ESPN

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Decisions, decisions, decisions.

The Rangers have quite a few to make as they enter their first offseason in four years without a postseason game.

Will Nelson Cruz be back? How about Joe Nathan? Others, such as catchers A.J. Pierzynski and Geovany Soto, outfielder David Murphy and pitcher Matt Garza will be discussed ad nauseam before the winter meetings in December in Orlando.

Manager Ron Washington touched on the big ones -- Cruz and Nathan -- during his postmortem press conference Tuesday morning, 12 hours after the Rangers lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 in the American League tiebreaker game. He and general manager Jon Daniels and the rest of the brain trust will sit down at some point and go over all the options.

The big one is Cruz. He was suspended for the final 50 games of the regular season for violation of Major League Baseball's Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Cruz has to shoulder a portion of the blame for the Rangers' not making a stronger push for the AL West title, as they gave it up to Oakland in the final month.

The Rangers were disappointed by Cruz's decision-making and suspension, but they also know there's a lack of right-handed power hitters in the major leagues, and the minors too. The Rangers are likely to make Cruz a qualifying offer of about $13.5 million.

Washington, for one, would welcome Cruz back.

“When you think about a Nelson Cruz, who wouldn’t want a Nelson Cruz?" Washington said. "Big heart, great teammate, but there’s a lot of decisions to be made on our part and Nelson’s part. I do believe Jon Daniels will go down that road and see where it works or doesn’t work."

Then there's Nathan. The Rangers have a $9.5 million option on him for 2014, with a $750,000 buyout, a contract that Nathan can void and become a free agent. Nathan, 38, made it clear all season that he expects to pitch for several more years and will seek a multiyear deal.

Nathan blew three saves this season and finished with 43 saves. He may walk the tightrope sometimes, which drives the fan base crazy, but he's reliable and gets the job done.

“I thought Joe Nathan had a tremendous year,” Washington said. “I think at the end of the year, Joe Nathan proved to everyone that doubted him what he was made of, and I certainly would love to continue giving him the ball because he gets outs.”

There will be other decisions. Both Pierzynski and Soto would like to return, but the Rangers may set their sights on free-agent-to-be Brian McCann.

They gave up a lot for Garza, including pitcher C.J. Edwards -- who pitched tremendously for the Cubs in the minors after the trade. Is that reason enough to bring Garza back? Did he show enough despite going through a maddening stretch in August and September?

Whatever happens, this will be a fascinating offseason, one in which Daniels and his staff will have to make their mark.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers manager Ron Washington isn't planning on having a quick hook for 22-year-old starter Martin Perez in Monday's American League wild-card tiebreaker game.

But he has plenty of arms to turn to if needed.

Washington said all of his pitchers, including starters Alexi Ogando, Matt Garza and Derek Holland, are available to come out of the bullpen in Game 163, an elimination game, against the Tampa Bay Rays. Yu Darvish is the only pitcher who won't be used.

PODCAST
Nolan Ryan joins Galloway and Company to discuss having Nelson Cruz back in the lineup and how the Rangers are feeling heading into their wild-card play-in game against the Rays. Listen

Ogando is the most likely to be the first starter used because of his experience pitching out of the bullpen. Washington said he'll just flow with the game and base his decision on how far to go with Perez on how his innings are going.

"It just depends on what is happening," Washington said. "If he has issues in the first inning, it could be the first inning. If he has issues in the fifth inning, it could be the fifth. It could be the second, the third. We just have to see what scenario is being played out there."

Washington said he'll work with his complete bullpen Monday night. The Rangers' pen has dominated during their seven-game winning streak, allowing one run in 20 1/3 innings. They have 27 strikeouts.

Setup man Tanner Scheppers has thrown 36 pitches while throwing four straight days, so his low count helps. Closer Joe Nathan also has pitched four straight days and he's available for the elimination game.

Keeping his pitch count down has been huge for Scheppers.

"It helps him to allow us to use him," Washington said. "He comes in and pounding the strike zone. What Joe's been doing after Scheppers has been outstanding."

Scheppers said there's no stopping now and that he'll be ready.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Scheppers said. "You can't be down for (Game) 163."

Put Gentry in ink: Nelson Cruz's return to the Rangers' lineup as the designated hitter means that Washington was able to keep Craig Gentry in at left field, which is good because Gentry is the Rangers' hottest hitter with 17 hits in his last 36 at-bats. He wasn't coming out for anyone.

"I never thought about taking Gentry out of there," Washington said.

Wash on Price: Rays starter David Price, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, has not pitched well against the Rangers. He has a 10.26 ERA in Arlington and has lost all three postseason starts against Texas.

If the Rangers have a secret, they're not revealing it. "I can't give you that," Washington said. "It's something that happened."

Washington said the Rangers have the utmost respect for Price, who is 9-8 with a 3.39 ERA this season.

"We're certainly not that confident that we're going to go out there and destroy Price because of what we've done in the past," Washington said. "It's Sept. 30, 2013 and this is a different time and a different day. We just have to go out there and continue to play our game and see what happens.

"Believe me, there's no one in this clubhouse taking Price lightly."

Short hops: Injured pitcher Colby Lewis, the Rangers' best all-time postseason pitcher, will throw out the first pitch before Monday's game. He'll also be in uniform for the game. Washington said that Lewis and Matt Harrison will accompany the Rangers on the road if they make the postseason. ... The Rangers and Rays are the only teams in the major leagues with four straight seasons with 90-plus wins.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers finished the season with seven straight wins, all at home, to extend their season. If they want to play into October, they'll need to make it eight straight with a win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. Texas won the season series after splitting a four-game set last week. Let's take a look at three reasons the Rangers win and three reasons their season ends tonight.

3 REASONS RANGERS WIN:

1: Momentum. This team has a bunch of that right now, and it's not as if they have to worry about travel or anything else. They can treat this like a continuation of the week. It's been a really good week. They are getting clutch hits. The starting pitching has been solid, and the bullpen has been lights out. The Rangers are playing confident baseball. No reason to think it won't continue.

2: Nelson Cruz. No other playoff team welcomes the kind of bat the Rangers do. Cruz, whose 50-game suspension ended after Sunday's final pitch, is the kind of streaky player who can carry an offense. He hasn't played in a big league game since early August, but that might not matter. He's a force to be reckoned with and he'll be in there for Game 163. He said Sunday that he's excited to have a chance to help the team he left because of the suspension early last month.

3: David Price. Seems strange to put him in there, but take a look at his numbers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in his career. They are ugly. He's got a 10.26 ERA in his career in Arlington, though he hasn't pitched in Texas since August 2012. His postseason numbers against Texas aren't great, either. He's 0-3 with a 4.66 ERA in three American League Division Series starts in 2010 and 2011. If the Rangers hit him like they have in the past, it's a recipe for moving on to Cleveland on Wednesday.

3 REASONS RANGERS LOSE:

1: Price. No, that's not a typo. The reality is that, while Price hasn't been the same pitcher in 2013 that he was in 2012, he's still a Cy Young Award winner. He'd like nothing better than to finally beat the Rangers in a game that matters, and he has that opportunity. If the Price of last season shows up, it could be a long night for the Rangers.

2: Tired bullpen. The Rangers' relief corps has been tremendous this week. They've also been worked hard. There was no choice, of course. Any loss would have meant the end of Texas' season. But Joe Nathan and Tanner Scheppers have pitched in each of the past four games. Do they have a fifth straight game in them? Manager Ron Washington needs innings from his starter and some help from other arms in his bullpen.

3: Martin Perez. He's got 10 wins and hasn't looked like a rookie out on the mound of late. He also seemed very calm answering questions from the media in the clubhouse after Sunday's game. But what if he squints in the bright lights? That could change everything. Perez is a big X-factor in this game. That should be interesting to watch.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- They did it, rallying past the Los Angeles Angels 6-2 on Sunday afternoon.

Seven must-win games. Done.

With no margin for error, just enough to get the Texas Rangers into Game 163 on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League wild-card tiebreak game.

Win that one and it's off to Cleveland for the wild-card game on Wednesday night against the Indians. Win that one and then it's on to Boston for the American League Divisional Series starting Friday against the Red Sox.

Basically, the Rangers need to come through in two more elimination games to keep on going in the postseason. They should have all the momentum in the world after doing it seven times, right?

"I believe in [momentum]," said catcher Geovany Soto, who drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. "I believe the team is coming together more than ever."

The Rangers found themselves in another grind-it-out kind of game on Sunday. They trailed 1-0 entering the bottom of the fifth after Yu Darvish allowed a home run to Mike Trout with two outs in the first inning.

(Read full post)

ARLINGTON, Texas -- When this week started, all the Rangers could ask for was a chance.

They didn't control their own destiny. They were behind Tampa Bay and Cleveland for the two American League wild-card spots. The Rangers were 5-15 in September.

Look at them now.

They've won six straight games, keeping their wild-card hopes alive with Saturday's 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, a game that ended in a torrential downpour with closer Joe Nathan striking out Howie Kendrick.

The Rangers reached 90 wins for the fourth consecutive season. Getting win No. 91 on Sunday will ensure that they'll play at worst another game Monday or Tuesday against the Rays or Indians.

Texas and Tampa Bay are tied for the second wild-card spot with identical 90-71 records. Cleveland can take a one-game lead over both teams with one game left -- and guarantee at worst a play-in game -- with a win over Minnesota on Saturday.

How have the Rangers made Game 162 matter? They have rallied the troops.

(Read full post)

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Tanner Scheppers pitched at the toughest point of Friday's 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, having to get out Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton in the inning after the Rangers had taken the lead.

He had no issues with the baseballs, five innings after former Ranger C.J. Wilson blamed slippery baseballs for control issues that led to three wild pitches and two hit batters.

"I can't tell you I noticed any difference," Scheppers said of the baseballs that were used Friday night.

Wilson said after the game that one in four of the baseballs were not rubbed down properly, a procedure that is done by a Rangers official -- an umpires' attendant -- before each game. The Rangers prepare 12 dozen baseballs per game with baseball rubbing mud. The baseball are inspected by the umpires.

They didn't meet to Wilson's approval.

"The balls were kind of squirting around,” Wilson said. “Are you going to call it a coincidence? It’s not a coincidence. Let’s be honest.”

Rangers manager Ron Washington said Saturday that home plate umpire Mike DiMuro notified him about Wilson's concerns.

"I’ve been in the game since 1970," Washington said. "I haven’t seen a game ball until it was in the game."

Rangers closer Joe Nathan also said Saturday he had no issues with the baseballs in the ninth inning and hasn't had any during his career.

“I don’t know why they thought they were an issue,” Nathan said. “[Wilson] spoke his opinion. That’s all. It’s not something I would’ve done, but at the same time everybody is entitled to their own way of going about things and how to handle stuff.”

There is a home remedy on the mound if the baseballs aren't rubbed down enough, reliever Jason Frasor said.

"You've got to do it yourself," Frasor said. "It takes less than 10 seconds."

Scheppers ready: Scheppers said he'll be ready to go if called upon for a third straight game Saturday. "I'll be ready by one," said Scheppers, noting that the start time is 11:05 a.m., so the late innings will roll around a couple hours later, giving him some extra time to wake up.

Scheppers was superb Friday night, working a perfect top of the eighth with strikeouts of Trout and Hamilton. Scheppers has allowed two runs in his last 16 games.

"Wash has done a good job of managing me this year," Scheppers said. "He gave me a good break around the All-Star break."

Short hops: Martin Perez threw his usual bullpen Saturday morning in anticipation of a potential Monday wild card play-in game against Cleveland or Tampa Bay. ... The Rangers have a stolen base in a club-record 10 games.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A relieved Adrian Beltre cranked his first home run in 28 days in the Rangers' 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

It was a moment that, quite honestly, Beltre hasn't delivered in a while. He had carried the Rangers in July and August. He even pushed his way into the American League MVP race.

But the power had been out since Aug. 28 in Seattle. Beltre had reached 83 at-bats without a home run when he stepped up in the bottom of the sixth with the scored tied at 2. That's when he finally delivered against Astros starter Brad Peacock, sending a rocket into the left-field seats to give Texas a win on a wild night in the American League wild-card race.

When Beltre homers, the Rangers win. They are now 24-3 when he goes deep.

"Apparently, I found out a way today," Beltre said of his 29th homer. "It’s been a long time. It felt good. It felt really good. I haven’t had that feeling in a long time."

Neither had his teammates. They were sleeping when he arrived to the dugout instead of fighting to get to him to take his helmet off and touch his head, something he hates. This time, only manager Ron Washington came up on the dugout steps to greet Beltre.

"I can’t blame them," Beltre said. "It’s been a long time, but hopefully that’ll be the beginning of a couple this week. Not because I hit a homer, but because it was a good spot to hit it to give our ballclub the lead, and that’s what I want."

This was another big win because the Astros team that sleepwalked through a 12-0 loss on Monday was much more energized for the Rangers and Yu Darvish. Not to mention that the Rangers desperately needed the win to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians, who both won their fifth straight game on Tuesday.

The Indians won 5-4 over the Chicago White Sox on a walk-off homer by 42-year-old Jason Giambi. Beltre admitted he was scoreboard watching and saw that Cleveland had won to stay a game ahead of the Rangers. Texas is two back of the Rays for the first wild-card spot.

"I think every inning I was watching the scoreboard," Beltre said. "It’s right there to look at, so every time I get a chance, I look[ed] back to see what the score was."

The Rangers won a night when Darvish again wasn't at his best. For the third time in September, he didn't make it through six innings. Also for the third time since the All-Star break, Darvish allowed a game-tying home run after the Rangers had given him the lead. The Astros joined the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox by accomplishing that against Darvish.

Darvish didn't have much to say about giving up another lead.

"The most important thing right now is to win a game," Darvish said. "I was able to keep us in the game, and that's all I can say."

The bullpen -- along with Beltre -- won the game for the Rangers. Neal Cotts got three outs, and Tanner Scheppers picked up four as Washington went to the bullpen earlier with the game on the line.

Then, with two runners on and two outs in the top of the eighth and Scheppers tiring -- he said so after the game -- Washington went to Jason Frasor, who got Astros catcher Carlos Corporan out.

Frasor took the loss on Friday in Kansas City when Neftali Feliz walked in the go-ahead run with the bases loaded, all runners Frasor had put on. So Frasor wanted to get the bad taste out of his mouth.

He threw two fastballs to Corporan to get ahead. He threw a third to Corporan, who hit a ball to shallow center field that looked like it was dropping at first. Center fielder Leonys Martin came in and made the catch, ending the inning.

"When I first saw it go up, I thought it was going to fall in," Frasor said. "I couldn't tell how shallow Leonys was playing. He must have gotten a good jump. He came in and got it."

Joe Nathan closed it out, and the Rangers are still in striking distance of the Indians and Rays with five games to go.

And Adrian Beltre has his power back.

If the Texas Rangers are to make the playoffs, they'll need contributions from just about everybody. But with one week to go in the season and the Rangers right in the middle of a fight for an AL wild-card spot, let's try to narrow that group down to six Rangers who could determine if there will be postseason baseball in Texas in October (this is listed in no particular order):

1: Ian Kinsler. With his offense struggling in September, manager Ron Washington tinkered with his lineup trying to create a spark. In the process, he moved Leonys Martin out of the leadoff spot and inserted Kinsler back in that No. 1 role. Kinsler, as in the past few seasons, has to be a sparkplug for this offense. He has to be the one that gets things going so that it trickles down from there. Adrian Beltre is this team's MVP, if you ask me, but he needs Kinsler to help set the table so Beltre has opportunities to drive him in. Since Kinsler switched back to leadoff two weeks ago, he has six multihit games and eight RBIs. Kinsler can make things happen on the bases, and the Rangers will need that this week.

2: Derek Holland. He pitches tonight in Arlington, Texas, against Houston, a series against the league's worst team that the Rangers must use to their advantage. Holland struggled to start September but allowed just two runs in six innings in a no-decision against the Tampa Bay Rays in his most recent start. He's in a key spot in the rotation this week with his start tonight, and he's slated for Saturday, the penultimate game of the season. Every game this week is big, but it's up to Holland to set the tone tonight and then possibly be in position to keep Texas in it, or give them a chance to claim that wild-card spot, on Saturday. He should have a big say in what happens to this team.

3: A.J. Pierzynski. This is the time of season that having Pierzynski could be even more important. He has postseason experience and knows all about pennant races and playoff chases. He's the guy that must keep this pitching staff calm (it will be Geovany Soto's job to do that with Yu Darvish) as they attempt to navigate through three games with Houston and four with the Angels to try to make the playoffs. Pierzynski's bat, of course, will matter, too. He was one of the few guys actually hitting when the Rangers couldn't buy a run at points this month. They need that stick now, along with his game-calling abilities.

4: Tanner Scheppers. Obviously, Joe Nathan is a key to this team's success as the closer. But he's done the job solidly all season. What matters just as much is getting the game to Nathan, and Scheppers is critical to that. He wasn't able to pitch on Friday in Kansas City after pitching in three straight games, and the Rangers couldn't close out that game after falling behind in the eighth inning. Scheppers has an ERA under 2.00 and has thrown the ball well in key situations. He's going to get some of those this week and must execute.

5: Elvis Andrus. He's becoming a critical leader for this team and also one of its most important hitters. Like Kinsler, the opponent does not want Andrus to get on base because of his speed and baserunning ability. Andrus is one of the few Rangers whose September split is solid. He's batting over .300 for the month, and it seems that when the Rangers do score runs, Andrus is somehow involved (either scoring it or driving it in). He'll need to continue that this week.

6: Gary Pettis. It might seem odd to see the third-base coach on this list, but the reality is that he's already had an impact on several games this month to help this team create runs. The club's issues with scoring runs with regularity this month has been documented constantly. But for a team that has had a power shortage, pushing the envelope on the bases matters. Pettis isn't afraid to get aggressive with runners. He must be smart about it, but that attitude could make the difference in the Rangers getting that extra run they need. Don't overlook his importance as the Rangers run the bases like crazy.

KANSAS CITY -- Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre summed up his September to this point with two words Sunday.

"An adventure," Beltre said.

The man who carried the Rangers for long stages this season is batting .253 for the final month with two extra-base hits. He hasn't homered and has six RBIs.

Beltre isn't the reason the Rangers are 5-14 in September, that's more about ineffective starting pitching, an overall erratic offense and a six-game winless homestand. But Texas has missed his thunder.

So what's up?

"I'm not getting hits like then," said Beltre of his summer run when he was American League Player of the Month in July and also a repeat winner in August.

He does have hits in five straight games and had a key RBI single in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Royals, getting the break he probably needed when a sharply hit ground ball up the middle caromed off the second-base bag and through the legs of Kansas City second baseman Emilio Bonifacio.

Beltre still leads the American League in hits with 190. He needs 10 more in eight games to reach 200 for the first time since 2004, the only time he's reached that mark. He had exactly 200 hits for the Dodgers.

Beltre said physically he's fine and that the September swoon isn't a product of hamstring issues he had earlier this season.

It's just baseball, manager Ron Washington said. Beltre got off to a slow start to the season, had an MVP-type summer and has cooled off, much like Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, who was chasing his second consecutive Triple Crown. Cabrera has tailed off in the final month, batting .264 with a homer and six RBIs, very similar numbers to Beltre.

"He's missing pitches," Washington said of Beltre. "He's getting good passes at balls and just missing it."

Gentry plays on: Craig Gentry was back in the starting lineup Sunday for the second consecutive game against a right-handed starting pitcher. Gentry has started three of the last four games with the last two in left field.

He's earned the playing time. He had a four-hit game on Thursday in Tampa Bay, and after a day off Friday, had three more hits in Saturday's 3-1 win.

"He's doing a good job," Washington said. "It's a case of riding the hot hand."

Gentry downplayed his production of late, but did say he's thrilled to be starting in meaningful games in September.

"It's only two games," Gentry said. "I'm just going to try to keep it going and contribute in any way I can."

Astros in Arlington: The Rangers head home for their final seven games, all at Rangers Ballpark, the first three against a Houston Astros team that they've beaten 14 out of 16 times.

The Astros have struggled against wild card contender Cleveland, losing the first three games of a four-game series to the Tribe entering Sunday. But Washington said the Rangers can expect to see a better Houston team than the one they've dominated so far this season, mainly because of an up-and-coming young starting rotation.

"They've come a long way this year," Washington said. "They've been competitive."

Short hops: Gentry has four steals in his last two games, giving him 18 for the season to match his career high set in 2011 ... Matt Garza's eight-plus innings thrown Saturday night means the Rangers' bullpen is fully rested with Sunday starter Alexi Ogando only expected to throw 80 pitches. Close Joe Nathan in the only reliever who pitched Saturday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It was all Matt Garza on Saturday night in Kansas City. And, boy, did the Texas Rangers ever need this.

Garza kept Texas right on the heels of the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians in the American League wild-card race, allowing one run in eight dominating innings as the Rangers topped the Kansas City Royals 3-1 at Kauffman Stadium.

After Garza gave up a home run to start the top of the ninth, closer Joe Nathan came on to pick up his 40th career save against the Royals, the most by any pitcher versus the Kansas City franchise. Nathan had two strikeouts.

Wild-card race: The Rangers needed the win because Tampa Bay and Cleveland, the teams in front of them holding down the wild-card spots, both won on Saturday. The Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1, damaging the Orioles' playoff hopes. The Indians beat the Houston Astros 4-1. The Rangers remained a game behind the Rays and a half-game behind the Indians. Texas is all but done in the American League West. Oakland won and needs a win Sunday or a Rangers loss to clinch the division title.

Garza deals: Garza put a halt to his September slump. He was terrific against the Royals, commanding the strike zone and allowing just five hits in eight innings. He had only one walk after surrendering six in his past two starts. Garza had a stretch during which he retired 10 straight batters after he established control in the first inning. He did finally allow a run in the top of the ninth when Eric Hosmer led off with a home run over the left-field fence. Garza threw 97 pitches, 70 for strikes.

Rangers strike first: Ian Kinsler started the game with a triple up the right-center field alley and scored on Elvis Andrus' groundout to shortstop. Kinsler's triple was the Rangers' first three-bagger in the first inning this season. It was the first leadoff triple by a Ranger to begin a game since Kinsler did it on May 26, 2009, against the Yankees.

Taking advantage of walks: It seems like, lately, every time a Rangers pitcher walks someone it leads to a run. Well, the Rangers scored two runs on walks in the third inning. After Kinsler grounded out, Andrus and Alex Rios walked. Adrian Beltre then hit a sharp grounder up the middle that Royals second baseman Emilio Bonifacio got in front of but let go through his legs for what was scored as an RBI single. Rios made it to third on the play and scored on A.J. Pierzynski's sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.

Gentry stays hot: Craig Gentry started in left field against a right-handed starter and had three more singles, giving him seven hits for his past two starts. Gentry had four hits on Thursday night in Tampa Bay but didn't play Friday night against the Royals.

Up next: Texas and Kansas City finish up their three-game series at Kauffman Stadium with Rangers right-hander Alexi Ogando (7-4, 3.15 ERA) facing Royals right-hander James Shields (12-9, 3.33) at 1:10 p.m. Sunday on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Texas Rangers found themselves in a bullpen dilemma on Friday night in a tie game against the Kansas City Royals.

Out of choice options, they went to one-time closer Neftali Feliz, who threw four pitches -- all balls -- with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run. The Rangers were left to deal with a 2-1 loss to the Royals that further tightened the American League wild-card race.

How it came down to Feliz is an interesting story.

Manager Ron Washington was asked before the game if Feliz was ready to close a game if other options -- Joe Nathan, Tanner Scheppers, Neal Cotts and Joakim Soria, in particular -- were unavailable because of a heavy workload.

It led to a healthy debate among the manager and his inquisitors and yielded an answer that could only truly be made after seeing Feliz in a pressure situation. After all, he had pitched in only five games after missing 13 months recovering from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.

Well, that pressure moment, with more than 30,000 Royals fans on their feet, ended up happening seven hours later.

Jason Frasor, who has had a brilliant season, actually started the bottom of the eighth on the mound for the Rangers. He got two quick outs and looked like he was headed to a 1-2-3 inning.

Then, Lorenzo Cain battled him for a single up the middle, and Mike Moustakas blooped a single over shortstop Elvis Andrus' glove into left field for a single to move Cain to third. Frasor ended up walking the bases loaded after getting ahead of pinch hitter David Lough with a 1-2 count but failing to put him away.

With the bags full and Frasor at 26 pitches, Washington needed another option out of the bullpen.

He wasn't going to Scheppers -- who had pitched in three straight games -- unless it was absolutely necessary, e.g., extra innings. Or Soria, who had pitched in back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday. Cotts had already done his work, getting four outs.

Scheppers had told pitching coach Mike Maddux he could go if needed after throwing 28 pitches in his three consecutive appearances, which meant extra innings if necessary.

"If we had to use him [we would have]," Washington said. "Other than that, I can't hurt the kid."

So Washington decided on Feliz, a highly risky move just because -- again -- he hasn't pitched much. And Feliz showed the rust, guiding four pitches up to the plate, none of them close to the strike zone.

"I was frustrated that I wasn't able to locate the ball," Feliz said. "I understand that's part of the game. I'll keep my head up and try tomorrow."

Frasor could only watch. He was so close to getting out of the inning a couple of times -- at first, it looked like Andrus would catch Moustakas' flare, and Frasor made Lough look bad early in the count -- but it didn't come out in his favor.

"It stinks when you to have to be taken out for someone else," Frasor said. "That's a tough spot for Nefti."

Yes, it was.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Catcher A.J. Pierzynski says there is one reason he has thrown out 16 of the past 39 baserunners who have tried to steal a base on him.

"Hector Ortiz," Pierzynski said.

There you go. The Rangers' minor league catching instructor, who also works closely with Pierzynski and Geovany Soto, is the man behind the scenes helping the club's catchers throw out 27 percent of all basestealers.

That percentage has risen dramatically as Pierzynski has improved this season. The first 25 runners who tried to steal on him were successful. You can see the success rate -- or failure rate -- of Rangers opponents since then.

Soto threw out two basestealers in the second inning of Thursdays' 8-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, helping starter Yu Darvish wade through a start in which he had command issues. Soto has thrown out 30 percent of basestealers.

Pierzynski said, for eight seasons in Chicago, the White Sox didn't care about throwing out baserunners. It wasn't a team philosophy.

With Ortiz around for the Rangers, it is. Ortiz studies video religiously. "I try to pay attention to the little things," Ortiz said. He also studies video and calls and talks to the Rangers' catchers when he's on the road instructing the minor league catchers.

Pierzynski has improved his footwork and his weight shift during the season, helping him to make stronger throws. It says something that Pierzynski, a 13-year veteran, would be willing to listen to Ortiz.

That speaks volumes.

"They like it," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Pierzynski and Soto getting instruction from Ortiz. "You can see the difference. They're both throwing the ball well."

What's Ortiz's secret?

"He's good at getting them to apply," Washington said. "That's a coach right there. That's a teacher."

The Rangers have to slow down the running game in this weekend series against Kansas City. The Royals lead the major leagues with 147 stolen bases. The Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers are next with 132 steals.

Nathan sends message: Closer Joe Nathan told pitching coach Mike Maddux he wanted to pitch the ninth inning Thursday night against Tampa Bay, even with the Rangers holding a 6-2 lead, even with Nathan pitching for a third straight day.

The reason? Nathan wanted to send a message to the Rays after he blew a save against them on Wednesday night in the 11th inning. Nathan had two strikes on two straight hitters and allowed them to reach base, the second one David DeJesus' walk-off single.

Nathan rebounded Thursday, allowing one hit. He got the last word.

"We're going to see those guys again," Nathan said of a possible wild-card game matchup with Tampa Bay. "I wanted that last game to be a positive. I wanted them to be the ones carrying in, in a one-game playoff, to have that bad taste in their mouth."

Nathan also said the extra work will help with his sharpness. He hadn't pitched in nine days before pitching the last three games against Tampa Bay. He said before Friday's game that he feels great, he likes to pitch regularly and he expects to be ready if needed against Kansas City.

Short hops: Pierzynski has a bruised finger on his glove hand, but it's not considered to be a serious injury … Darvish will pitch the final game of the regular season next Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels, if the Rangers are playing a meaningful game as far as the postseason.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Rangers were back in win mode before Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, bouncing around the clubhouse with country star Luke Bryan's song "Crash My Party" blaring on the sound system.

Manager Ron Washington admitted he had a hard time crashing after Wednesday night's excruciating 4-3 loss to the Rays in 12 innings, with the the Rangers coming within a strike twice of winning the game in 11.

Washington said he was up until 2:30 a.m. thinking about several things, from Derek Holland's bounce-back start to the Rangers' inability to turn a double play in the sixth inning -- which was followed up by Holland allowing a game-tying, two-run home run.

There was the combined work of Elvis Andrus scurrying around the bases and third-base coach Gary Pettis being alert enough to send him home for the go-ahead run in the 11th inning. There was Joe Nathan's blown save in the bottom of the inning, the Rangers' failure to score with runners at first and third and one out in the top of the 12th and the lack of execution by reliever Joseph Ortiz in the bottom of the 12th.

It was a lot of stuff; enough to keep you up all night.

"Each game we play is meaningful," Washington said.

One thing Washington wanted to clear up -- Jurickson Profar's poor throw turning the double play in the bottom of the sixth that would have ended the inning with Rangers still ahead 2-0. It wasn't a rookie mistake, Washington said.

"I've been seeing Profar field his butt off," Washington said. "I don't think it was a young mistake. It was a mistake, that's all. Any second baseman in the game could have done that, pulled it. We didn't need it to be pulled. We needed it to be turned, and we didn't get it turned.

"I put him out there because I trust him. And I don't think that the moment had anything to do with it. I've seen him turn tough double plays with people on top of him. I've seen him turn all kinds of double plays."

Bullpen turns: Nathan, Neal Cotts and Tanner Scheppers all have pitched in back-to-back games in the series. Expect to see them again Thursday night if the Rangers have a late-inning lead.

"If we get in a position and have a chance to put the game away, then the guys we've been using all year to put it away will be out there," Washington said. "I don't think anybody's concerned about getting rest now."

Baker at DH: Jeff Baker was the designated hitter Thursday, and don't expect to see him at first base anytime soon. He is nursing a groin injury.

Utility man Adam Rosales would be the first option as a right-handed hitting first baseman against a lefty starter. But Mitch Moreland was in the lineup Thursday for his defense.

Soria returns to Kansas City: Joakim Soria returns Friday to Kansas City, where he was the Royals' closer and pitched for five seasons. Soria downplayed his return.

"I don't think too much about that," Soria said. "I'm thinking about helping this team win. It's a pleasure to return to Kansas City because they gave me a chance to be a big league pitcher."

Short hops: Cotts has the lowest qualifying ERA in the majors with a 1.07 mark. … The Rangers are 3-8 in extra innings, the worst winning percentage and lowest win total in the majors.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Texas Rangers had a chance to exhale Tuesday evening after ending an ugly seven-game losing streak the night before.

Instead, they are right back to answering questions about the toughest losses of the season and whether their September crash has resumed following Wednesday night's painful 4-3 loss in 12 innings to the Tampa Bay Rays.

This one hurt.

Twice the Rangers were a strike away from putting away the Rays in the bottom of the 11th with their lock-down closer Joe Nathan on the mound. But for only the third time in 42 chances, Nathan couldn't get it done.

Hurt by a two-out walk to Matt Joyce and a stolen base by pinch runner Freddy Guzman, Nathan allowed the tying run to score on David DeJesus' single up the middle.

The Rays then stole the game in the bottom of the 12th against rookie reliever Joseph Ortiz when Desmond Jennings singled to right to score pinch runner Sam Fuld, propelling the Rays into the first wild-card spot by themselves.

The Rangers are 3-13 in September. They've gone from leading the American League West when the month started to only holding onto the second wild-card position by a half-game over the Cleveland Indians and one game over the Baltimore Orioles.

But the Rangers insist they aren't done, at least if you believe Nathan, who was standing by his locker waiting to explain to reporters what happened in the 11th.

A defiant Nathan disagreed when asked if this was the toughest loss of the season.

"That's not true," Nathan said. "Because it's not the last game. If it was the last game and we were out of it because of this, it would be the toughest loss. We still have 11 games to go.

"We're still actually in the postseason, aren't we? So I can't see how this is going to be the toughest loss of the year. We have plenty of baseball to go and we're going to come out here tomorrow and hopefully get another opportunity and go out there and do it."

This one was set up exactly how the Rangers would have planned it:

It was Jennings who gift-wrapped two runs in the top of the second when he misplayed Leonys Martin's line drive to center field. Jennings broke in and then watched it sail over his head for a two-run triple for a 2-0 Rangers lead.

Rangers starter Derek Holland was able to work out of two-out trouble in the third, fourth and fifth innings. But a botched double play and a bad pitch by Holland had the game suddenly tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth.

With one on and one out, Rays designated hitter Delmon Young grounded into what looked like a sure double play, but 20-year-old Rangers second baseman Jurickison Profar made a poor throw on the relay and pulled first baseman Mitch Moreland off the bag.

"I missed that double play," Profar said. "I knew I should have made that play. I put [Holland] in a bad position."

Then, with terrible timing, Holland threw a fastball down to the middle to Sean Rodriguez, who didn't miss it, crushing a two-run home run to left field to tie the game.

The Rangers had their bullpen all set up to finish off a 2-0 game. But they didn't get the chance after the missed double play and home run.

"That was a big inning right there," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "If you make the error it doesn't mean you come back and give up a two-run bomb.

"We just didn't make [the play]. Not turning that double play changed the whole outcome of the game. Once they tied the ball game up, I went to the bullpen and they held it down."

The Rangers still had two chances to make the outcome end in their favor. They scored in the top of the 11th, when Elvis Andrus was hit by a pitch and, with two outs, Adrian Beltre lined a single into right field. Rays outfielder Wil Myers was slow getting to the ball and Rangers third-base coach Gary Pettis alertly sent the hard-charging Andrus home. He slid in safely for a 3-2 lead.

That brought in Nathan. He handled the best two hitters in the Rays' lineup, Evan Longoria and Myers, and had a 2-2 count on Joyce. Nathan tried to throw a fastball inside on the 2-2 pitch but left it up high. He tried a back-door slider with a full count and Joyce didn't bite and drew a walk. With DeJesus up, Guzman stole second base on a play that was very close, according to several replays.

"It looked like he was out from my view," Nathan said. "I haven't gone back and looked at it. It looked like the tag was high, but it still looked like we may have had a shot of getting him right there. Unfortunately, the call goes against us."

Nathan still got two strikes on DeJesus, but couldn't finish. DeJesus singled up the middle on a 2-2 slider to tie the game.

The Rangers had runners on first and third with one out in the top of the 12th but couldn’t regain the lead. Martin hit a soft line drive to the shortstop and Ian Kinsler struck out.

Washington then went to Ortiz instead of Neftali Feliz in the bottom of the 12th. Feliz, who returned after the start of the month after being out for more than a year after Tommy John surgery, had warmed up in the 10th and again in the 12th. But he was passed over for Ortiz, who had allowed runs in four of his last six outings but also had a changeup the Rangers felt would give the next Rays' hitters problems.

Still, it was a strange decision and one that didn't work when Ortiz allowed a single on an 0-2 fastball to Jose Lobaton and a game-winning single to Jennings.

Instead of a two-game winning streak, the Rangers have lost eight of nine games. They put on their best face again. "We're all right," Holland said. Maybe they are.

After not leading for 63 innings before Tuesday night's win, they had their closer in the game with a chance for a huge victory and a two-game winning streak. Instead, it's a loss the likes of a kick in the gut.

"It's tough," Washington said, "because we were right where we wanted to be with the right person on the mound. Joe's been solid for us all year. It just didn't happen tonight."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Joe Nathan can't remember the last time he went eight days without throwing. Maybe never since he became a closer.

So he was more than happy to be back on the mound in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 7-1 victory over Tampa Bay, even in a non-save situation.

PODCAST
Ron Washington joins Ian Fitzsimmons and Tim MacMahon to discuss the Rangers' dismal September, who's to blame for their September struggles and his status as the team's manager. Listen

Nathan allowed a leadoff single, then got three straight outs. He warmed eight times without getting into a game during the Rangers' seven-game losing streak that ended Tuesday, so it was impossible not to feel a little rusty.

"The fact is it always feels a little weird when you've had that many days off," Nathan said. "You can't simulate the intensity of pitching in a game. It makes a big difference."

It was a significant outing for Nathan. The Rangers hold a $9 million club option on him for the 2014 season, but he can have that voided by finishing one more game.

Nathan said before Wednesday's game that he's not keeping a count in his locker, crossing off the numbers as he gets closer. "No," he said, laughing.

Ogando gets Sunday: Alexi Ogando will start Sunday in Kansas City as he again has forged his way into the starting rotation, at least for the final 12 games of the regular season.

Ogando has his fastball velocity back and 96 mph in Tuesday's 7-1 victory after being around 94 mph during August before he went on the disabled list for shoulder inflammation.

"I know what kind of weapon he can be out of the bullpen," manager Ron Washington said. "But right now he's a starter. When he came back, that's we were trying to do, get him innings and get him back in the swing of things."

Of course, there's always the question of whether Ogando will be one of the Rangers' five starters next season. He's been on the disabled list three times this year, but the Rangers have no evidence that it's because he's bounced between the bullpen and the rotation."

"I'm not concerned about next season," Washington said. "I'm concerned about tonight."

Ogando threw five innings and threw 69 pitches Tuesday night. He could be good for 10 to 15 more pitching against the Royals, Washington said.

DH rotation: Ian Kinsler was the designated hitter Wednesday night as Washington wanted to give him a day off his feet.

Jeff Baker will likely get the DH spot Thursday with left-hander Matt Moore starting. Lance Berkman was the DH on Monday and Tuesday and didn't get a hit in five at-bats. And trainers have told Washington that Berkman can't swing right-handed.

So it's a DH rotation for the rest of the season. "Whatever it takes," Washington. "We'll figure it out every day."

Soto likely catching Darvish: Geovany Soto will probably catch Yu Darvish on Thursday night, but Washington said he deserves the right to change his mind.

This is not the case of Soto being Darvish's personal catcher -- they've been paired together the last two starts. Does Washington want to avoid that perception?

"No doubt about it," Washington said. "If I decide to go with Soto tomorrow it's because it fell that way."