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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 -- 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 -- 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.

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.

The Rangers are back in Arlington to open a three-game series against the White Sox on Tuesday night. Yu Darvish will take the mound against Jose Quintana as Texas looks to snap a two-game skid. The lineups:

RANGERS

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

WHITE SOX

CF Alejando De Aza
2B Tyler Greene
RF Alex Rios
1B Adam Dunn
DH Paul Konerko
3B Conor Gillaspie
SS Alexei Ramirez
C Hector Gimenez
CF Jordan Danks

Right-handed hitting Jeff Baker is expected to return Saturday from a sore knee and may be the starter at first base against Minnesota left-hander Pedro Hernandez.

But if Mitch Moreland starts again Saturday against a lefty, he'll be confident against Hernandez.

Moreland had two doubles in three at-bats Friday against Twins lefty Scott Diamond, helping the Rangers to a 4-3 victory over Minnesota. The left-handed hitting Moreland had a double in the second inning and another one to lead off the seventh.

Moreland has five hits now in 30 at-bats against left-handers and is 4 for his last 12 at-bats. He fell behind 0-2 to Diamond in the second inning and ripped an 88 mph fastball for a double to the opposite field. Moreland, whose approach is to grind out at-bats, had a leadoff double against Diamond in the seventh inning as he grinded out an at-bat and hit another fastball down the right-field line for a double.

It's a small sample for Moreland -- just like the first 18 at-bats were -- and Baker's .364 batting average against lefties so far makes it difficult not to play him. But the panic about Moreland vs. lefties can be tempered.

Some other Rangers' note going into Saturday afternoon:

1. Grimm's first inning: Justin Grimm's ability to work his way out of the first inning keyed his entire outing Friday night. The rookie right-hander was able to work around an Ian Kinsler error that would have been the second out of the inning. Josh Willingham's double to left field put runners at second and third. Grimm was able to wiggle his way out of the inning, using a fastball to get Chris Parmelee to fly out to right field.

2. Staying aggressive: The Rangers are an aggressive baserunning team under Ron Washington. That's one of their trademarks. But they have to be smart too. The Rangers made two outs at home plate Friday night with no outs at the time. Elvis Andrus's risky move to go home on a throw that got away from Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe wasn't worth, not with Adrian Beltre coming up.

3. Little Joe: Washington must be careful in not pitching rookie reliever Joe Ortiz too much. Opponents have been hitting Ortiz this week. He allowed two hits to start the ninth inning Friday with the Rangers leading 4-0, forcing Washington to go to closer Joe Nathan in a save-situation. Ortiz has five straight outings where's he allowed a hit and two straight where he's given up runs.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Fortunately for the Texas Rangers, utility man Jeff Baker appears to have averted major injury.

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X-rays on Baker's swollen right knee came back negative on Wednesday and, though he wasn't in the lineup for the series finale against Los Angeles Angels rookie left-hander Michael Roth, Rangers manager Ron Washington said he expects Baker to be available for the upcoming series at the Minnesota Twins.

"He'll probably play the field somewhere and let one of those regular guys have a day in the DH spot to get them off their feet," Washington said. "He'll more likely be in the infield than outfield."

Baker crashed into the wall after making a sliding catch in the first inning of Tuesday's 5-4 loss and was removed from the game.

"When I hit the wall it kind of shocked me a little bit," Baker said. "I know there's padding down there, but when I looked at the replay, I was wondering why it hurt so bad and why it swelled up so quick. I got the little spot just beneath the padding where it's concrete.”

“I was a little concerned, to be honest, but it's just a bruise,” he said. “I have some swelling in there in the joint line that we're working hard to get out. I was fortunate."

Baker hoped to be ready for Friday's matchup against Twins left-hander Scott Diamond. The Rangers also are slated to face left-hander Pedro Hernandez on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis. Baker is a lifetime .297 hitter against southpaws.

"I'm always going to play the game hard," Baker said. "Unfortunately, [injuries] come with the territory. Going out there and playing hard, sometimes stuff happens. As soon as I'm ready to go, I'll go back in there to grind it out."

When informed that his acrobatic catch had cracked the Top 10 Plays on "SportsCenter," Baker smirked.

"No wonder my phone was blowing up," he said. "That's cool, I guess, but I would have rather stayed in the game."

First start for Roth

--Roth, set to make his first career start, pitched in relief against Texas on Monday but faced only one batter, Lance Berkman, who singled.

"I got what our scouts that have seen him think of him, so it's all we have," Washington said. "He's the newcomer. We know nothing about him.

“Just try to go off the velocity they give us. Hopefully we can get him to make some mistakes and take advantage of it.”

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington doesn't expect Jeff Baker to miss much time following Tuesday's knee injury.

Baker left in the first inning of the 5-4, extra-inning loss to the Los Angeles Angels after crashing into the padded wall near the left-field foul line. He made a sliding catch on Josh Hamilton's line drive and braced his collision with his right knee.

Washington said the knee was swollen.

"Right now there is no major damage," Washington added. "It may be a day or so, but he's fine."

Baker, a .297 career hitter against left-handers, was in the starting lineup Tuesday with Jason Vargas on the mound for the Angels. Baker did not have a plate appearance, however.

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

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.

CHICAGO -- Manager Ron Washington decided to skip Justin Grimm and stick with Alexi Ogando as his starter for Thursday's game against Carlos Villanueva and the Chicago Cubs. Yu Darvish is scheduled to pitch Friday, followed by Nick Tepesch, Grimm and then Derek Holland for the series opener against the Angels. Rain could impact Thursday's game, but the clubs will try to do everything to get it in. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. on FSSW and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM.

Ogando (2-0, 1.08): Ogando has been solid in his return to the rotation, allowing only two earned runs in 16 2/3 innings pitched with 17 strikeouts and five walks. … Despite his impressive start, Ogando has only pitched six full innings in one of his three starts. … This will be Ogando’s first appearance against the Cubs. … Ogando has performed well in his 27 interleague innings, posting a 2.33 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks. … Ogando has three hits (all singles) and two strikeouts in five career plate appearances.

Villanueva (0-0, 0.64): Villanueva has been impressive in his two starts with the Cubs, allowing only one earned run in 14 innings. … The lone run recorded off Villanueva this season came via a solo home run from Braves center fielder B.J. Upton. … Villanueva was in line for the victory in both games he pitched this season, only to see a leaky Cubs bullpen blow the lead. … Villanueva had 4.16 ERA while striking out 122 and walking 46 in 125 1/3 innings (38 appearances, 16 starts) with the Blue Jays last season. … Villanueva struggled with a 4.50 ERA as a starter last season, but impressed with a 22.9 percent strikeout rate while walking only 6.7 percent of the batters he faced. … Villanueva has a 3.69 ERA in 85 1/3 interleague innings and is 1-1 with a 3.16 ERA in 25 2/3 innings against the Rangers.

Hitters: Nelson Cruz (3-for-10, 1 HR, 1 2B), Adrian Beltre (3-for-6, 1 2B) and Jeff Baker (3-for-5) have had success against Villanueva. Ogando has only faced two current Cubs, Nate Schierholtz (0-for-1) and David DeJesus (1-for-2).

CHICAGO -- The Texas Rangers' pitching staff has been strong early in the season, and slowly but surely it appears the bats are beginning to wake up as well. Tuesday night was Adrian Beltre’s turn to start swinging a hot stick. On a night when the wind seemed to be knocking down everything hit to left field, Beltre was able to line one into the stands to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead over the Chicago Cubs.

“I hit it good -- I was just waiting for the wind to die down a little bit so I can swing the bat,” Beltre said with a laugh. “No, I hit it good, I didn’t know it was going to go out -- I knew it had a chance. I was just looking for a pitch I could drive to get that run in, and lucky enough, I did.”

Beltre went 2-for-4 on the evening, with his big two-run homer, a double and two runs scored in the Rangers’ 4-2 victory over the Cubs.

“We expect to be better,” Beltre said of the Rangers’ offense. “I don’t think we’re where we want to be right now. We know we’re going to be better; we have such great talent on this ball club. It’s nothing to worry about, we’re gonna be better. But it’s always good to know the pitching staff has been solid, and hopefully it stays that way. It’s like they say: You go as far as the pitching staff will take you.”

The Rangers’ staff has put up a 2.85 ERA with 113 strikeouts and 35 walks in 123 innings pitched, while only a few bats have performed early on.

Derek Holland, who picked up the win by giving up just two hits and striking out six in seven scoreless innings, has never been concerned with what the offense does; he knows they’ve been there for him in the past and they’ll continue to show up in the future.

“They’re always capable of it,” Holland said. “I’m not worried about it; my main thing is if I go out there and make my pitches, everything else is gonna fall into place. It’s just a matter of time. They’ve done things for me -- they gave me the highest run support (in the past), so I’ll take whatever I can get. As long as I’m out there doing my job, that’s all that matters.”

The Rangers built a four-run lead, but things got a little tight in the ninth inning. After getting two quick outs, the Cubs managed to load the bases and pinch hitter Nate Schierholtz knocked in a pair of runs as left fielder Jeff Baker failed to make a diving catch on Schierholtz’s line drive.

Washington left Baker in left field in the late-inning situation because he had used his only other utility infielder, Leury Garcia, to pinch hit earlier in the game. That left him with only Baker as a backup infielder in an emergency situation.

“I put myself in a corner; I pinch-hit Garcia -- that was my only coverage on the infield,” manager Ron Washington said. “I take Baker out and something happens, I’m through, I have no coverage. He’d been making all the plays out there all night, he just ended up trying to make one he didn’t make.”

But Washington and the Rangers were saved by center fielder Craig Gentry’s brilliant play in center. With two down, the bases loaded and the Cubs trailing by two, second baseman Darwin Barney looped a ball into center that hung up just long enough for Gentry to make a sliding grab to end the game.

“I was not worried at all,” Washington said. “I was thinking four runs -- we’ll get an out before they got four or five. We ended up doing; it took a great play in center, but we did it. One of the best catches I’ve seen this year. It saved the game for us.”

Beltre, who is known to make a defensive gem or two himself at the hot corner, was impressed by Gentry’s performance.

“Unbelievable, I saw that go in center field and how low it was -- I thought he had no chance,” Beltre said. “He came over and made a great, unbelievable save for us.”