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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ian Kinsler is streaking at the plate, with hits in seven straight games. He also made the Rangers Web Gem of the Week on Tuesday night.

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Kinsler went behind second base on a ground ball in the seventh inning of Tuesday's 10-6 victory and made a long throw to narrowly beat White Sox outfielder Alex Rios as he touched first base.

Kinsler's web gem drew a salute from Rangers manager Ron Washington from the dugout.

"It was a very sharp play," Washington said. "He made it as perfectly as you can make it. That's when I saluted him, because it was perfect. That was the only way he could do it, catch it and get rid of it and whatever happens, happens."

Typically, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, with his tremendous range, would have made the play, Kinsler said. But Andrus had fouled a ball off his calf earlier in the game. Andrus said that he was having trouble moving to his left as the game went on Tuesday night.

"It was funny, before that play he told me, 'Make sure that I get everything up the middle,'" Kinsler said. "So I went at it a little more aggressively than I normally do thinking that he normally has that ball. It turned out good."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers are going back-to-back with rookie starters for a third straight turn.

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But for the first time, Justin Grimm will follow Nick Tepesch after a loss. It will be a little different situation for Grimm after his fellow rookie teammate allowed two home runs in the seventh inning in a 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Grimm, who has been undaunted by replacing injured Matt Harrison in the rotation, said Wednesday that whatever the circumstance, he has to depend on himself first.

"The name of the game is trusting my stuff," Grimm said. "It's not just the stuff, it's just a mindset. It's not trying for the strikeout or trying to do too much, but just trusting my stuff out there."

Grimm is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts since joining the rotation. The Rangers have won all three games. He didn't walk anyone in seven innings at Minnesota last Friday.

Grimm has been at his best when he has been in high pressure situations. Opponents are 1-for-19 against him with runners in scoring position.

Other notes:

Pierzynski expects to play: Catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who had his right elbow wrapped after getting hit by a pitch in a pinch-hit at-bat in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday, said he will play Thursday against his former team. Pierzynski has been out with a sore oblique. It will be interesting to see how Pierzynski and the White Sox handle things after closer Addison Reed came inside and hit him on the elbow. Pierzynski yelled out at the mound but said after the game that he didn't think Reed's intent was to hit him.

Kinsler streaking: Ian Kinsler will take a seven-game hitting streak into Thursday night. Kinsler has five multi-hit games in the last six games and is batting .452 (14-for-31) during that stretch. The Rangers' second baseman is driving the ball, just missing a grand slam over the 14-foot wall in left field in the second inning Wednesday.

Andrus hot: Shortstop Elvis Andrus has a team-best nine-game hitting streak. He extended it with a leadoff single in the eighth inning off Rangers nemesis Jesse Crain.

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 -- A.J. Pierzynski could very well get another day off Wednesday as he rests a sore oblique muscle.

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On Saturday, No. 2 and 3 hitters Elvis Andrus and Lance Berkman had a scheduled day off. Berkman was given time off in the cold weather in Chicago a few weeks ago.

Rangers manager Ron Washington is serious about giving his regulars more time off during the season. Washington said in the days after the Rangers were eliminated by Baltimore in the AL wild-card game that he wished he had given his everyday players more rest. The Rangers lost 10 of 14 games and were swept by Oakland to end the 2012 season.

Third baseman Adrian Beltre was among five Rangers who played in at least 156 games. Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz and Andrus all played in the most games of their careers.

"My regulars were healthy and they were able to go out there, but if I can look back now maybe I could have done something in the middle of the season where I could have given them some time down," Washington said in post-mortemum news conference last October. "My everyday guys, I rode them, man."

Andrus, Beltre and Kinsler all had full days off in April. Veterans Pierzynski and Berkman have had a combined 10 games off. Washington has avoiding using regulars in pinch-hitting situations to make sure his players get a full day off.

The Rangers are off to another great start. Washington's approach could help bring a stronger finish.

Let's talk: Washington continues to get positive results when he makes a rare visit to the mound to talk to a pitcher. The skipper went to talk to reliever Robbie Ross after he hit Adam Dunn and fell behind Paul Konerko in the top of the ninth with two outs and a 10-6 lead. Ross responded by getting Konerko to ground out to end the game.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers overcame a slow start by both Yu Darvish and their bats to pound the Chicago White Sox 10-6 on Tuesday night at Rangers Ballpark. Texas has won seven of its past eight games at home.

Moreland coming alive: Mitch Moreland has been the Rangers' hottest hitter over the past week and he continued his surge against the White Sox. Moreland was 3-for-3, including a line-drive double to left field off a left-handed reliever, Donnie Veal, to give the Rangers a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Moreland's three hits were against left-handed pitchers, boosting his season average to .243 against southpaws.

Kinsler drives them in: The Rangers might be struggling with runners in scoring position, but leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler isn't. He had two more RBI hits Tuesday, one to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth, and another a key insurance run with two outs in the sixth inning. Kinsler is up to .391 for the season with runners in scoring position. He is 4-for-11 with two outs and runners in scoring position.

Six-run sixth: The Rangers snapped a 4-4 tie, then broke the game open with a six-run sixth inning. They scored in a variety of ways. The aforementioned RBI double by Moreland and RBI single by Kinsler gave them a 6-4 lead. The Rangers loaded the bases and then White Sox reliever Nate Jones had a forgettable three-pitch sequence. He threw consecutive wild pitches to score Kinsler and Elvis Andrus. Adrian Beltre then snapped out of his slump with a two-run home run to left field for a 10-4 lead.

Back-to-back: The Rangers woke up a quiet crowd with back-to-back home runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Nelson Cruz, who has carried the offense, broke through against White Sox starter Jose Quintana with his sixth home run of the season, a sky-high shot to left field. Jeff Baker, who has played his way into the lineup on a regular basis against right-handed starters, tied the game at 2-2 with a 434-foot home run to center field, his second of the season.

Taking advantage: The Rangers jumped on a mistake by the White Sox in the bottom of the fifth. Craig Gentry grounded into a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a throwing error by Chicago second baseman Tyler Greene. It worked essentially as a sacrifice, with a faster runner, Gentry, ending up at second instead of Moreland. Kinsler gave the Rangers the lead with a double inside the third-base bag. Andrus followed with a single up the middle for a 4-2 lead.

Darvish settles in: Darvish allowed two runs in the first inning on four hits. The first one, a one-out triple by Greene, should have been caught by Cruz in right field. The White Sox jumped on the opening. Alex Rios and Konerko had RBI singles to snap Darvish's 19-inning scoreless streak.

Hanging curveball: Darvish was settled in until the top of the sixth, when he had a lead-off walk and later failed to execute a 3-6-1 double play as he wasn't able to keep his foot on the first-base bag. The Rangers paid for it as No. 9 hitter Dewayne Wise connected with a hanging curveball for a two-run homer to tie the game 4-4. Wise had two hits in 22 at-bats entering Tuesday. He had three hits in three at-bats versus Darvish and was 4-for-4 for the night.

Walk-up crowd: Darvish is drawing fans to the ballpark. The Rangers had 4,000 fans walk up and purchase tickets Tuesday night as the stadium filled in nicely in the early innings. The final crowd total was 40,646.

Scheppers streak ends: Tanner Scheppers relieved Darvish in the top of the seventh and quickly saw his scoreless innings streak to start the season end. Scheppers allowed a two-out home run to Adam Dunn, ending the right-hander's streak at 12⅔ innings.

Up next: A pair of 24-year-old pitchers face off Wednesday night when Rangers right-hander Nick Tepesch (2-1, 2.52) faces White Sox left-hander Chris Sale (2-2, 4.09 ERA) at 7:05 p.m. on ESPN-FM 103.3 FM and 1540-AM.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Rookie Nick Tepesch gave up just one run and Elvis Andrus’ first RBI since April 13 was the difference as the Texas Rangers squeaked out a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night.

Tepesch A-OK: Tepesch appeared no worse for wear after leaving his previous start in the second inning following a line drive off his right wrist. The right-hander retired the first 12 Twins he faced on Thursday before Justin Morneau led off the fifth inning with a single. Tepesch held Minnesota scoreless through 6 1/3 innings before Josh Willingham’s solo home run ended the shutout. Morneau followed with a groundout, but Chris Parmelee and Trevor Plouffe hit back-to-back singles to chase Tepesch from the game. With the Rangers clinging to a 2-1 lead, Robbie Ross induced a groundout from pinch hitter Ryan Doumit to end the threat.

Streaking (Part 1): Texas has won six times in its past seven games, its best stretch since winning six of seven to kick off April. The Rangers are now a season-best eight games over .500.

Sweat it out: Right-hander Tanner Scheppers loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning and Texas still holding a 2-1 advantage, giving up a single, double and intentional walk. But Scheppers induced a full-count, ground-ball double play from Willingham to end the threat. Former Twin Joe Nathan worked around a two-out single in the ninth inning for his seventh save.

What might have been: A night after notching a nine-run fourth inning, the Rangers were once again poised to open the floodgates early against Twins starter Vance Worley. But Nelson Cruz’s liner off the right-field wall to drive in Adrian Beltre caromed directly to Parmelee, who fired to second base to easily cut down Cruz for the inning’s second out. David Murphy followed with a walk and Mitch Moreland hit an infield single, but Leonys Martin popped out to end the threat. Texas forced 37 pitches from Worley in the frame but managed just the one run. The Rangers once again threatened a big inning in the sixth when they loaded the bases with one out against reliever Josh Roenicke, but Moreland struck out and Martin fouled out to end the inning.

Out at second: Two innings after being thrown out at second base by Parmelee, Cruz was thrown out trying to steal second when Murphy swung and missed on a 3-2 slider. It was Cruz’s first stolen base attempt this season. After stealing 17 bases in 2010, Cruz has swiped just 17 bags since while being thrown out 10 times.

Cruz control: With a pair of singles and a walk, Cruz reached base three times on Friday for the third consecutive game. It marks the first time Cruz has accomplished the feat since reaching three times in three games from September 6-9, 2008.

Streaking (Part 2): A.J. Pierzynski’s single in the sixth inning pushed his hitting streak to six games, while Elvis Andrus extended his hitting streak to five with a fifth-inning double.

Baker nears return: Utility man Jeff Baker is expected to return to action on Friday. He has been out of the lineup since April 23 with a bruised left knee.

Up next: Justin Grimm (1-0, 2.70 ERA) looks to build on his career-high nine-strikeout performance his last time out. Twins left-hander Scott Diamond (1-1, 4.35 ERA) will face Texas for the first time since being ejected for throwing behind the head of Josh Hamilton last August. First pitch is 7:10 p.m. CT on TXA21, ESPN-FM 103.3 and in Spanish on 1540 AM.

Shortstop Elvis Andrus' defense is so good sometimes it can be taken for granted. Pitcher Yu Darvish is athletic enough to field his position.

Both made spectacular bare-handed plays in the last week that can easily be taken for granted.

Andrus' bare-handed play in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels came on a high chopper by Mark Trumbo for the second out of the inning. Andrus positioned his body perfectly to field the ball with his right hand and make the throw in one motion. He was shaking his hand for several seconds after the play. The Rangers went on to win 5-4.

Darvish made his play in his start against the Seattle Mariners last Friday. With the Mariners' Endy Chavez trying to bunt for a hit, Darvish bolted off the mound and fielded the ball near the third base line and whipped a throw to first base to nip the speedy Seattle center fielder. Darvish looked like Andrus making a throw from shortstop. Darvish ended up the winning pitcher as the Rangers beat the Mariners 5-0.

The Rangers are off to a strong start defensively, ranking fifth in baseball with a .900 team fielding percentage.

"We've played pretty well," second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "Elvis is growing up. Beltre is a two-time platinum Gold Glove winner. I'd like to think I'm a good defensive player. Mitch is a very solid first baseman. It's no surprise to us. We believe that we're very good defensively. I guess we just have to prove it."

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Texas Rangers erased a three-run deficit in the seventh inning and A.J. Pierzynski delivered the go-ahead home run with two outs in the ninth to beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-6 on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Angel Stadium.

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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

The rally: Elvis Andrus and Lance Berkman singled to start the seventh, and Adrian Beltre followed with a walk to load the bases. Pierzynski then singled in Andrus before a fielder's choice and an error allowed the Rangers to plate the tying runs.

Limiting the big bats: Rangers pitchers struck out Albert Pujols three times and got him to ground into a double play. They weren't as successful against Josh Hamilton, who recorded his first four-hit game as an Angel (all were singles).

Sixth-inning struggle: Derek Holland couldn't escape a sixth-inning jam, giving up the go-ahead run on Chris Iannetta's two-out double. The left-hander had recorded five of his previous six outs via strikeout but was unable to put Iannetta away. Jason Frasor relieved him and immediately surrendered a two-run single that gave the Angels a three-run cushion.

Singles party: The Rangers' first eight hits were singles, as they struggled to deliver an early knockout punch against Joe Blanton, who had lost all three of his starts this season. With Texas unable to come up with a key hit, Blanton pitched into the sixth inning for the first time in an Angels uniform.

Rangy Rangers: David Murphy made a diving catch in left field to limit the damage in the fourth, and Andrus followed it up with a spectacular play deep in the hole an inning later to get the speedy Peter Bourjos out by a step.

Up next: Alexi Ogando (2-1, 3.32 ERA) looks to rebound Tuesday night from his forgettable start in Chicago, where he surrendered five runs in 2⅓ innings. The Angels will counter with left-hander Jason Vargas (0-2, 6.75 ERA). First pitch is at 9:05 p.m. CT on Fox Sports Southwest, ESPN-FM 103.3 and 1540-AM.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So you shouldn't be, either.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARLINGTON, Texas -- 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.

ESPN.com's Buster Olney shared a quick nugget the other day in his daily blog, noting that the Rangers were doing "some early reconnaissance on how they could put together some kind of a deal" for Giancarlo Stanton. This shouldn't come as a shock. The Rangers' front office is very proactive and it makes perfect sense to be poking the Miami Marlins about Stanton, even a few months prior to the trade deadline.

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ESPN Insider Jim Bowden joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the possibility of the Rangers trading Jurickson Profar. Listen

Of course, the Marlins may not deal him then. But why not be prepared? So let's say the Marlins make it clear at some point in July that they'll listen to offers for Stanton. What might it take to get him?

Every deal starts with Jurickson Profar, the No. 1-ranked prospect according to ESPN.com's Keith Law. Now that the Rangers have signed Elvis Andrus to a long-term deal that keeps him in Texas at least through the 2018 season, they can afford to ship Profar. But they won't do that for just anybody. It's got to be a frontline starter or a middle-of-the-lineup bat, and either of those possibilities should be under team control for a few years.

Stanton fits the bill. He's under team control through the 2016 season, so the Rangers would be trading a package fronted by Profar for someone who won't hit the free agent market right away. Yes, he's struggled so far this season (and has dealt with shoulder soreness), but he hit. 290 with 37 homers and 86 RBIs in 449 at-bats last year. It was a third straight season of solid numbers with his average and homers going up. He's got a track record, albeit a brief one, of success.

To get him, Profar won't be enough. Mike Olt makes some sense here, as well. The Marlins could use a third baseman with a glove like Olt's, and while he struggled in spring training, he's got a bat with upside. The Marlins would likely want pitching. The Rangers, staying in prospect mode, could let them choose one or two from a group including Martin Perez, Justin Grimm, Cody Buckel, and maybe Nick Tepesch. Would Leonys Martin factor in here somewhere? Maybe.

But the Marlins are likely to want a piece that's in the majors and would be under club control for a while. Derek Holland or Matt Harrison would be examples. If that happens, the prospect package has to drop or it's too high a price to pay. Perhaps the Rangers will feel any package that includes one of its starters at the big league level is too high a price to pay. They worked hard to tie up the starting staff long term and won't want to break that up. But maybe there are other possibilities -- like a Robbie Ross, for instance -- that could be factored in to some kind of deal.

But it's probably going to take a strong prospect package and some pieces at the big league level to get this done.

Your turn. Give me an offer for Stanton that you think the Marlins would take (and the Rangers would be willing to give).

SEATTLE -- The Texas Rangers gained more than two wins in their first three games of their weekend in chilly Seattle against the Mariners.

They gained trust in a new middle infielder.

Leury Garcia got his second major league start -- his second in two days -- Sunday in the series finale when he replaced resting second baseman Ian Kinsler, who didn’t start for the first time this season. Saturday night the 22-year-old rookie debuted at shortstop, as Elvis Andrus was the designated hitter after starting the first 11 games in the field.

Garcia dazzled meticulous manager Ron Washington with his alertness and attention to detail in his first start -- both with his bat and his glove.

Saturday’s box score showed Garcia singled for his first major league hit in the sixth inning. He came around to tie the game at 1 on a weird play in which Nelson Cruz hit a bases-loaded line drive that Seattle first baseman Justin Smoak dropped then threw to second for a forceout.

What the box score didn’t describe was the play Washington will remember likely for as long as Garcia is a Ranger. It came two innings later, with Craig Gentry on first base and no outs and the game still tied.

Washington didn’t have a time on Seattle reliever Carter Capps’ motion out of the stretch to the plate. And when the manager tried to get one from the dugout in Saturday’s eighth inning, his watch stopped working.

“So I had to go on instincts,” Washington said.

He initially had a sacrifice bunt play on for Garcia. He intended to then flash the sign to third base coach Gary Pettis for Gentry to steal instead.

“Actually, I thought I gave the steal sign. I accidentally put on a hit-and-run trying to steal,” Washington said Sunday morning.

Pettis relayed the message to the 29-year-old Gentry leading off first base and to the 22-year-old Garcia outside the batter’s box. Pettis took off the bunt sign and put on the hit-and-run. Not only did Gentry get the switch, but so did the rookie -- on the road, in the eighth inning of a tie game, his second appearance in the majors.

Capps’ next pitch was high and hard, hardly optimal on which to hit and run. Yet with Gentry sprinting to second, Garcia muscled the ball past the pitcher’s mound for a groundout to short. Garcia putting the ball in play allowed Gentry to get into scoring position, from which he scored the go-ahead run on a two-out single by Andrus.

“I’m a genius,” Washington joked of succeeding accidentally.

He said it was the first time such a sign mix-up had happened to him in 984 games as a Rangers manager and 11 years before that as a coach for the Oakland Athletics.

Garcia got a hero’s welcome in the dugout after his heads-up play.

Then in the bottom of the ninth, Seattle’s Dustin Ackley scorched a one-hopper to Garcia’s side. The shortstop moved his head and body behind his glove, just as Washington preaches, and instead of stabbing at the ball, calmly collected the smash and turned it into a routine second out.

Closer Joe Nathan then finished off the Rangers’ 3-1 win.

“He didn’t show any ill effect of being unsure of what he can do. … I’m pleased,” Washington said of Garcia, who Texas signed as a free agent in December 2007 out of the Dominican Republic when he was just 16.

“I’m happy now that I can send him out there and trust him.”

Soto returns: The Rangers leave Seattle Sunday evening for Chicago and a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs beginning Tuesday at Wrigley Field.

It will be the first time for Geovany Soto in Wrigley since Texas acquired the backup catcher in a trade with the Cubs for Jake Brigham on July 31, 2012. Washington hopes to get Soto at least one start there this week.

“Oh, yeah, it’s going to be great to be back there,” Soto said before he started for A.J. Pierzynski in the finale of the Seattle series. “I have a lot of great memories from my time there.”

The manger is new in Chicago and the coaching staff has changed since Soto’s time there, but he has friends remaining in Cubs Luis Valbuena, Starlin Castro, Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus.

One thing Soto is certain hasn’t changed is the happy, party vibe at Wrigley Field. It rages on. Even when the Cubs are losing. Even when it’s cold and rainy. Yes, it’s forecast to be rainy and in the 40s and 50s during the Rangers' series there this week.

“It’s really a special place,” Soto said. “I’m really lucky to have gotten to play there. The fans there always supported us. It felt like a playoff game every day, no matter if it was in the middle of May.”

His advice to his Rangers teammates on playing there this week?

“Just try to stay hot,” he said, smiling, “especially in April.”

Up next: After Monday’s second off day of the young season, the Rangers will start Derek Holland (0-1, 2.40 ERA) against Cubs left-hander Travis Wood (1-0, 1.46) Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. CT. Wednesday at the same time, Justin Grimm makes his second start in place of injured Matt Harrison, against Carlos Villanueva (0-0, 0.64). Thursday at 1:20 p.m., Alexi Ogando (2-0, 1.08) faces Cubs Opening Day starter Jeff Samardzija (1-2, 2.75). All games will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest. Tuesday and Thursday’s radio broadcasts will be on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM, with Wednesday’s game on 660 AM.

The Rangers scored two runs in the top of the eighth to snap a 1-1 tie as the bullpen held on for a 3-1 victory over Seattle on Saturday night at Safeco Field.

Andrus delivers: Elvis Andrus has had a frustrating start to the season, hitting the baseball on the barrel several times and having outs to show for it as his averages hovers around .250. But he delivered yet another hit with a runner scoring position, this one a two-out single down the right-field line in the top of the eighth to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. Andrus is batting .333 with runners in scoring position.

Little Joe again: Rookie reliever Joe Ortiz is having a Robbie Ross start to the season. Remember Ross won four games in April in 2012. Well Ortiz has two victories in the Rangers' first 12 games this season. Ortiz pitched two more scoreless innings in the seventh and the eighth, putting himself in position for the victory.

Small ball works: The Rangers played for one run in the top of the sixth inning and it worked. Trailing 1-0 with their first two batters reaching base, manager Ron Washington went with the sacrifice bunt with Andrus up. He executed, putting two runners in scoring position. Adrian Beltre was then walked to load the bases, setting up Nelson Cruz. He hit into double play, but the Rangers scoring the tying run on a strange play in which Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak dropped Cruz's line drive and threw to second base to remove the force play and Leury Garcia scored before Ian Kinsler was tagged out between second and third base to end the inning.

Leury Leury: Another 22-year-old Ranger, Leury Garcia, made his first start Saturday and had single and also made three exceptional defensive plays, including fielding a ground ball up the middle in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Bullpen does work: The Rangers called on the bullpen for four more innings and they responded. Robbie Ross worked out of a sixth-inning jam. Ortiz gave up a hit in his two innings. And closer Joe Nathan had a perfect ninth inning for the win.

Ogando minimizes again: Alexi Ogando threw 98 pitches in five innings for a heavy workload. But the right-hander allowed a run or less for the third straight start. He allowed a run while striking out five and walking one.

Up next: The Rangers go for their fourth series win of the season when rookie right-hander Nick Tepesch takes the mound against Seattle right-hander Brandon Maurer. First pitch is 3:10 p.m. Sunday on FSSW.