ESPN

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers catcher Geovany Soto stood in front of his locker after a 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox and owned up to a mistake that was costly in Wednesday night's loss.

PODCAST
Randy Galloway, Matt Mosley and Glenn "Stretch" Smith discuss the first month of the 2013 season for the Rangers. Listen

Soto misjudged a line drive off the bat of Ian Kinsler with one out and the bases loaded with the Rangers trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the second. Mitch Moreland came home from third with the tying run, but Soto also should have scored from second base on a ball that caromed off the top of the out-of-town scoreboard in left field.

The Rangers didn't score any more runs in the inning and missed out on a chance to gain momentum against one of the American League's toughest pitchers, White Sox left-hander Chris Sale.

"I read the ball badly," Soto said. "I just thought he hit it with top spin when he hit the ball. I thought it was going to come up short and [Alejandro De Aza] was going to make a catch on the warning track, but it wasn't that way.

"I should have been halfway between the base line and see the result of the play and go accordingly. Even if he catches it, I'm still in scoring position. But he didn't. I should have scored on that play."

Sale was able to settle in and retire 10 straight Rangers after Kinsler's long single. Sale went seven innings, matching his season high with seven strikeouts. The Rangers didn't get another runner in scoring position against him.

The Rangers missed out on a chance to pick up Soto after his baserunning error. Elvis Andrus struck out after a nine-pitch faceoff with Sale, failing to score a runner at third with one out to give the Rangers the lead. Lance Berkman grounded into a fielder's choice to end the rally.

"We still had the bases loaded and one out," Soto said. "We could have capitalized. But definitely a running mistake on my part. That didn't help."

Soto did an admirable job of guiding rookie starter Nick Tepesch through a tough beginning when he allowed a run each in the first two innings to fall behind 2-0. Soto and Tepesch went away from his fastball and relied heavily on his slider and sinker as he threw four scoreless innings from the third to the sixth.

The White Sox finally got to Tepesch with two home runs in the top of the seventh. White Sox third baseman Conor Gillaspie led off the inning by belting a 1-0 change-up into the Rangers' bullpen in left-center field for a 3-2 lead. Tepesch later hung a slider that De Aza hit for a two-run home run for key insurance runs with two outs in the inning.

"He just left it up a little bit," Soto said. "He pitched with his heart. He pitched with poise, and you can see that. Just one pitch. That's how games go."

A.J. Pierzynski, who missed Tuesday's series opener against the White Sox because of an issue with his right oblique muscle, is out again tonight. Geovany Soto will be behind the plate catching Nick Tepesch, who is coming off a win last Thursday against the Twins. Chris Sale is on the mound for the White Sox. Here are the lineups:

RANGERS

Ian Kinsler 2B
Elvis Andrus SS
Lance Berkman DH
Adrian Beltre 3B
Nelson Cruz RF
Jeff Baker LF
Mitch Moreland 1B
Geovany Soto C
Craig Gentry CF

WHITE SOX

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

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers catcher A.J. Pierzynski will not play against his former team Tuesday night.

PODCAST
Ron Washington joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Yu Darvish, the Rangers' recent losses and if the notion that the team looked fatigued is warranted this early in the season. Listen

Pierzynski is being held out of Tuesday's series opener against the White Sox because of an issue with his right oblique muscle. He is missing his first chance to play against Chicago in a regular-season game after playing eight seasons with the White Sox, including leading them to the 2005 World Series title.

"Obviously I want to play," Pierzynski said. "It's killing me not to play, especially for this series."

Geovany Soto is slated to be behind the plate for Rangers ace Yu Darvish.

Pierzynski said he is sitting out for precautionary reasons and that the oblique issue, which he has had for two weeks, was actually worse on the Rangers' road trip to Anaheim and Minnesota. With the Rangers off Monday, Pierzynski will get at least two full days off. Soto might also get the start Wednesday with the Rangers facing tough White Sox left-hander Chris Sale.

Pierzysnki, who saw team physician Keith Meister on Monday, said he isn't having any issues when he's catching, but when he's swinging. An oblique issue he had in the same area last year with the White Sox forced him to miss a series against the Rangers.

"It's better; it just looks worse," Pierzynski said of the coloring caused by a bruise. "It was worse last year. It feels better than it has in two weeks. I just don't want to miss two weeks or a month because of this."

Pierzynski is off to a great start. He's batting .295 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. He also has handled a pitching staff that leads the majors with a 3.023 ERA.

The Rangers don't have much catching depth behind Pierzynski and Soto. Robinson Chirinos, who was acquired earlier this month in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, is batting .327 with nine RBIs since joining Triple-A Round Rock on April 11.

So the Rangers proceed cautiously with Pierzynski.

"I need him around here for the rest of the year," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Two starters both coming off their first win of the season will square off as the Texas Rangers’ Justin Grimm opposes the Minnesota Twins’ Scott Diamond. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. CT on TXA21 and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM, with the Spanish broadcast on 1540 AM.

Justin Grimm (1-0, 2.70 ERA): Grimm, 24, struck out a career-high nine batters his last time out and walked just one en route to earning his second career win in Texas’ 11-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. … The right-hander allowed two runs -- one earned -- while logging six innings for just the second time in his brief major league tenure. … Sunday’s win was Grimm’s first since his major league debut, when he pitched six innings of three-run ball in the Rangers’ 8-3 victory over the Houston Astros on June 16, 2012. … Friday will mark Grimm’s first appearance at Target Field and just his third appearance against an American League Central opponent. Grimm went 0-1 with a 20.25 ERA in two outings (one start) versus the AL Central in 2012.

Scott Diamond (1-1, 4.35 ERA): The 26-year-old left-hander will face Texas for the second time in his career. Diamond was ejected in the third inning of his previous outing versus the Rangers on Aug. 24, 2012, for throwing a pitch behind the head of Josh Hamilton. Texas starter Roy Oswalt hit Twins catcher Joe Mauer in the back in the preceding half-inning. … Diamond got off to a late start this spring after offseason surgery to remove bone spurs from his left elbow, and began the season on the disabled list. … He allowed two runs -- one earned -- in six innings against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, striking out five. Diamond has five or more strikeouts in a game just eight times in 36 career starts. … He was a pleasant surprise for Minnesota last season, finishing 12-9 with a 3.54 ERA.

Hitters: Eduardo Escobar (1-for-2) is the only Twins hitter with at-bats against Grimm. Current Rangers are a combined 5-for-17 with a walk against Diamond, including doubles from A.J. Pierzynski and Geovany Soto.

Up Next:

Saturday at Minnesota: LHP Derek Holland (1-1, 3.25) vs. Pedro Hernandez (0-0, 3.86), 3:10 p.m. CT, ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM/1270 AM/Fox Sports Southwest

Sunday at Minnesota: RHP Alexi Ogando (2-1, 3.12) vs. RHP Kevin Correia (2-1, 2.86), 1:10 p.m. CT, ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM/1540 AM/Fox Sports Southwest

Monday’s tragedy in Boston hit close to home for Derek Lowe. Lowe spent the early part of his career with the Red Sox, living just 15 minutes outside of the city in nearby Quincy.

“It’s one of those sad things that you don’t understand, you don’t know what would make people do something like that,” Lowe said. “If you look at it, the casualties could have been so much more when you think about how many people are down there at one point and you have two bombs going off within 20 seconds of one another.”

PODCAST
David Murphy joins Galloway & Company to discuss his Boston ties and the tragedy at the marathon, playing at Wrigley Field and much more. Listen

Lowe’s manager Ron Washington was similarly perplexed by the incident.

“I don’t know how people can take out innocent people,” Washington said. “What message are they sending?”

Washington’s Rangers teams spent Patriots Day in Boston in 2008, 2010 and 2012, playing a game only in 2008. Washington said he spent the off days during the marathon walking around the finish line, in close proximity to where both bombs were detonated.

During his nearly eight seasons with the Red Sox, Lowe experienced many Patriots Day festivities in Boston and said it was always a special day.

“No one that I knew was impacted by it, but a lot of my friends do go down to the marathon,” Lowe said. “It’s always a sad situation when something like this happens. It was always -- and it’s still gonna be -- a great day that so many people in the city look forward to.”

It’s always a unique day because you play at 11 in the morning. But it’s one of those things that you always look forward to -- which sounds crazy because it’s 11 o’clock -- but just because the city is abuzz and there are so many people in one area. There’s 27,000 people that run, on top of all the fans and the 35,000 at Fenway. You know it’s going to be hectic, you know there’s going to be traffic, but you look forward to it. Starting at 8 a.m., the bars are packed and it continues all day long.”

Murphy gets a day off: David Murhpy has struggled early this season, posting a .160 batting average. Washington decided to give him Tuesday off with lefty Travis Wood on the mound for the Cubs. With Monday a scheduled off day, Washington was able to shoehorn an extra day of rest in for Murphy.

“(I’m) trying to get them all a break early here,” Washington said, denying that Murphy needed a mental break. “We’ve played 13 games, he’s been in every single one of them. Having a day off sitting in the hotel and running around Chicago ain’t the same as having a mental day off at the ball park. I just chose the day. It’s a lefty (on the mound for Chicago) so it works out perfectly.”

Washington managed to do the same with fellow lefty Mitch Moreland early in the season when the Rangers faced southpaw Jason Vargas following an off day. Washington emphasized that he has no concerns about Murphy’s struggles.

“He’s a battler,” Washington said. “He’s not the only one (who has struggled). We have a few guys who need to come around. It’s early in the year and two things happen: you get off good or you get off bad. He has a record showing that he knows how to recover and he’ll be back in there tomorrow.”

Soto unlikely to start in Wrigley return: Washington didn’t seem too eager to give former Cubs catcher Geovany Soto a start at his old stomping ground over the next three days.

“If for some reason we end up playing a doubleheader, he will,” Washington said, referring to the expected rain coming through Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday. “I can’t say he definitely (will play) if we don’t play a doubleheader.”

Berkman limited to pinch hitting: Washington also confirmed that Lance Berkman would not be starting any of the three games in Chicago, but would be available to pinch hit, with a caveat.

“He is available, but if he can’t loosen up, I’m not sending him out there,” Washington said. “It all depends if he can stay warm in the clubhouse and get loose.”

Berkman spent the bulk of his career with the former Cubs' division-mates Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals. With his lengthy stay with Cubs' rivals combined with the fact that he recently made some disheartening comments about Wrigley Field to the media, Berkman can expect to be booed heartily if he does make a plate appearance.

Rangers manager Ron Washington had a few moments in the last week where he had an option to go to the bench in a pivotal run-scoring situation. He chose to stick with the player in the game.

PODCAST
Ron Washington joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his thoughts on the tragedy in Boston, Lance Berkman's comments about Wrigley Field and the absence of the Rangers' bats early in the season. Listen

The first instance came in last Wednesday's 2-0 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays. With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and Mitch Moreland coming up against left-handed reliever Cesar Ramos, Washington had switch hitter Lance Berkman available to pinch hit.

Berkman had been give the day off and Washington wanted it to be a full one. Washington stuck with Moreland, who grounded into a double play to end the rally.

Washington again had a chance to go to his bench in the eighth inning of Sunday's 4-3 loss at Seattle. This time he had backup catcher Geovany Soto coming up.

David Murphy had a two-out single, moving Adrian Beltre to third base. With left-handed reliever Oliver Perez in for Seattle and right-handed closer Tom Wilhelmsen warming up, Washington had the option of going to Ian Kinsler on his bench; or if Wilhelmsen came in, starting catching A.J. Pierzynski was available.

Washington stuck with Soto, who had a good at-bat, seeing eight pitches. And Soto had reached base in all of four of his chances against Perez. But his popup to right field was caught easily for the third out and the Rangers didn't score.

We'll never know what would have happened with Kinsler or Pierzynski at the plate.

Garcia shines: Washington decided to give utility man Leury Garcia back-to-back starts over the weekend at shortstop and second base. Garcia made Washington look good. He made one spectacular play and two other dazzlers at shortstop Saturday. Garcia also had a single and scored a run. Playing second base Sunday, Garcia had a triple and scored a run.

Leaning on Ortiz: Washington trusted 22-year-old rookie Joe Ortiz in two key spots last week against Seattle out of the bullpen, and the left-hander won the first two decisions of his career. He pitched two shutout innings in both outings. Ortiz has 1.04 ERA and six strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings.

Derek Holland (0-0, 2.57 ERA) makes his second start of the season as the Rangers go for a series sweep against Matt Moore (1-0, 0.00 ERA) and the Tampa Bay Rays. Lance Berkman and A.J. Pierzynski are getting the day off, and Craig Gentry is back in center field. Nelson Cruz is the DH and is batting cleanup. Weather permitting, first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. on FSSW and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM. Here are the lineups:

RANGERS
Ian Kinsler 2B
Elvis Andrus SS
Adrian Beltre 3B
Nelson Cruz DH
David Murphy, LF
Jeff Baker RF
Mitch Moreland 1B
Geovany Soto C
Craig Gentry CF

RAYS
Desmond Jennings CF
Sean Rodriguez LF
Evan Longoria DH
Ben Zobrist RF
Shelley Duncan 1B
Yunel Escobar SS
Ryan Roberts 3B
Jose Lobaton C
Kelly Johnson 2B

Yu Darvish returns to the mound for the first time since his near-perfect game against the Houston Astros. He will oppose Jered Weaver as the Rangers go for the series win over the visiting Angels. Geovany Soto makes his first start at catcher this season in place of A.J. Pierzynski, who sits for the first time.

RANGERS
Ian Kinsler 2B
Elvis Andrus SS
Lance Berkman DH
Adrian Beltre 3B
David Murphy LF
Nelson Cruz RF
Mitch Moreland 1B
Geovany Soto C
Leonys Martin CF

ANGELS
Mike Trout LF
Erick Aybar SS
Albert Pujols DH
Josh Hamilton RF
Mark Trumbo 1B
Howard Kendrick 2B
Alberto Callaspo SS
Chris Iannetta C
Peter Bourjos CF

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Joe Nathan can become the 24th pitcher in major league history to join the 300-save club the next time he closes out a game. Maybe he'll get the chance Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels.

He's already looking ahead at the next milestone.

PODCAST
Randy Galloway, Matt Mosley and Richard Durrett discuss all the news and notes from the Rangers' home-opening win over the Angels. Listen

"I'm still kind of going through the grind and just competing," Nathan said. "For me it's just one step closer to 400."

Nathan, who followed up three strikeouts in his first outing against Houston with his first save in Friday's 3-2 victory over the Angels, said Saturday that he is going through a dead-arm stage after the longest spring training in club history.

"I might be in the middle of one those things where I'm feeling good out there, but I might be going through one of those dead arm things," Nathan said. "As far as how I feel, everything feels great as far as discomfort out there. There's no discomfort. Do I feel strong? Not really."

Nathan has a touch more velocity at this point last season, he said, so he's using more two-seam fastballs to get more movement.

"I feel like I've been able to move the ball around a little bit and locate pretty decently," Nathan said. "Use some movement when I need to, so that's helped a lot."

That helped him Friday.

He needed 12 pitchers to punch out three Astros hitters Wednesday, but everyone has this season. The Angels proved to be more difficult to get out Friday. Albert Pujols just missed a home run to left field. Howie Kendrick hit a screaming line drive to center field that Craig Gentry caught for the final out of the game.

"Albert and Josh hit there's off the end of the bat," Nathan said. "Kendrick's was the hardest hit ball of the inning."

Other Rangers Notes:

Hamilton's family gets extra security Friday: The Angels requested more security during Friday's game for Josh Hamilton's wife Katie and their children because of over-exuberant fans, team spokesman John Blake said Saturday.

The Rangers sent down two extra security guards. The issue was verbal in nature and no one was ejected. Katie and the children never moved from their seats.

"They stayed. The security stayed. It is what it is," Hamilton said before Saturday's game. "It’s cool to get ragged on about normal things. But when you get a little swearing and jawing back at Katie and saying inappropriate things, it’s a little different story."

Hamilton's family will be in a suite for Saturday's game, so the Rangers don't expect any issues.

Moreland starts slow: First baseman Mitch Moreland has started without a hit in his first 13 at-bats. He's tied for the AL lead with Adam Lind for the most at-bats without a hit to begin the season.

Manager Ron Washington said Moreland just needs to shorten his swing. Moreland has four strikeouts. He does have an RBI on sacrifice fly.

"At times he's just been a little too big," Washington said. "He'll get back to shortening."

Moreland was pinch hit for by right-handed hitter Jeff Baker in the eighth inning Friday with the game tied at 2-2. That's because Angels left-hander Scott Downs, who is tough on lefties, was in the game, Washington said. Craig Gentry had reached on a one-out single in front of Moreland.

"If Gentry doesn't get on the bag, (Moreland) hits," Washington said.

No Soto yet: Washington said before Saturday's game that he still hasn't decided if Geovany Soto will get his first start at catcher Sunday, or if A.J. Pierzynski will play for the sixth straight game. Yu Darvish will start the night game for the Rangers.

The Rangers are playing a day game Saturday followed by a night game Sunday, so it's a reversal of the typical weekend setup when the Rangers are at home. Soto will likely get most of the starts in that case.

Darvish ready: Yu Darvish still hasn't had any lingering problems with a blister on the inside of his ring finger, and he is ready to go for Sunday night against Jared Weaver and the Angels. Washington said he's not worried about Darvish's pitch count after he threw 111 pitches Tuesday against Houston.

Beltre, Pierzynski honored: Third baseman Adrian Beltre will be presented with his 2012 Rawlings Platinum and Gold Gloves for defensive excellence. It is Beltre's fourth Gold Glove award. Also, catcher A.J. Pierzynski will be get his 2012 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award after a 32-homer season with the Chicago White Sox.

Lewis faces hitters: RHP Colby Lewis (right flexor pronator surgery rehab) was scheduled to throw to hitters for the first time Saturday. Lewis said he will pitch around six sessions of batting practice and return from extended spring training in a month or so.

HOUSTON -- Leonys Martin was the Texas Rangers' starting center fielder on Sunday night, less than two years after the Cuban defector arrived in Texas.

PODCAST
ESPN Insider and MLB lead analyst Buster Olney joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the Rangers, their X factors and the landscape of the AL West. Listen

Martin, who was appreciative at his first Rangers' press conference in May 2011, showed similar emotions when asked about getting his first Opening Day start.

"It's an opportunity that I will never forget," the 25-year-old Martin said. "It's been a dream of mine."

The left-handed hitting Martin, who will platoon with Craig Gentry in center field -- at least to start the season -- got the start in center field because Houston started right-hander Bud Norris. Rangers manager Ron Washington said before the game that he started Martin strictly because of the righty vs. lefty pitcher-hitter matchup.

"Both he and Gentry have done a good job in spring training," Washington said. "I couldn't have gone wrong with either guy. I picked Martin. It's a day-to-day situation right now."

Martin had a terrific spring, batting .359 with four doubles, two triples and 13 RBIs in 26 games. Just like Gentry, he gives the Rangers speed at the bottom of the lineup as it flips back around to Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus.

Martin has adjusted quickly to baseball in America. He had three stints with the Rangers last season. He spent most of the season with Triple-A Round Rock, where he batted .359 and had a .422 on-base percentage.

Martin took that confidence, and the knowledge that the outfield situation was open with Josh Hamilton's departure to the Angels, and ran with it.

"I knew I would have a better opportunity to make the major league team this season," Martin said. "I came to camp with better attitude. I worked on things, felt more comfortable, a lot more comfortable."

Martin said he isn't worried about being one of the players replacing Hamilton in center field.

"I just want to be Leonys and not try to be anybody but myself," Martin said.

Other notes:

Manager Ron Washington said that new catcher A.J. Pierzynski will catch Tuesday and Wednesday against the Astros, so the first time Geovany Soto will start will be in the home-opening series against the Angels.

David Murphy batted in the fifth spot in the order, ahead of Nelson Cruz, to break up four left-handed hitters, with Pierzynski, Mitch Moreland and Martin hitting in the final three places in the batting order.

Ian Kinsler made his seventh straight opening day start at second base, the most in club history. Bump Wills made five straight starts at second base from 1977-81.

Relief pitcher Derek Lowe, on his 16th opening-day roster, said Sunday ranks right at the top of the list for him. "I'd put it in the top one or two," Lowe said. "Look at where I was three weeks ago, to go into camp and know you had to win a job. It's a great feeling." Lowe, a two-time All-Star who has won 175 games, was signed by the Rangers on March 6.

Left-fielder David Murphy, a native of Houston, said he will visit his high school, Klein High School, on the Rangers' off day Monday to watch the team practice and visit his old coaches. Murphy graduated from Klein in 2000 and went on to play three seasons at Baylor.

HOUSTON -- The Rangers finally get the 2013 season started with left-hander Matt Harrison getting the call for the opener against Houston right-hander Bud Norris. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN 103.3 FM.

Harrison (18-11, 3.29 ERA in 2012): Harrison makes his first Opening Day start … the left-hander won 18 games last season, third most in the American League and with that earned a five-year, $55 million contract … He had a 3.29 ERA in 2012, seventh best in the AL … Harrison threw 93 pitches in his final spring start on Tuesday for Triple-A Round Rock against Seattle's Triple-A team … he also had five shutout innings against the Dodgers this spring … Harrison has won 32 games over his past two seasons … Harrison is 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA lifetime against Houston … Harrison has never started a regular-season game in March, but he is 7-6 with a 4.89 ERA in 17 career starts in April.

Norris (7-13, 4.65 ERA in 2012): Norris also makes his first Opening Day start … He pitched well at Minute Maid Park last year, going 4-1 with a 1.71 ERA and 82 strikeouts … Norris makes his first start against the Rangers … Norris was 2-0 with a 3.92 ERA in five spring starts.

Hitters: Carlos Pena (0-for-8), Chris Carter (0-for-7) and Ronny Cedeno (0-for-3) are the only Astros who have faced Harrison and none with good results … Lance Berkman (1-for-6, HR) and Geovany Soto (1-for-6, HR) are the only Rangers who have faced Norris.

PODCAST
Broadcaster Steve Busby joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the Rangers' starting rotation, if Yu Darvish is a Cy Young candidate and how the team can replace Josh Hamilton's production. Listen

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers (15-14-2) close their home 2013 Cactus League schedule against the Chicago White Sox (11-13-4) on Tuesday at Surprise Stadium at 3:05 p.m. CT. Today's game, along with Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels, will be televised locally on the MLB Network.

The Rangers' lineup for today's game:

2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
DH Lance Berkman
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
LF David Murphy
C Geovany Soto
1B Mitch Moreland
CF Craig Gentry

Pitchers:
LHP Matt Harrison
LHP Jason Frasor
RHP Derek Lowe
RHP Josh Lindblom

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers (15-13-2) swept a home-and-home series against the Cincinnati Reds (9-17-2), following Saturday's win with a 7-2 victory on Sunday at Surprise Stadium.

What this means
Texas moves two games above .500 for the first time this spring after failing to do so on its first three attempts. The Rangers also won back-to-back games (excluding split squads) for the first time since March 12 and 14.

Sunday best
RHP Alexi Ogando had his most effective outing of the spring, tossing six scoreless innings while scattering three hits, walking one and striking out five. Ogando leads the team with 18 strikeouts in 21.1 innings.

Battered box
For the second consecutive game, a Texas Rangers batter knocked a Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher out of the ballgame after hitting him with a line drive. During the sixth inning of Sunday's game, David Murphy hit a ball off the back of Reds starter Bronson Arroyo's right hand. He immediately left the game. Also during the sixth inning on Saturday, Rangers catcher Geovany Soto hit a hard drive that nailed Reds starter Mat Latos in the right foot. He left the game after a quick exam on the mound.

One-man show
1B Lance Berkman had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a single, two-run home run, sacrifice fly and three RBIs.

RBI guy
Leonys Martin drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, giving the outfielder 12 RBIs this spring and tying him with Mitch Moreland for the team lead.

One-and-done
Closer Joe Nathan was sharp during his brief appearance, throwing a scoreless seventh inning while striking out two of the three batters he faced.

Yan reassigned
RHP Johan Yan was reassigned to minor league camp, the team announced on Sunday. With the addition of Brad Mills earlier in the day, the Rangers' major league camp roster remains at 39. In nine appearances, Yan was 0-1 with two saves, a 2.16 ERA and nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings.

Surprise in Surprise
Earlier Sunday, manager Ron Washington called OF Craig Gentry his biggest surprise of training camp. Gentry showed why against the Reds, going 2-for-3 with a single and triple, a stolen base, an RBI and two runs scored. He is hitting .333 this spring.

Burning up
RHP Cory Burns closed out the win in style by striking out the side in the ninth.

What's next?
Texas takes a short ride down Bell Road to the Peoria Sports Complex to face the San Diego Padres for the final time this spring on Monday at 3:05 p.m. CT. LHP Derek Holland (1-0, 1.29) is the scheduled starter for Texas. RHP Jason Marquis (0-0, 2.25) will take the mound for San Diego. The game can be heard on a delayed broadcast on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM at 7 p.m. CT.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers (7-8-2) saw their spring-high three-game winning streak come to an end after dropping a 2-1 decision to the San Francisco Giants (6-7-3) on Monday at Surprise Stadium. Yu Darvish allowed one run on five hits in 3 2/3 innings while striking out five and did not allow a walk.

What it means: The Rangers dropped back below .500 after suffering their first loss in seven games.

New battery: Geovany Soto caught Darvish in a game for the first time this spring. A.J. Pierzynski was behind the plate for Darvish's first two starts. Manager Ron Washington said that was just a result of the natural catching rotation and it was Soto's turn to start.

PODCAST
Derek Holland joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the benefits of pitching in the World Baseball Classic and why he thinks letting Nolan Ryan leave the Texas Rangers would be a mistake. Listen

Great glove: Mike Olt saved at least one run from scoring in the third inning when he made a diving catch on a line drive by Buster Posey to keep the Giants' lead at 1-0. Olt was playing just his third game in right field.

Bum rap: The Rangers could only muster a double by Mitch Moreland against San Francisco starter Madison Bumgarner during his four innings of work.

Double double: Moreland showed no signs of rust or lingering affects after missing two games with a tight right hamstring. The Rangers' first baseman went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a run scored.

Close call: Joe Nathan seemed to be on the way to a rough outing Monday after allowing a run on back-to-back triples to the first two batters he faced. Giants hitters couldn't touch him after that, as the Rangers closer responded by striking out the side on 11 pitches.

Left out: Nate Robertson continues to have a very good spring, pitching a scoreless seventh inning Monday. The left-hander is unscored upon in six innings this spring.

Team effort: Six Rangers pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts and just one walk.

Spring fever: With Phoenix area children on their first day of spring break, the Giants being in town, and a beautiful 73-degree day, a spring-high crowd of 10,025 took in the game at Surprise Stadium.

What's next? The Rangers host Milwaukee on Tuesday at 3:05 p.m. CT to close out a two-game homestand. RHP Alexi Ogando (0-1, 5.68) will get the start for the Rangers. RHP Mark Rogers (0-0, 3.86) is the scheduled starter for the Brewers. Texas has an off day Wednesday.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals will play the second of a three-game series to start the Cactus League season today at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM. We'll see if somebody actually wins the game today after Friday's 5-5 tie.

The Rangers' lineup for today's game:

2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
LF David Murphy
DH Brandon Allen
C Geovany Soto
1B Mitch Moreland
3B Jeff Baker
CF Craig Gentry
RF Aaron Cunningham

Pitchers
RHP Randy Wells
LHP Michael Kirkman
RHP Evan Meek
LHP Joe Ortiz
RHP Collin Balester
LHP Jeff Beliveau

ROYALS
LF Alex Gordon
SS Elliot Johnson
1B Billy Butler
DH Salvador Perez
3B Mike Moustakas
RF David Lough
C George Kottaras
2B Chris Getz
CF Jarrod Dyson

Pitchers
RHP Guillermo Moscoso
LHP Francisley Bueno
RHP Brian Sanches
RHP Dan Wheeler
LHP Ryan Verdugo
LHP Donnie Joseph
LHP Atahualpa Severino