipper said he'd like to get Cruz a day off but hasn't had the opportunity yet.

* Brandon Snyder was in the lineup Monday because Washington wanted to let him hit against a left-handed starter. He said it didn't have to do with the fact that Snyder was once an Oriole.

* Koji Uehara, a former Oriole, is back in Baltimore this week. His family lives here and his son, Kaz, was in the clubhouse prior to the game. Kaz, who is probably around five years old, is a lefty.

BALTIMORE -- If Sunday at Fenway Park is former Texas Ranger Chris Davis' only two innings on a major league mound, that's fine with him.

"It was a lot of fun, but in all honesty I don't ever want to do that again," Davis said. "I'm glad we got the win."

Davis pitched two scoreless innings in the Orioles' 9-6 victory in 17 innings over the Red Sox. Davis became the first position player in the American League to earn the win since 1968 (Rocky Colavito, New York Yankees).

Davis said he got about 60 text messages after the game from friends and family.

"They were giving me a hard time about how I should have been pitching this whole time," Davis said. "Everybody told me they were proud of the way I hung in there and how the team won the game."

Davis pitched and played shortstop in high school and he was a closer in junior college. He said he didn't close many games because his JUCO team won many games by large margins.

"I was trying to throw strikes," Davis said. "I wanted to give us a chance to go in there, get a few runs and hopefully win a game. When we got the home run from Adam [Jones], I came back out there trying to throw strikes and trying to use my body so my arm didn't fall off. It worked out."

He said he took something off his fastball a few times and threw a changeup to former Rangers teammate Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who was one of Davis' strikeout victims. Davis said he touched 91 mph at one point.

"Every time I threw a pitch, I was turning around checking the gun," Davis said. "It's funny because position players think they can pitch and pitchers think they can hit. It's something I never want to do again.

"It's not something I picture myself doing. It's a lot of hard work. It takes a lot of mental focus and it takes a lot out of you. After I threw the first inning, I went back and sat on the bench and I wasn't even thinking about hitting and then of course I come up that inning. We always respect what other guys do in this game, whether you're a position player or pitcher. But I have a whole new respect for pitchers now and a whole different perspective on what it takes to go out there and do that."

Davis said his pitching performance showed that the team has players that can handle a variety of roles.

"Like I've said, we have a lot of different guys on this team that can do a lot of different things," Davis said. "We don't take who gets it done, as long as we get it done and we win games."

Davis spoke highly of the Rangers, saying the fact that he's playing in Baltimore with former Texas players Tommy Hunter, Darren O'Day, Pedro Strop, Endy Chavez and Taylor Teagarden (on the DL) shows the depth of the organization.

O'Day joked that Davis was going to sit in on the pitchers' meetings from now on.

"Just in case," O'Day said.

BALTIMORE -- The Texas Rangers will play four straight nights at Camden Yards, home off the Baltimore Orioles, otherwise known as the Rangers of the AL East.

Texas should feel right at home seeing some familiar faces wearing Orioles jerseys. Buck Showalter, the Rangers' manager before Ron Washington was hired in 2007, is the club's skipper. And he has a gaggle of former Rangers on his team. Some things to watch:

* How tired is the Baltimore bullpen? The O's used seven relievers in Sunday's 17-inning win over Boston at Fenway Park (that doesn't include Chris Davis, who won't be pitching again this season unless it's an emergency, though he did throw two scoreless innings to get the win). Six of those relievers threw at least 20 pitches, and four of them pitched two innings. We'll see what kind of toll that takes as the series begins.

* Davis appears to be figuring things out. He's hitting .299 with five homers and 14 RBIs on the season (and that's despite an 0-for-8 game with five strikeouts Sunday). Davis, a Longview native, has seen limited at-bats against lefties but has hit them well (6-for-18). He has 20 strikeouts and seven walks on the season, but that's actually an improvement in the strikeout area. Davis had 150 strikeouts in 391 at-bats in 2009 for Texas and another 40 strikeouts in 120 at-bats in 2010 before he was sent down. It's good to see Davis getting it together. I still think he needed a change of scenery to make that happen.

* Tommy Hunter pitched in Baltimore's second game of the season and pitched Sunday, so the Rangers won't face him in this series. He's 2-1 with a 5.00 ERA so far in 2012.

* Darren O'Day (2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in 14 innings) and Pedro Strop (3-1 with two saves and 1.59 ERA) are important members of the Orioles bullpen.

* Endy Chavez is on the bench and is 7-for-55 so far this season.

* As for players that aren't former Rangers, Texas could see closer Jim Johnson this series. He's 8-for-8 in save opportunities this season.

* Catcher Matt Wieters has seven home runs, second behind Adam Jones (eight) for the team lead. Wieters also has a team-high 18 RBIs to go along with his .301 average.

* Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland had three hits Saturday and may be coming into the series feeling much more comfortable. He was 5-for-9 in the first two games of the series against the Indians and is 13-for-29 (.448) in his last nine games. That includes two homers.

* Keep an eye on Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre. Hamilton played in Cleveland and Beltre had the big pinch-hit homer Saturday and appears close to becoming an everyday player again as he pushes through sore hamstrings.

* Baltimore won't see Yu Darvish in this series after he pitched Sunday. He's slated to start Friday against the Angels in Arlington.

BALTIMORE -- Sunday was a crazy day for Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis.

The former Ranger, who is having a good season, was 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in the 17-inning affair at Fenway Park. But Davis was forced to pitch in the 16th inning and pitched a scoreless frame, which included a strikeout of former Rangers teammate Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The Orioles took the lead in the top of the 17th as outfielder Darnell McDonald was forced to pitch for the Red Sox.

Davis was able to close out the game, helping the Orioles recover after they weren't able to hold an early 5-0 lead. Davis even struck out Adrian Gonzalez, who came up as the tying run in the bottom of the 17th, with a nice changeup. He then got McDonald to hit into a double play. Davis, who pitched in high school, gets his first big league win.

Baltimore is now 19-9, one game better than the two-time defending AL champion Rangers. But Baltimore now comes into the four-game series with Texas with a pitching staff that is going to be tired.

Seven relievers, including closer Jim Johnson, pitched in the game. Four of them -- Pedro Strop, Kevin Gregg, Matt Lindstrom and Johnson -- pitched two innings. Six of the relievers threw more than 20 pitches. So Baltimore will have a tired bullpen as the series begins. That should give the Rangers a bit of an advantage (not to mention the Orioles still have to travel back from Boston tonight, while the Rangers had a head start coming to Baltimore).

UPDATE: Some numbers for you from ESPN Stats & Information on Davis and the 17-inning game:

* Davis is the first position player to pitch and get the win since Wilson Valdez, 2011 Phillies, the first in the AL to do it since Rocky Colavito of the 1968 Yankees.

* FROM ELIAS: Davis is the first player to go 0-for-8 in a game in which he also pitched since Leon Cadore went 0-for-8 in a game in which he pitched 26 innings (yes, 26) for the Brooklyn Robins against the Boston Braves, on May 1, 1920 (the teams played a tie game).

* FROM ELIAS: The last player to go 0-for-8 and be the WINNING pitcher in a game was Hall-of-Famer Rube Waddell, who was 0-for-8 and pitched a 20-inning complete game for the 1905 Philadelphia Athletics against the Red Sox on July 4, 1905.

* Davis is the first pitcher to win a game in which he struck out five times as a hitter since Ted Lilly in 2008 with the Cubs.

The Rangers continue to shop reliever Koji Uehara and are discussing a trade with the Oakland A's, a source confirmed on Friday. The A's aren't the only team the club is talking to about the reliever.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Sunday that the team was "a tick over" its player salary budget, but acknowledged they could get creative if they wanted to make some alterations.

The club has shown interest in free agent starter Roy Oswalt, but they don't want to push Matt Harrison out of the rotation to make room for Oswalt to start. They're interested in Oswalt, who has had back issues recently and was limited some last year, if he would take a bullpen role and be an insurance policy for the rotation. Uehara is slated to make $4 million this season, so unloading him would allow the Rangers to free up some room for someone else, possibly Oswalt if he's willing to alter his stance about starting.

Uehara, who turns 37 on April 3, vested his 2012 option last year by appearing in at least 55 games (he ended up appearing in 65). He was one of the top relievers on the market at the trade deadline and the Rangers sent RHP Tommy Hunter and 1B Chris Davis to Baltimore to acquire him. But Uehara struggled after the trade, going 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA in 18 innings (22 games). He allowed five earned runs in 1 1/3 playoff innings in the ALDS and ALCS and was not put on the World Series roster.

Uehara has a limited no-trade clause that includes six teams. One of those was the Toronto Blue Jays and Uehara rejected a deal there in late January.

Let's take a look at the infield as we continue to get prepared for spring training with our Surprise positional outlooks.

Today's position: First base

The biggest free agent on the market is Prince Fielder, and while the Rangers have said obtaining Fielder is "unlikely," you never know what may transpire. We've discussed Fielder a lot on this blog and the reason Texas is mentioned as a possible destination is that there's a need. The Rangers didn't get much production from the position in 2011.

Actually, since the Mark Teixeira trade, the club has attempted to find a full-time first baseman who can produce consistent offensive numbers. Among those who have played the position since: Justin Smoak, Chris Davis, Jorge Cantu, Michael Young, Mike Napoli and Mitch Moreland.

Again, don't count the Rangers out of the Fielder sweepstakes. But as of now, Moreland is the first baseman.

Moreland's 2010 season, especially how he improved after getting called up in June and then his solid postseason performance (in which he became the everyday first baseman even against left-handed pitchers, making Cantu a bench player), made him the club's first baseman heading into 2011. But knowing how he struggled against left-handed pitching, the Rangers traded for Napoli and had Young learn first base to give them options. But Moreland was the guy.

RANGERS POSITION OUTLOOK

Jan. 23: Catcher Jan. 24: First base Jan. 25: Second base Jan. 26: Third base Jan. 27: Shortstop Jan. 30: Left field Jan. 31: Center field Feb. 1: Right field Feb. 2: DH/Utility Feb. 3: Bench Feb. 6: No. 1 starter Feb. 7: No. 2 starter Feb. 8: No. 3 starter Feb. 9: No. 4 starter Feb. 10: No. 5 starter Feb. 13: Middle/long relief Feb. 14: Late-inning relief Feb. 15: Coaches Feb. 16: Manager Feb. 17: Front office

He's still the guy as the Rangers head into 2012. A wrist injury bothered him for most of the second half of the season, making it difficult for the club to fully evaluate him. He ended up hitting .259 with 16 homers and 51 RBIs in 2011, which included batting .241 after the All-Star break and .167 in September. Moreland was just 3-for-29 with two homers and three RBIs in the 2011 playoffs.

But how much of that was Moreland's injury? It bothered him enough that he had surgery this offseason. Moreland is a hard worker and committed to improving. He showed enough promise late in 2010 that the club wants to see what he can do in 2012. But he won't have to do it all alone. Young played the position some in 2011 and said in December that he's focused on detail work there this spring. Napoli can also play first.

So it will be interesting to see how Moreland looks this spring and how the position shakes out. He's going to come in a little bit behind but is expected to be ready for the start of the season.

The Texas Rangers have certainly tried to fill first base from within -- Chris Davis (now in Baltimore), Justin Smoak (now in Seattle) and Mitch Moreland (still in Texas, but...).

Something happens to these guys once they face big-league pitching on a consistent basis. Davis, one of the great minor-league sluggers of all time, didn't hit better than .250 with 278 strikeouts over three-plus seasons up and down with the Rangers. Smoak hit .209 with 57 whiffs in 70 games with Texas in 2010 before being shipped to the Mariners in the Cliff Lee deal.

Moreland, the Rangers' best hitter in the 2010 World Series, hit .259 with 16 homers and 51 RBIs last season. He slumped late, and Rangers manager Ron Washington had little choice but to sit Moreland for much of September and the postseason because of his quiet bat, which certainly could have been affected by a sore right wrist. It forced Washington to play Michael Young at first base more than he might have liked in critical postseason games. Of course, Mike Napoli is also an option at times to play first.

In the nine playoff games Moreland did play, he hit .103. At least he made his three hits count with two leaving the yard.

"He found out what a grind is in a 162-game season," Washington said. "I certainly intimated that to him, to go home and get healthy, come into spring training and just apply what you learned from the grind of the 2011 season and we will see improvement."

This winter, excellent outside options are certainly available to bolster first base, but the Rangers will have to be ready to pay. St. Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols could become a $200 million man. Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, a hefty lefty who would like the looks of the Home Run Porch, isn't in quite the same tax bracket, but he won't be too far off either.

On Monday, the Rangers handed 37-year-old closer Joe Nathan $14 million for the next two seasons, and they could well keep millions in their pocket if they pass on free-agent C.J. Wilson. That wouldn't necessarily mean they'd be eager to then pay mega-bucks to either All-Star first baseman and secure really the only unsettled position on the club (outside of maybe center field).

So just how much faith do the Rangers have in Moreland? He is only 26, has a steady glove and it still might be premature to judge his offensive production through just 181 career big-league games played: .258 batting average, .331 on-base percentage, .427 slugging percentage, and .758 OPS (on-base plus slugging).

Washington seems to suggest that the club will maintain a patient approach.

"I thought he did a good job of fighting, and all he can do from this point is get better," Washington said. "I certainly let him know that."

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- We move on to the second month of the season as we look back at the 2011 regular season campaign for the Rangers.

Timeline: Second month of the season (May)

Top-notch prospect signing: May 4 – Leonys Martin is officially signed to a 5-year deal worth $15.5 million with a $5 million signing bonus. He heads to Double-A Frisco to start his minor league career.

Big bats return to lineup: May 23 – Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton are activated from the DL and Yoshinori Tateyama is called up from Triple-A Round Rock. To make room, Chris Davis, Taylor Teagarden and Cody Eppley are sent to Triple-A. Both Cruz and Hamilton homer in their returns, leading Texas to a 4-0 win over the White Sox.

Hamilton aggressive on bases: May 25 – Hamilton sends a signal that he feels fine and will stay with his aggressive play. In the eighth-inning of rain-delayed game with the White Sox, Hamilton slid headfirst into first to beat out a throw, then goes headfirst into second stealing a base and, yes, another headfirst slide on a wild pitch that got him to third.

New TV voice: May 26 – The Rangers fire TV play-by-play voice John Rhadigan, who moves back into his previous role as host of the pregame and postgame shows. The club just felt like Rhadigan wasn’t the voice they wanted and they liked him in his previous role. Dave Barnett takes over.

Other May moments:

May 4: C.J. Wilson pitches a complete game gem against the Mariners, allowing one run with 12 strikeouts.

May 7: An MRI reveals a strained quad muscle, putting him on the 15-day disabled list.

May 8: The Rangers lose two of three to the Yankees at home after falling in a three-game set in Seattle. Manager Ron Washington keeps trying different bullpen combinations, but the Rangers can’t seem to find the right combination to finish games.

May 12: The Rangers are off after rain postpones the final game of the Oakland series the day before. Texas is 19-18 and 1.5 games back of the Angels in the AL West. After losing 11 of the last 16, the players and GM Jon Daniels stress the club is not going to panic.

May 14: Julio Borbon goes on the DL with a strained hamstring and Endy Chavez is called up. Chavez has an immediate impact and becomes a mainstay on the roster. Borbon ends up needing surgery on his ankle, an injury suffered while in the minors, and doesn’t return to the big leagues. That means the entire starting OF from the season is on the DL. That’s the first time that’s happened before May 15 since 2001.

May 15: The Rangers beat the Angels, 5-4, getting the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth from Chris Davis. Texas moves just a ½ game behind LAA.

May 19: For the second straight night, Neftali Feliz blows a save against the Royals on the road. The Rangers survived it on May 18, but lost in 10-innings on May 19.

May 21: Cliff Lee, pitching against his own team, strikes out 10 in eight innings in a 2-0 win over the Rangers in Philadelphia.

May 27: Neftali Feliz blows his third save opportunity of the season, matching his blown save total for all of 2010. The Rangers drop to 26-25 and are tied for first.

May 29: Two comebacks lead to a wild 7-6 win over the Royals at home as Mike Napoli slid home under the tag of catcher Brayan Pena.

The Rangers' acquisition of RHP Koji Uehara from Baltimore gives general manager Jon Daniels and his staff some options today.

Instead of having to make a deal at any cost for Heath Bell, for instance, they can continue to negotiate with the Padres and see if San Diego comes off its high price for Bell. If they don't, then the Rangers can pass. If they do, then Texas can try to strike a deal. The Rangers are still considered one of the favorites for Bell, so we'll see what happens there.

Because they dealt Tommy Hunter and Chris Davis for Uehara, they didn't send any pieces that could be used to land Bell or others today. They have had numerous conversations with numerous clubs and can continue to do that and see what may or may not pop up.

By having Uehara in the bullpen, the Rangers can be very picky. They either get the deal they want and pull the trigger or they don't. Either way, they did address a hole in the bullpen by picking up a right-handed arm that misses bats and has been a consistent late-inning presence this season.

Knowing the Rangers' front office, they'll keep talking with anyone, including the A's about their relievers. But they don't have to make a deal now. That puts them in a good spot as the hours tick down to the 3 p.m. Dallas time deadline.

The two Rangers involved in the deal to bring Koji Uehara to Texas talked to us about the trade and their feelings about leaving the Rangers organization on Saturday. Here's part of that interview. We'll start with Chris Davis.

Q: Chris, how do you feel about the trade?

CD: I think it’s a good opportunity for me. I think it’s mixed emotions right now. Obviously, it's tough to leave this clubhouse and this team because it’s all I’ve ever known. I’ve built a lot of good relationships with these guys and I'm going to miss playing with them. But at the same time, I'm looking forward to getting to know the guys in the Baltimore clubhouse and playing every day.

Q: Do you think it will be good for you to get a fresh start?

CD: I do. I think once you’ve been with an organzation for a while, I think they form opinions of you and they know what they think about you from what you’ve done. I had success early in my career, but a lot of failure and struggles after that. It was tough to come to the field sometimes knowing I might not be in the lineup or I might have a bad night. It was one of those things where I learned a lot and have made a lot of strides in the right direction as a Ranger, but also struggled and went through some things I didn't think I'd go through. It’s nice to go somewhere else and feel like you're wanted. Sometimes when you get shuffled, you get a feeling that you’re not a guy they can look to that will be a contributor every day in the lineup. I don't think I was that guy. I was a guy that came off the bench and played some defense and that was my role, and it was tough.

The biggest thing is not playing every day. It's really hard for a guy who's always been an everyday player and a power hitter. When you're a power hitter, you rely on timing and rhythm to get you locked in. It was tough playing three or four games and sitting. Today [Saturday] was a great example. I got four at-bats and it took me some time to get comfortable. That’s a big thing for me. Especially being such a young player, it's critical for me to be in there every day and hit every day.

Q: Anything you want to say to the fans?

CD: The fans have been awesome. I know it wasn’t easy to be a Chris Davis fan all the time because there were ups and downs. Something I'll always remember is when I got called back up last year and the warm receptionthe fans gave me after everything I had been through. [Justin] Smoak had been traded and I was back up. That reception really put things in perspective. The Ranger fans were behind me and they wanted to see me succeed, and I really appreciate that.


As for Tommy Hunter, he was surprised and shocked at the trade. Davis' name was floated out all over the place, but Hunter wasn't a player many expected the Rangers to deal.

Q: What are your thoughts on the trade?

TH: I’m very surprised. I found out from about 500 text messages that I got traded. They told me officially later. I don't know. It is what it is. We had a good run last year. I wish them the best. I hope they win it all and good luck.

Q: You looking forward to trying to become a regular rotation guy with the Orioles?

TH: I would hope that’s the case. I’m a starting pitcher. I’m not a bullpen guy. So I sure hope so.

Q: You've worked with pitching coach Rick Adair before. How important will it be for you that you have a relationship with him?

TH: I have a great relationship with him. He’s a guy that I have the utmost respect for. It will be good for me to be working with him.

Q: Anything else you'd like to add?

TH: Write this down: I’ll be an All-Star next year. I’ll be back in a position to where I’m pretty comfortable. And I don't have any doubt in my mind that Chris Davis is going to be an absolute superstar. That kid is unbelievable. He's going to play well.

The Rangers had a need and they felt that Koji Uehara filled it. So when that meant dealing Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter, GM Jon Daniels and his staff pulled the trigger.

"Koji is one of the most effective relievers in the game, this year and last year," Daniels said. "He’s battle-tested. He's done it in the AL East. He's a strike-thrower and has the ability to make guys swing and miss. We're excited to have him."

Daniels said the trade doesn't have to proclude them from adding another bullpen piece, but that it "takes the edge off." The club doesn't have anything imminent and Daniels said he doesn't expect to do anything else, though he added "certainly not tonight, but who knows about tomorrow?" The trade deadline is at 3 p.m. Dallas time.

To get Uehara, who is expected to join the club in Toronto on Sunday, the Rangers had to give up two players on their major league roster. But Daniels said the club's depth and the fact that Davis and Hunter weren't necessarily in the club's future plans made the deal one the Rangers were willing to make.

"We didn’t necessarily move any pieces we felt were going to be long-term fits," Daniels said. "We like Tommy and Chris, but in some ways they were both blocked and this provides them with a good opportunity."

Daniels said his scouts have seen Uehara show consistent command, pound the strike zone (a phrase manager Ron Washington preaches) and throw a good split-finger fastball. The 62 strikeouts with only eight walks are proof of the good command and the ability to miss bats.

The fact that Uehara's contract includes a vesting option for $4 million in 2012 made him more valuable. The 36-year-old needs just 12 appearances to vest that option.

"It was an added bonus for us," Daniels said about the contract. "I think he'll be a fit beyond 2011."

Daniels said he and Washington had a long talk with Davis on Saturday afternoon.

"Chris is in a good spot," Daniels said. "He understands where we are as a club and the competitive level and winning cycle we're in. He understands he's had an opportunity and appreciates that. Other guys have laid claim to other jobs. We asked him to play the outfield, in part because we thought there may be some additional opportunity for him to play, but ultimately it was unlikely he was going to get a regular job here, barring injuries. Chris may be a late bloomer and we'll have to live with that. I hope he does it."

When asked about right-handed bats, Daniels said two are on his radar screen: Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz. Daniels said Cruz should return "in a day or two" and that obtaining a right-handed bat was not a priority before Sunday afternoon.

Daniels is always looking to improve his team, but is happy with what he's got right now.

"We liked our club going into spring training. We liked our club the first half of the year and we liked our club this morning, and I think we're better today," Daniels said. "If there's another opportunity to get better, we're interested. If nothing presents itself tonight or tomorrow, we'll feel good about our club either way."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Michael Young gets his 13th start of the season at second base and Ian Kinsler receives a partial rest as designated hitter for tonight’s 7:05 opener of a four-game series against Minnesota at Rangers Ballpark. Chris Davis will start at third base for the fifth time in 2011 as Ron Washington continues to shuffle players in the absence of Adrian Beltre (left hamstring strain). Davis bats sixth.

Rangers (58-44)

DH Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
LF Josh Hamilton
2B Michael Young
RF Nelson Cruz
3B Chris Davis
C Mike Napoli
1B Mitch Moreland
CF Endy Chavez
P Derek Holland

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A three-run sixth inning for the Blue Jays combined with an excellent start by Brett Cecil was enough to avoid a sweep and beat the Rangers, 3-0. The Rangers offense just never got anything going (no runs, four hits) and the club's lead in the AL West dipped to three games after the Angels won today. Some quick thoughts (more to come from the clubhouse):

* For the first time all season, a starting pitcher threw a complete-game shutout against the Rangers. Texas couldn't do much of anything off Cecil, who mixed his pitches well and benefited from some good defense behind him. Cecil has two complete games, but this was his first shutout. It was a surprising performance considering the Rangers blistered Cecil in two previous starts -- 15 earned runs on 17 hits with two homers in seven innings for a 19.29 ERA.

* Cecil didn't allow a Rangers' batter to get into scoring position until Craig Gentry tagged up from first on a fly ball in the eighth. Cecil got plenty of harmless popups and flyouts and didn't allow two leadoff singles to turn into any kind of opportunity for the Rangers to start a productive inning. Cecil's changeup was particularly effective.

* The sixth inning, one that manager Ron Washington talked about before the game as normally a pivotal one, hurt the Rangers on Sunday. Ogando was pitching well until he got a few sliders higher than he wanted, allowing the Blue Jays to score three runs thanks to three doubles. Ogando made a mistake to Jose Bautista. Rarely do pitchers survive mistakes to Bautista. Ogando threw a slider (his fourth straight) on a 1-2 count and left it up. Bautista drilled it to the gap in left-center. After Adam Lind was retired, Ogando threw another hanging breaking pitch and Edwin Encarnacion hit it to deep center. Travis Snider followed that up with a first-pitch swing at a 95 mph fastball and the ball went just over the first-base bag for the final double.

* Just like against Anaheim, Ogando threw a heavy dose of sliders. It was quite effective the first five innings. The key is that he can get the movement on it and still throw it for called strikes. It's anywhere from 75 to 84 mph or so, meaning it looks like a curve at the slower end of that range. You mix in a fastball that was clocked as high as 97 mph and it's sure difficult to hit.

* Ogando got a big out early Sunday, striking out Bautista with runners at the corners and two outs. Ogando threw a first-pitch slider for a called strike and then went to his 95-mph fastball and got a foul ball, threw one out of the zone and then got Bautista to swing through one for the strikeout. That kept the game scoreless at that point.

* Ogando had a quality start, allowing the three runs in 6 2/3 innings. But he walked off the mound with a frustrated look following that rough sixth inning. He took the loss, his fourth of the season.

* The Rangers had just four hits. Michael Young had one of those. That's not surprising, considering that besides all the hits in his career (nearly 2,000), he was hitting .380 off lefties going into Sunday's game. That was second in the AL behind Dustin Pedroia.

* Mike Napoli was behind the plate on Sunday and continues an impressive streak. Rangers pitchers have allowed four earned runs in the last 54 innings he's caught. Impressive.

* The Rangers had a nice defensive eighth inning. Ian Kinsler, ranging to his right behind the bag, turned and threw a bullet to first to get Lind. He then got to another tough ball to get Encarnacion, and Mitch Moreland made a diving stop and flipped to Tommy Hunter to end the 1-2-3 inning.

* Gentry had two of the Rangers' three hits. He also slid head first into second base on an aggressive tag-up play from first in the eighth and was shaken up (his head and shoulder hit Aaron Hill's leg).

* Hunter had a solid outing in relief. He recorded the final seven outs of the game, five on ground balls and two on strikeouts.

* Blue Jays used a big overshift on left-handed hitters Moreland and Josh Hamilton a few times, moving Jose Bautista from third to shallow right field. Bautista made a great catch on a ball hit by Moreland in the sixth. Neither player got a hit off that shift.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers didn't call up Chris Davis to have him sit on the bench. They need the left-handed hitter to step in the lineup and help fill the large void created by Adrian Beltre's disabled list stint.

So Davis found himself in the lineup as the designated hitter and batting seventh despite the Rangers facing left-handed pitcher Brett Cecil. Manager Ron Washington said he won't necessarily play Davis against every lefty, but he intends to get him in the lineup.

Davis is 4-for-7 off left-handed pitching in limited major league action this season. He was just 4-for-27 with one RBI and 13 strikeouts in 2010. He was pinch hit for in the ninth Saturday with a left-handed reliever on the mound, but Washington had Mike Napoli on the bench and in position to get a favorable matchup.

Davis has talked the last two days about this being a huge opportunity for him to shine. Here's the ESPNDallas.com story about that from Saturday.

Davis got a hit in his first game up on Saturday, driving in a run on a single in the fourth to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.

"The biggest thing for me was to go up there and have that same kind of feel that I had in Triple-A," Davis said. "I was a little anxious to get back in there. But after that first at-bat, I felt good. I was glad to get the hit when I got hit. The curve ball was down and I was able to put a good swing on it and drive it into right field."

Oddly, Davis didn't have a ground ball come his way at third outside of a double down the line that was just out of his reach. Davis said he was tired, which may have helped calm his nerves.

"Once we got close to game time, I started thinking more about what I needed to do as far as being at third, what my role was and having been up here a few times meant it wasn't nerves as much as anxiety," Davis said. "You're ready to get the game going."

Other notes:

* Andres Blanco was scheduled to take batting practice for the first time with the team Sunday. He said he feels his lower back more when he's batting left-handed (the pain is in the right side of his back). But Blanco is seeing improvement. And if all goes well, he would run the bases in the next few days and head off for a rehab assignment as the team departs for Toronto.

* The Angels beat the Orioles earlier today, so the Rangers need to win to say four games up in the AL West.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Chris Davis is in the lineup again tonight at DH against lefty Brett Cecil. Here are the lineups:

BLUE JAYS
SS Yunel Escobar
RF Eric Thames (L)
3B Jose Bautista
1B Adam Lind (L)
DH Edwin Encarnacion
LF Travis Snider (L)
2B Aaron Hill
CF Rajai Davis
C J.P. Arencibia

RANGERS
2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
LF Josh Hamilton (L)
3B Michael Young
RF Nelson Cruz
C Mike Napoli
DH Chris Davis (L)
CF Craig Gentry
1B Mitch Moreland (L)

LHP Brett Cecil vs. RHP Alexi Ogando