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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jeff Baker was back in the starting lineup Thursday after the Chicago White Sox scratched right-hander Jake Peavy and replaced him with left-hander Hector Santiago.

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For now, if a left-hander is starting against the Rangers, expect Baker to be in left field or at first base. He has played himself into a starting role against lefties, batting .444 (8-for-18) against southpaws with three home runs and five RBIs. Baker has homered in two straight games for the fifth time in his career.

"If he keeps swinging the bat the way he's swinging, then of course," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "You can expect it. That's what he's here for."

Baker has been the surprise for the Rangers' offense, helping to balance out a lineup stacked at the bottom with left-handed hitters. His emergence allowed Washington to use Baker for two starts at first base while Mitch Moreland was struggling against lefties.

Moreland is hitting everything how -- .batting .395 for his last 10 games -- while it's left fielder David Murphy that has slumped against righties and lefties, hitting .174 for the season. Murphy sat for a third straight game Thursday, unusual for a regular in Washington's lineup. Murphy was scheduled to start and Baker to sit if Peavy wasn't scratched before the game due to back spasms.

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Washington said he will find a spot for Baker against lefties, not just in place of Murphy.

"It's not a platoon," Washington said. "(Baker) is going to play. Right now we've hit a string of left-handers and he's swinging the bat. So is Moreland."

Baker, who isn't yet 100 percent after suffering a bruised knee last week on a sliding catch in Anaheim, was replaced for defense after the sixth inning of Wednesday's 5-2 loss. The game was tied 2-2 at the time and Washington subbed in Murphy for defensive purposes with Baker not slated to bat again until the eighth inning.

Baker said he felt fine to stay in the game. "I'm progressing well," he said. "I'm good. I'm going to be ready to play when I get the chance."

Other Rangers notes for Thursday:

Frasor aims for comfort: Reliever Jason Frasor has six consecutive shutout innings over eight appearances. More importantly, he hasn't been scored on in his last three outings at Rangers Ballpark.

Frasor, signed as a free agent in January, had a career 8.24 ERA in 21 games in Arlington, mostly with Toronto, before arriving in Texas. He retired all four batters he faced in Wednesday's 5-2 loss, getting two strikeouts.

"It's a good thing," Frasor said. "Honestly I don't know that I've ever felt comfortable pitching in this stadium, but I hope the more I get out there that I'll be comfortable. I felt good."

Olt needs more tests: Triple-A infielder Mike Olt will see an eye specialist next after an eye doctor he saw didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The Rangers are in the process of setting up an appointment with the a specialist. Olt, who is batting .139, informed the club he was having vision issues earlier this week.

Pierzynski was ready: Washington wanted to get catcher A.J. Pierzynski (sore oblique) an at-bat Wednesday night as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning to get some swings heading into Thursday's start. He especially wanted Pierzynski to hit as the tying run down 5-2 with a chance to tie the game with a three-run home run.

That didn't happen, but it explains why Pierzynski was at the plate when he was hit on the elbow by a pitch by White Sox closer Addison Reed.

"He was ready to go so even if we had tied the game up he could have caught," Washington said.

Rangers announce 2013 grant program: The Rangers Baseball Foundation announced details of its 2013 grant program designed to assist youth baseball and softball programs in the club's five-state broadcasting region.

It's the second consecutive year for the project. Starting Thursday, the Rangers Foundation began accepting proposals for grant from non-profit organizations that specifically support youth baseball or softball in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Arkansas.

The Foundation awarded seven grants in 2012: Paris Breakfast Optimist Club, Boys and Girls Clubs of Denison, East Wilco Challenger Sports, Battiest Baseball Team sponsored by Battiest Public School, RBI Austin, Arlington Girls Softball Association and Azle Little League.

The Rangers are assisted by the team’s broadcasting partners, Fox Sports Southwest, TXA21, and ESPN 103.3 FM and the Rangers ESPN Radio Network in promoting the grant program.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jake Peavy has been scratched for Thursday night's start against the Rangers because of back spasms, so the Rangers will see left-hander Hector Santiago instead.

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It means the Rangers will face a left-handed starter for the third straight game. How this will impact the Rangers' lineup remains to be seen. David Murphy is supposed to start Thursday, but he has sat the last two nights with a left-handed starter going for the White Sox. It's also currently 46 degrees, which means the cold weather could impact designated hitter Lance Berkman and his sore knee and maybe catcher A.J. Pierzynski and his sore oblique (which he said was much improved after a pinch-hit appearance in Wednesday's game).

Santiago, a 23-year-old from Newark, N.J., is 0-1 with a 2.51 ERA in seven appearances. He will be making his first start of the season and fifth of his career. He appeared twice against the Rangers in 2012 and allowed a hit and no runs in two innings. Ian Kinsler had the lone hit out of seven Rangers' at-bats.

The 31-year-old Peavy is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA for the season. He won his most recent start last Friday against Tampa Bay. But the two-time All-Star hasn't had great success against the Rangers, so Peavy being scratched might not be that big of a break.

Here are the lineups for Thursday's game:

RANGERS
2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
DH Lance Berkman
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
C A.J. Pierzynski
LF Jeff Baker
1B Mitch Moreland
CF Craig Gentry
SP Justin Grimm

WHITE SOX
LF Alejandro De Aza
2B Jeff Keppinger
RF Alex Rios
1B Adam Dunn
DH Paul Konerko
3B Conor Gillaspie
SS Alexei Ramirez
C Tyler Flowers
CF Dewayne Wise
SP Hector Santiago

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Lance Berkman will eventually play first base in a game this season. The question of whether he'll play there next week under National League rules in Chicago and Milwaukee is still a mystery.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said Wednesday that Berkman needs repetition at first base -- taking ground balls -- to prepare. But Washington also has said he's comfortable putting Berkman in the lineup at first base without him getting work there.

"He needs some repetition. We have to start getting him out there," said Washington, who added he hopes to get Berkman out for infield work soon. "You could put Berkman out there whether he's had repetition or not. I'm going to find out if he wants to play out there, and if he says he wants to play out there, I'm going to put him out there. You'd like to get some repetition before you put somebody into a position."

Berkman said Wednesday while it would help to take ground balls, it wouldn't be the same as being at first base in a real game. "The speed of the game is the real deal," Berkman said.

The Rangers will have to give up the designated hitter for Monday's makeup game at the Cubs and Tuesday and Wednesday at Milwaukee. Cold weather could also be an issue, though Milwaukee's Miller Park does have a roof to provide climate control.

Another issue could be taking Mitch Moreland's bat out of the lineup to make room for Berkman at first. Moreland is currently the Rangers' hottest hitter, batting .429 with six RBIs in his last nine games.

Other notes:

Pierzynski out again: Catcher A.J. Pierzynski, out Tuesday and Wednesday with a sore oblique, is an extra scout when it comes to his former team, the White Sox, after spending eight years with them. While Pierzynski sat by Washington for much of the game on the bench, the catcher wasn't offering up nuggets of information about his former team.

"He's was talking about anything and everything," Washington said. "Half of the stuff I couldn't understand."

Pierzynski said before Wednesday's game that the bruising in the area around his right oblique has improved and that he expects to play Thursday. Pierznyski took batting practice in the cages before the game.

Andrus is OK: Elvis Andrus is back in the lineup Wednesday after fouling a ball off his calf in the fifth inning of Tuesday's game. His calf stiffened up enough to where he couldn't move well to his left, which explains why Ian Kinsler was able to go all the way behind second base for a ground ball and get on out that brought on a full salute from Washington.

Kinsler said after the game that Andrus would usually be able to get to the ball.

"I don't usually foul the ball off my leg," Andrus said. "I've never had one like that."

Moreland in, Murphy out: Moreland was back in the lineup while David Murphy sat Wednesday. Jeff Baker was in left field to get his right-handed bat in the lineup against White Sox left-hander Chris Sale.

It's the first time either Murphy or Moreland have been out of the lineup for consecutive days. Moreland had three hits against White Sox lefty Jose Quintana and reached base all four plate appearances, giving Washington further reason to keep him in Wednesday's lineup.

"Logic would suggest that," Washington said. Murphy will play in left field Thursday against White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy, the manager said.

Washington will reach quicker: Murphy will be a defensive replacement for Baker in the eighth inning if the Rangers have a lead in a close game Wednesday night.

Washington said he should have put Murphy in the game in eighth inning of Tuesday's 10-6 victory. Baker, still nursing a knee injury, had a ball fall into front of him in the eighth inning. Baker bruised his right knee making a sliding catch in the left-corner in Anaheim last Tuesday. He's still not 100 percent, he said after Tuesday's game.

"It took a toll on him," Washington said. "He's fine. I have to make my defensive replacement earlier."

No update on Olt: Daniels said the Rangers didn't have an update on Triple-A infielder Mike Olt, who reported vision issues to club earlier this week. Olt, batting .139 for 72 at-bats, saw doctors Tuesday.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Struggling prospects Mike Olt and Cody Buckel began their search Tuesday for what's behind their shockingly poor starts to the season.

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Olt, the Rangers' second-highest ranked prospect behind shortstop Jurickson Profar, saw team doctors Tuesday after informing club officials he was having issues with his vision. It could be as simple as the Triple-A Round Rock infielder needing contacts or glasses, general manager Jon Daniels said, or it could be something more. Daniels didn't have a diagnosis for Olt before the Rangers' game Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox.

Buckel, a right-handed pitcher who has been having issues with his control at Double-A Frisco, was moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen Tuesday. Buckel, the club's eighth-best prospect, has 25 walks in 18 innings. He had three walks and didn't record an out in his most recent start, against Corpus Christi on Saturday.

Olt's vision problems might help explain why he's off to a dismal start. Olt, a career .282 hitter in the minors entering the season, entered Tuesday batting .139 in 72-bats and has one home run after tying for the Texas League lead with 28 home runs last year.

"It would make sense if that's what has developed," Daniels said Tuesday.

Buckel heads to the bullpen after not pitching more than three innings in his five starts this season. He had a season-high six walks in three innings at San Antonio on April 22 and has walked at least five in three other starts.

Buckel will take up some innings in what has been a dominant bullpen in Frisco. But Daniels said the club thought it was better that Buckel sort things out in Double-A rather than at extended spring training.

"It's nothing physical with Cody," Daniels said. "He's been scuffling all season."

Both Olt's and Buckel's names came up in trade talks during the offseason.

Other Rangers notes:

Baker in, Murphy out: Jeff Baker got the start in left field against White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana, giving struggling starter David Murphy an extra day off. Murphy, batting .176 with two home runs, has a track record that says he will get his bat going.

"He's missing pitches that he usually gets," manager Ron Washington said.

Murphy and third baseman Adrian Beltre both have started slow. Beltre is batting .221 with four home runs and only nine RBIs.

"You know their track record is there," Washington said. "You just have to be patient."

More on Beltre: Beltre said Tuesday that he's not concerned with his slow start, noting he always has been a warm-weather player. Beltre is batting .107 with runners in scoring position.

"I know I'm going to be OK," Beltre said. "I would say I've been average. There hasn't been a time when I've felt great and there's not a period where I've felt terrible."

Randy Wells retires: Veteran pitcher Randy Wells, who has been at Triple-A Round Rock, has retired, Daniels said Tuesday. Daniels said the 30-year-old Wells told club officials that he didn't have the same level of desire for the game.

It's Joseph Ortiz: The Rangers said Tuesday that reliever Joe Ortiz has been asked to be called Joseph Ortiz from this point forward. Ortiz has allowed runs in his past three appearances, but the Rangers didn't provide that as the reason he is going with Joseph.

David Murphy's April struggles are nothing new. He has a career .228 batting average for the first month of the season (including a few regular season games in March).

The spotlight shines brighter on Murphy as the regular starter in left field. He is batting .176 as the Rangers get set for the final game in April on Tuesday at home against the Chicago White Sox.

Murphy is having his roughest first month since the 2010 season when he had six hits in 37 at-bats for a .162 batting average. He's never had more than two home runs in April. He has seven RBIs, half of his best April total of 14 in 2008.

Murphy started poorly this season and things haven't improved. He hasn't been above .200 since he was 1-for-3 in the opener against Houston. He was 3-for-24 on the Rangers' recent road trip to Anaheim and Minnesota.

This isn't about starting against left-handed pitching full time. Murphy is batting 57 points worse against right-handers. He enters Tuesday with a .155 batting average against righties; he's at .212 against lefties.

Some of it is bad luck. Murphy only has 15 strikeouts in 91 at-bats. He also has six walks, giving him a .295 on-base percentage.

Whatever is happening, the Rangers look for things to improve in May. Murphy faces a tough start to the month with two of the top left-handers in the American League, the White Sox's Chris Sale and the Red Sox's Jon Lester, set to pitch against the Rangers on this homestand.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- David Murphy is hitting eighth in tonight's lineup against a left-hander as Jeff Baker (knee) recovers from Tuesday's injury. The Texas Rangers go for the series win agains the Los Angeles Angels. Here are the lineups for tonight's game on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM:

RANGERS
2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
DH Lance Berkman
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
C A.J. Pierzynski
CF Craig Gentry
LF David Murphy
1B Mitch Moreland

ANGELS
CF Peter Bourjos
LF Mike Trout
DH Albert Pujols
RF Josh Hamilton
1B Mark Trumbo
2B Howie Kendrick
SS Brendan Harris
C Chris Iannetta
3B Luis Jimenez

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Mike Trout kept the game tied with his glove in the ninth inning and Howie Kendrick delivered the walk-off home run in the 11th, as the Texas Rangers fell, 5-4, to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.

Bad luck: Adrian Beltre would have been the hero if not for Trout's leaping catch with two outs in the ninth. With Ian Kinsler representing the go-ahead run at third, Beltre hit the ball hard, but it stayed up long enough for Trout to chase it down at the warning track near the bullpen gate in left field. The Rangers were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Struggles through seven: Aside from Nelson Cruz's three-run shot in the sixth, the Rangers didn't muster much against Angels left-hander Jason Vargas, who was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA coming into the game. Vargas went a season-high seven innings, as Texas struggled to come through in clutch situations.

More from less: Mitch Moreland, who had three hits in Monday's opener, had two more Tuesday batting in the No. 9 spot. The multi-hit performance was significant given the fact that he had been 1-for-19 (.053) against left-handers entering the night.

Staying up: Rangers starting pitcher Alexi Ogando and manager Ron Washington agreed that poor pitch location was the cause of his troubles in Chicago last week, and the same issue appeared to affect him early when Kendrick jumped on a high fastball for a homer to the deepest part of the park, increasing the Halos' lead to four. It was Ogando's biggest mistake of the night, as he rebounded from last week's poor outing.

Baker flashes leather: Jeff Baker was in the starting lineup Tuesday for his bat, but he never got to use it. The left fielder robbed Josh Hamilton of extras bases with a sliding catch near the foul line in the first inning, but crashed into the padded wall at full speed and exited with a bruised left knee. David Murphy, who had been 1-for-19 in his career against Vargas, replaced him.

Up next: Yu Darvish (3-1, 2.03 ERA) looks for his second victory against Los Angeles this season. Angels right-hander Jerome Williams (1-0, 3.18 ERA) is expected to make the spot start in place of Tommy Hanson, who is on the bereavement list. First pitch is 9:05 p.m. CT on ESPN 103.3-FM.

Rookie right-hander Nick Tepesch (wrist) felt good following Monday's normal-length, 45-pitch bullpen session and is on schedule to make his Thursday start in Minnesota. "I felt strong, felt comfortable," said Tepesch, who left Saturday's start against the Seattle Mariners after being struck by a liner off the bat of Jesus Montero.

Left-hander Charlie Leesman, whom the Rangers claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on Friday, officially declined an assignment and became a free agent.

Jeff Baker was in the starting lineup Tuesday in place of left fielder David Murphy, who was 1-for-19 career against Los Angeles Angels left-hander Jason Vargas. "I couldn't deny the numbers," manager Ron Washington said.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- David Murphy gets the night off as Jeff Baker is in tonight's lineup and hitting seventh for the Texas Rangers in the second game of a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers are sending Alexi Ogando to the mound against Angels left-hander Jason Vargas. Here are the lineups:

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RANGERS
2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
DH Lance Berkman
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
C A.J. Pierzynski
LF Jeff Baker
CF Craig Gentry
1B Mitch Moreland

ANGELS
CF Peter Bourjos
LF Mike Trout
DH Albert Pujols
RF Josh Hamilton
1B Mark Trumbo
2B Howie Kendrick
SS Brendan Harris
C Chris Iannetta
3B Luis Jimenez

Catcher A.J. Pierzynski has batted fifth in the Rangers' lineup for his last two starts, a minor tweak by manager Ron Washington that paid off in a big way in Monday's 7-6 comeback win over the Los Angeles Angels.

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Manager Ron Washington joins Ian Fitzsimmons to discuss the Rangers' comeback win over the Angels, A.J. Pierzynski's value to the team and much more. Listen

Pierzynski, one of the Rangers' hottest hitters to start the season, came up in two critical moments late in Monday's game. With the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the seventh and the Rangers trailing 6-3, Pierzynski ripped an opposite-field single to score a run. The Rangers scored two more runs in the inning to tie the score.

Pierzynski gave the Rangers the lead the next time he came up. Facing Angels closer Ernesto Frieri, Pierzynski broke a 6-6 tie with a two-out home run to right-center field. Rangers closer Joe Nathan saved the Rangers' fourth straight win in the bottom of the ninth.

Frieri had thrown 31 pitches in Sunday's 13-inning win over Detroit and wasn't sharp. Right before Pierzynski's homer, Frieri left a fastball over the middle of the plate to Adrian Beltre and the Rangers' third baseman just missed a home run to left field. Frieri made one too many mistakes, and Pierzynski made him pay.

Pierzynski did great work for the Chicago White Sox last season when he batted fifth, hitting .316 with eight of 27 home runs and 31 of his 77 RBIs.

Washington prefers not to tinker with his lineup. The batting order has stayed the same for most of the season, with David Murphy batting fifth 13 times before Pierzynski was shifted there.

On Monday night, Wash's wisdom paid off in a big way.

Washington said Sunday that he wanted to give veteran reliever Jason Frasor more opportunities out of the bullpen, a move that didn't go well Monday. With Derek Holland at 104 pitches and No. 9 hitter Luis Jimenez coming up for the Angels in the sixth inning, Washington went to Frasor. He allowed what at the time looked like a crushing two-run single to Jimenez to give the Angels a 6-3 lead. Frasor did respond with two runners in scoring position with AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout up next, getting the Angels star to pop out to second base to end the inning.

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 -- It's only an inning. The Rangers' six-run fifth inning hasn't carried over to Saturday or beyond yet.

Still, stringing together some hits and producing the first real crooked number of the season was needed. The Rangers scored four or more runs in an inning for the first time in 16 games, using five hits and two walks to finally have an outburst worthy of the club's long-held reputation.

"We got some hits, and, obviously, the two-out hits were huge by (Craig) Gentry and (Ian) Kinsler were huge," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "It was one game. The biggest story was Yu (Darvish) coming out and giving us a chance."

No doubt Darvish was the story of this night, but the Rangers have to get their offense out of neutral before the end of April. Friday night was a start. They had gone seven straight games scoring four runs or less. They got all of that and more in the fifth.

The rally started with an out already on the scoreboard. Lance Berkman singled, Adrian Beltre walked and Nelson Cruz singled to load the bases. Pierzynski then slapped a two-run single the other way to left field for a 3-0 lead. David Murphy had an RBI groundout for another run.

The Rangers then produced a pair of two-out, run-scoring hits, which is one thing they have done well so far this season. Gentry belted a line drive to center field that got past Endy Chavez, and for a moment it looked like a possible inside-the-park home run. Two runs scored for a 6-0 lead, but Gentry was held up at third base by coach Gary Pettis, denying him a chance to sprint home.

With Gentry's speed, it might well have been close.

"I didn't see," Gentry said. "By the time I saw him throw up the stop sign, I didn't know what was going on behind me. I guess we'll never know."

Kinsler finished off the big inning with an RBI double down the left-field line. It gave the Rangers a 7-0 lead, a six-run inning and a much-needed boost.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers' offense finally broke out with a big inning, scoring six runs in the fifth inning to back Yu Darvish's pitching in a 7-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Six in fifth: The Rangers had gone 15 games without scoring four or more runs in an inning. But that changed in the bottom of the fifth with the Rangers leading 1-0. The Rangers scored six runs on five hits after Elvis Andrus started out the inning with a groundout. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski got the scoring started with a two-run single with the bases loaded for a 3-0 lead. David Murphy had an RBI groundout. Craig Gentry had a two-run triple on which he might have had a chance for an inside-the-park home run had third-base coach Gary Pettis not thrown up the stop sign. Ian Kinsler added an RBI double for a 7-0 lead.

Baker pays off Wash: Jeff Baker started at first base in place of Mitch Moreland to break up the left-handed bats at the bottom of the Rangers' lineup. Manager Ron Washington's decision paid off in the second inning in Baker's first at-bat. He crushed a 421-foot home run to right-center field for a 1-0 Rangers lead.

Yu dominates: Darvish has had his problems against Seattle, but not Friday night. Darvish had six strikeouts through two innings. He got three ground ball outs in the sixth. He allowed three hits in seven innings. He finished with 10 strikeouts for his third of victory of the season. He's 3-0 against Seattle at Rangers Ballpark.

10-K club: Darvish became the sixth pitcher in club history to strike out 10 or more in 10 games for his career. He tied Colby Lewis with 10 double-digit strikeout games. Nolan Ryan is the Rangers' leader with 34 games with 10 or more strikeouts. Bobby Witt is second with 24, followed by Gaylord Perry and Ferguson Jenkins with 11 each.

Murphy goes multi: Murphy had his first multi-hit game since April 10 against Tampa Bay. Murphy had a double in the second inning and single in the fourth. Both went to the opposite field.

Glove work: The left side of the Rangers infield went to work Friday night. Andrus made two beautiful plays up the middle. Adrian Beltre made a nice play to his left in the sixth inning.

Ross strong: Robbie Ross struck out the side in the eighth inning to get out of a bases-loaded jam. The Mariners struck out in order in three different innings in the game.

Up next: The Rangers will send rookie Nick Tepesch (1-1, 3.46 ERA) to the mound Saturday night against Mariners right-hander Brandon Maurer (1-2, 9.95 ERA). Game time is 7:05 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN-FM 103.3 and 1540-AM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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