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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The 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 -- After opening the season with three straight brilliant performances, manager Ron Washington had nothing but bouquets to throw Derek Holland’s way. What’s the difference between the Holland that’s shown up this season and the inconsistent performer of the past?

PODCAST
Derek Holland joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett to discuss his desire to become an elite pitcher, his hot start to the season and what it's like to play at Wrigley, which also happens to be the name of his dog. Listen

“His breaking ball has much more depth this year,” Washington said. “We’ve been trying to get him to back foot it and he’s finally been able to back foot it. He brought his changeup back into play, which in his first couple years was his bread and butter. For some reason it got away from him. Now he’s throwing his changeup and making quality pitches with it. He’s not leaving his fastball up and over the dish with all the regularity that he has in the past; he’s able to put it where he wants to. That’s all because of his dedication to what he wanted to do for himself and the team.”

In previous years, there were rumors that Holland had been distracted. Washington admitted that was likely the case, but that’s an issue in Holland’s rear view mirror.

“It wasn’t just talk, he was distracted,” Washington said. “That was fact. I think what happened is with another year older he’s graduated mentally. He understands what’s priority now, not that he didn’t understand priority, he just didn’t know how to put it in proper perspective. He has done that. The key now is to hold on to it.”

Washington added that in Holland's three starts this season, he has yet had to go out to the mound to get Holland back on track. It’s little things like that which show Washington just how much Holland has matured since he made his major league debut nearly four years ago.

“He came up, maybe, when he wasn’t ready. It was a growing pain time,” Washington said of Holland’s inconsistencies. “He started in the bullpen and was going back and forth. The past three years he locked into one situation and was a starter. All that he went through from the first year he got here to right now, it’s all come together. If he’d had time in the minor leagues to put that together, he might have been the pitcher we think he should be – that he’s become now – sooner.

"But that’s the way baseball is now. We bring these kids up here now and they have to learn on the job. It’s not easy learning how to play at the big league level. Some guys can get away with it, some guys go through growing pains. He’s one of the guys that we had to go through growing pains with.”

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

Washington pointed out that Holland is a much more polished pitcher than he was in 2011 when he won 16 games and tossed 8 1/3 shutout innings against the Cardinals in Game 4 of the World Series. Washington went on to say that he’s not just going on three games evidence on this season. He’s confident that this start is for real because since Day 1 of spring training, Holland showed up with improved stuff.

Yu update: Yu Darvish will start on Friday, going on six days rest. Darvish said the extra days won’t change much – he did not throw an extra bullpen session – it just gives him some extra time to relax.

After being one out from a perfect game in his first start of the season, Darvish has given up three earned runs in each of his next two starts, going a combined 11 innings. Darvish was able to keep both games close despite not having his best stuff, something he often failed to do last season, his first in the big leagues.

“I don’t really know (what’s different),” Darvish said. “But I think emotionally and psychologically I’m a little bit more stable this year than last year.”

Darvish said that in Japan he was always able to keep games close, even when he went to the mound without his A game, and he’s glad he’s finally able to do that here.

Darvish also added that the blister on his right ring finger is a non-issue, saying that it’s "perfect."

Sticking with Kirkman: Michael Kirkman got two quick outs in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over the Cubs. However, he couldn’t find a way to get the ever-elusive third out. Kirkman allowed a soft single and a walk before he was replaced by closer Joe Nathan.

Washington didn’t hesitate when asked what he’d do if faced with a similar situation and Kirkman as the logical choice to go to in the pen.

“What you do is, you keep giving him the ball in situations where if he has hiccup he can work his way out of it until he finds it,” Washington said. “He’s gonna be important to us in that bullpen. He had bad period, then he had two pretty good (outings), then he had another (bad) one. We just gotta keep giving him the ball. We gotta figure out a way to get him right, and the only way to do that is to keep giving him the ball.”

Washington said he can’t keep going to Robbie Ross or Joe Ortiz, because if he did, they’d be burned out by June. Kirkman has a 7.20 ERA in six appearances (five innings) on the season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fill-in starter Justin Grimm did just enough squirming and escaping to keep the Rangers in it against Felix Hernandez.

Then his teammates did the little, often-overlooked things that win scrappy games like this one on a cold Thursday night at Safeco Field – plays that make their fundamentally based manager proud.

PODCAST
Randy Galloway, Matt Mosley and Glenn "Stretch" Smith discuss the latest Rangers news, including Nolan Ryan's decision to stay with the team and Nick Tepesch's debut. Listen

There was 37-year-old Lance Berkman, with chronically aching knees on which he had dual surgeries last summer when he was with St. Louis, barreling down the first-base line to beat out the back end of what would have been a double play. That extended the top of the fifth inning for David Murphy and Nelson Cruz to drive in the go-ahead runs off Hernandez.

“I didn’t want to be a rally killer,” Berkman said later with a smile. “I wanted to give us a chance to score. I just got down the line as fast as I could.”

After Seattle had closed to 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, reliever Robbie Ross charged the plate as Brendan Ryan put down a suicide-squeeze bunt. Ross fielded the ball, bunted hard and directly at him, on the run and in one motion flipped it option-quarterback style to catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

“Yeah, that’s what I was trying to do, run the option,” Ross joked. “Just instinct.”

In a mini clinic on how to defend as a catcher, Pierzynski deftly dropped his shin guards and blocked the plate. That kept pinch-runner Endy Chavez from ever reaching home. Pierzynski tagged the former Ranger for the second out.

Ross then struck out Franklin Gutierrez with a man on to end Seattle’s last threat. Joe Nathan got his 301st career save with a perfect ninth, preserving Joe Ortiz's first major-league victory as the Rangers won for the seventh time in 10 games to begin the season. Nathan immediately gave Ortiz the game ball.

Rangers manager Ron Washington has been drilling fundamental plays such as Thursday’s since his major-league career than ended in 1990, before he began coaching in 1991.

“That’s baseball, and you like to see it being executed at the highest level like that,” Washington said. “It came down to us making a play.

“Robbie made a helluva play. That’s all the work they put in on Field 7 in Surprise (during spring training).

“And the key play was Berk beating the back end of that double play to get two more guys to the plate. If Berk doesn’t beat that out who knows what might have happened.”

For one, Hernandez might have stuck around another inning or two beyond the 6 2/3 he lasted.

Instead, the Rangers spoiled the 2013 Seattle unveiling of Hernandez, who was pitching at home for the first time since signing a seven-year, $175-million contract extension this winter. The Rangers ignored the gold, “King’s Court” T-shirts, matching K cards and royal chants swirling from the 22,917 fans around them – “We were all like, ‘Man, this is pretty cool, the yellow signs,’” Pierzynski said.

The catcher’s second home run as a Ranger began Texas’ attack of “King Felix” for eight hits and four runs in the first five innings.

Murphy’s two-out, RBI single in the fifth broke a 2-2 tie. Then Cruz golfed Hernandez’s split-fingered fastball into the left-field corner for a double that put Texas ahead 4-2.

“We scored some runs off of Felix, which doesn’t happen very often,” Pierzynski said.

Indeed, the Rangers’ 10 hits off Hernandez were more than they had against him in all of 2012. He allowed them one run and nine hits combined in two victories last season.

Hernandez lost for the fifth time in seven decisions against Texas.

Grimm, starting on the day he was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock and Matt Harrison went on the 15-day disabled list, wasn’t remarkable. Yet he left the game tied on the road against the 2010 Cy Young Award winner.

“When you look at it like that, yeah, that’s a positive,” said Grimm, who struggled in spring training before a good start to begin the season at Round Rock.

“It was a battle. It was just a matter of trusting it. Then when I had to trust it, I did.”

Eight of the first 13 batters he faced reached base. By two batters into his third inning pitching coach Mike Maddux had already visited the mound twice to try to right the 24-year-old right-hander. Veteran Derek Lowe, thought by some to be a candidate to fill in for Harrison, was warming up by the third.

Grimm was teetering in the second with Mariners at first and third and a 3-0 count on Kyle Seager, but used off-speed pitches to rally to a full count. He then got Seager to weakly chop a breaking ball back to him for the final out of the second. That kept the score tied at 2.

The first two Mariners reached to begin the third, but Grimm got Ibanez to bounce out, he struck out former Rangers first-round draft pick Justin Smoak with a full-count changeup and got Montero to fly out to keep the game tied.

“He just was erratic,” Washington said. “He made some pitches in certain situations that he had to, because it could have gotten ugly. It’s a learning experience for him.”

With an off day Monday between this series and three games at the Chicago Cubs, the Rangers could choose to skip Grimm’s next turn in the rotation.

Or they could see right away how much he learned from Thursday by starting him next week at Wrigley Field.

SEATTLE -- David Murphy and Nelson Cruz drove in the go-ahead runs off Felix Hernandez with two outs in the fifth inning, reliever Robbie Ross came up huge in the seventh and eighth behind slogging, fill-in starter Justin Grimm, then Joe Nathan finished the ninth for his 301st career save in the Texas Rangers’ 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on a cold Thursday night at Safeco Field.

PODCAST
Fitzsimmons & Durrett discuss Nolan Ryan's statement that he is staying with the Rangers. It's good news, but will Ryan stay with the club for the long haul? Listen

How to topple a “King”: The Rangers spoiled the season home debut of Hernandez, who was pitching in Seattle for the first time since signing a seven-year, $175 million contract extension this winter. The Rangers ignored the gold “King’s Court” T-shirts, matching K cards and royal chants swirling from the 22,917 fans while whacking “The King” for eight hits and four runs in the first five innings.

Murphy’s two-out, RBI single broke a 2-2 tie. Then, Cruz golfed Hernandez’s split-fingered fastball into the left-field corner for a double that put Texas ahead 4-2 in the fifth.

The Rangers’ 10 hits in Hernandez’s 6⅔ innings were more than they had off him in all of 2012. He allowed them one run and nine hits combined in two victories last season.

The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner lost for the fifth time in seven decisions against Texas dating to the 0-4 season he had against them in 2011.

The Rangers hit Hernandez hard early by being aggressive. A.J. Pierzynski’s second home run as a Ranger, in the second inning, was on the at-bat's first pitch. Mitch Moreland drove the next pitch on a line to deep left field, where Raul Ibanez misplayed it for an error. And Elvis Andrus’ single that scored Moreland came on an 0-1 pitch. Texas had batted around just 1⅓ innings into the game.

Preserving Ross: The Rangers’ left-hander struck out Ibanez with the bases loaded on what appeared to be a slider at 86 miles per hour to end the seventh and keep Texas ahead 4-2. Ross allowed a bloop single by former Rangers’ No. 1 draft pick Justin Smoak, then a bloop double down the same right-field line by Jesus Montero to begin the bottom of the eighth.

After Robert Andino’s RBI ground out made it 4-3, Ross charged off the mound, fielded Brendan Ryan’s suicide squeeze on the run and flipped it option quarterback-style to Pierzynski in one motion. The catcher tagged out pinch runner Endy Chavez for the second out. Ross then struck out Franklin Gutierrez with a man on to end the threat.

Still buds: Adrian Beltre, who won two Gold Gloves as the Mariners’ third baseman from 2005-09, was the first Ranger to swing at a first pitch from Hernandez, four batters into the game. He lined it off third baseman Kyle Seager’s glove for an infield single. After Murphy struck out to end the first inning, Beltre and Hernandez laughed together in the infield grass before the Ranger playfully cuffed the back of the Seattle ace’s head. Hernandez and Ibanez are the only Mariners who were teammates with Beltre in Seattle.

Have we met? Pierzynski and other Rangers yukked it up from the on-deck circle throughout the game with Seattle Seahawks Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. The two defensive backs were sitting in the first row of box seats just to the right of the visiting dugout, wearing matching Mariners game jerseys with their names and NFL uniform numbers.

Up next: Yu Darvish (2-0, 1.98 ERA) says the blister that cut his last start short after five innings is fine to start Friday against Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma. It’s the 10th major league game started by pitchers born in Japan. First pitch is at 9:10 p.m. on TXA21 and 660 AM.

HOUSTON -- There wasn't a day-after celebration of Yu Darvish's near-miss perfect game Wednesday afternoon. Just more strikeouts -- a lot of them -- for Rangers pitchers.

Five Rangers took the ball against Houston and all of them drew off of Darvish's spectacular effort Tuesday night, adding to a record-breaking strikeout haul in the first three games of the season.

PODCAST
The excitement of Yu Darvish's near-perfect game has Rangers fans brimming with hope. Play-by-play voice Steve Busby talks about Yu's outstanding effort. Listen

Rangers pitcher had 15 more strikeouts in Wednesday's 4-0 victory over the young, aggressive Astros lineup, with Alexi Ogando starting the swings and misses with 10 strikeouts.

Four relievers combined for five more strikeouts as the Rangers set the major league record for most strikeouts in the first three games of the season with 43. That was one more than the 1966 Cleveland Indians.

Darvish came within an out of a perfect game Tuesday night and a trip into the record books. Ogando, back in the rotation after a year in the bullpen, said that gave him a path to follow Wednesday.

"It was a spectacular game," Ogando said. "It really motivated me to pitch strong today."

Ogando gave up a double to the first hitter he faced, so he didn't threaten to have a night like Darvish's. The no-hit bid was out of the way. But it was the first of two crucial innings for Ogando. The Astros, who didn't score in the final 18 innings of the series, had their best opportunity to scratch out a run in the bottom of the first. Brett Wallace grounded out to second base, moving Jose Altuve to third with one out and setting up a chance to score if veteran Carlos Pena could put a ball in play.

Ogando got ahead of the free-swinging Pena with a slider, then reached back for a little extra on a fastball for a key strikeout. He fanned Chris Carter on three pitches to end the inning.

Ogando said he wasn't trying to get strikeouts in the inning. They just happened.

"I just focused on throwing quality pitches," Ogando said. "I managed to strike them out. I was able to execute my pitches and I had pretty good results."

Ogando needed a Ron Washington pep talk -- they type Washington has reserved for Derek Holland in the past -- to get through the third inning. Washington usually saves trips to the mound for pitching coach Mike Maddux unless he is making a change. But after No. 9 hitter Ronny Cedeno had a one-out single, moved to second on a walk and Wallace drew a two-out walk, Ogando had already made the inning worse.

Then when Ogando fell behind Pena with two straight balls, the manager felt like he needed to deliver a special message. Wallace and Pena had combined for 11 strikeouts in 16 at-bats before Ogando walked Wallace. Not tolerable.

"I went out there and let him know he has one of the best defenses in baseball behind him," Washington said. "And if these guys are going to make a charge at him, let them make a charge at him swinging the bats."

Darvish threw one pitch -- a 93-mph fastball located where he wanted it -- and Pena rolled it over to second base for the third out. They say a trip to the mound is only successful if it brings positive results. This one worked.

Washington said he won't do it a lot, but ...

"Only when I feel like there is something that I need to say," Washington said. "I'm no miracle worker. I just felt like there was something I had to say."

Ogando went on to retire nine hitters in a row, holding the Astros at bay as the Rangers held onto a 1-0 lead. He turned the game over to the bullpen in the seventh inning.

With a runner on first base, Robbie Ross got a ground ball for the second out, moving Houston's Justin Maxwell up to second base. Washington played the matchup game, bringing in right-hander Tanner Scheppers to face Matt Dominguez. Scheppers threw a sinker and was able to induce a popup to second base.

It was the first big moment for the Rangers' new-look bullpen and the Ross-Scheppers combination. It made an impression on designated hitter Lance Berkman.

"Looks good to me," Berkman said. "We knew coming in that we had some guys who have terrific stuff, and you saw that. Even with Tanner coming in and he throws 96-mph sinkers; it was a good start for everybody."

Berkman had a clutch hit in the top of the eighth, ripping a double to the left-center field gap to score Elvis Andrus from first base for a 2-0 lead. The Rangers added two more runs in the inning for a 4-0 lead.

That meant Joe Nathan time -- after Michael Kirkman had two strikeouts in the bottom of the eighth -- and even though it wasn't a save situation, it was important to get the closer into the game after four days without pitching.

Nathan did OK, you might say, fanning all three batters he faced in the ninth inning to set the record and finish off a historic three days of strikeouts.

Not everyone can do what Darvish does, with his array of pitches, Nathan said. But with a tone-setter like the Japanese ace, it can start a trend. And sometimes the strikeouts come with it.

"When you see him do it, it's something he does on a regular basis, so you just don't want to think because he's doing it that everyone can do it," Nathan said. "This series we were able to take advantage of some aggressive (batters). More importantly, like we said, we're trying to get outs. If they're going to be aggressive, try and start them off with something other than a fastball. If we can get out of the zone to get them out, even better."

HOUSTON -- It took a while for the Texas Rangers' offense to get going, but Alexi Ogando shut down the Houston Astros long enough in a 4-0 victory over Houston that gave the Rangers a series win to open the season.

Pitching, pitching, pitching: The Rangers shut out the Astros for the final 18 innings of the series. After Yu Darvish came within an out of a perfect game, Ogando jumped back into the Rangers' rotation with 6 1/3 shutout innings. Ogando allowed four hits, had 10 strikeouts and one walk. Four Rangers relievers blanked the Astros the rest of the way.

Strikeout records: OK, maybe it's the Astros' lineup. But give credit where credit is due. Matt Harrison tied a career high with nine strikeouts, and Darvish (14 Ks) and Ogando (10 Ks) set career bests in the opening series. The Rangers had 43 strikeouts in the three-game series, breaking the major league record for the first three games of the season set by the 1966 Cleveland Indians pitching staff, which had 42.

PODCAST
The excitement of Yu Darvish's near-perfect game has Rangers fans brimming with hope. Play-by-play voice Steve Busby talks about Yu's outstanding effort. Listen

Strikeout streak: Ranger pitchers had a strikeout in every inning this season until the combination of Ogando, Robbie Ross and Tanner Scheppers failed to record one in the seventh inning. It was an important frame though as Ross and Scheppers were able to keep the tying run from scoring with the Rangers up 1-0.

Big series for Puma: Lance Berkman had six hits in the series, including a rocket double to the opposite field to score Elvis Andrus from first base and give the Rangers a 2-0 lead in the eighth inning. Berkman reached base in nine of his 12 plate appearances in the series. The former Astros All-Star extended his hitting streak at Minute Maid Park to 15 games. Berkman loves Houston.

Beltre scuffling: Third baseman Adrian Beltre was off to an 0-for-11 start before singling in his final two at-bats. His single in the sixth inning helped the Rangers score their first run. Beltre was the victim of some outstanding defense in this series, including a spectacular play by Astros third baseman Matt Dominguez in the first inning.

Visit boosts Ogando: Manager Ron Washington gave Ogando the type of visit to the mound he usually reserves for Derek Holland. Washington had an intense conversation with Ogando after he fell behind with two balls to strikeout machine Carlos Pena with two runners on and two outs in the third inning. Ogando responded by getting Pena to ground out to second. He retired nine in a row after Washington's pep talk.

Feasting on the pen: The Rangers managed only four runs in the three games against Astros starters, but they crushed Houston relief pitching. The Rangers scored nine runs in 6 1/3 innings against the Houston bullpen.

Up next: The Rangers get a mandatory day off Thursday because of the collective bargaining agreement with the players. It should help get them revved up for their first home series against Josh Hamilton and the Angels.

What felt like the longest offseason in Rangers' history -- and what was the longest spring training in team history -- is over.

Opening Day is here.

Familiar faces gone. Free agent signings and trades that didn't happen. The Nolan Ryan saga. Sunday night in Houston, it will be all about what's happening on the field.

Here are five things to look for:

Matt Harrison: He's a very deserving Opening Day starter. Harrison was Mr. Consistent for the Rangers in 2012, winning 18 games, finishing seventh in the American League in ERA (3.29) and making the All-Star team. All the Rangers can ask for is a similar season.

Bullpen: Chances are, with this being the opener, the Rangers might not push Harrison past the sixth inning. That could put the pressure on a rebuilt bullpen to hand a lead to closer Joe Nathan. Look for Robbie Ross, Michael Kirkman and Tanner Scheppers to possibly play a prominent role in Sunday's game.

Lance Berkman: He's returning to his hometown and will be in the No. 3 spot in the batting order -- Josh Hamilton's vacated spot. Berkman should be motivated to play against his former team and to make a good first impression on his new teammates.

The Astros: Expectations are for the Astros will lose more than 100 games and finish last in the American League West. Talk about motivation. The Astros will be out to prove everyone wrong -- at least for one night -- in their first game in the AL.

Elvis Andrus: The Rangers have to decide if they want to build their team around Andrus, who is poised to take the next step in his offensive progression. Andrus will be the story to follow with the Rangers in 2013, not Jurickson Profar. At least not yet.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Joe Ortiz and Tanner Scheppers will open the season in the Rangers' bullpen, a decision manager Ron Washington conveyed to both pitchers before Thursday's exhibition game against the Mexico City Rojas Diablos.

For the 22-year-old Ortiz, who came out of nowhere this spring to make the club, it was an emotional moment.

"If we had kept him in that room a little longer, he might have started crying," Washington said of the moments immediately after Ortiz learned he had made the team.

Washington admits he knew nothing about Ortiz going into the spring, only what scouts and minor league coaches told him. Ortiz has allowed one run in 11 innings. He has 11 strikeouts and only one walk.

"He got outs," Washington said. "He got outs by attacking. He wasn't afraid of the strike zone. He wasn't afraid of the hitters that walked up."

Ortiz makes it two years in a row that a shorter-than-6-foot left-handed reliever has surprised everyone by making the Opening Day roster. Last season it was Robbie Ross, who also is back in the bullpen. This year it is Ortiz, who admitted to getting misty-eyed when Washington broke the news to him.

"There were some tears in my eyes when he told me the news," Ortiz said. "No one expected this, especially here in Arlington. It's special news for me. My father was especially waiting for this day. He is happy for me."

Scheppers, who appeared in 39 games last season for the Rangers, came on strong at the end of the spring after dealing with a tight right hamstring early in camp. Scheppers didn't allow a run in his final five spring outings.

"When it mattered, he showed up," Washington said. "He earned his way on, too."

Scheppers, who fought inconsistency last season, is the Rangers' power arm out of the bullpen. With what is basically a new bullpen with no roles defined yet -- Washington made it clear Thursday that no one has been "anointed to a bullpen role" -- Scheppers has a chance to pitch his way into a late-inning spot.

"God blessed me with a power arm," Scheppers said. "I have to get outs. The roles will be defined as the year goes on."

Other team notes:

Washington said he will decide by Saturday who will start in center field in Sunday's opener against Houston with Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin exceeding expectations this spring.

Houston is starting right-hander Bud Norris in the opener, so the start points in the left-handed hitting Martin's direction. But Gentry has more experience, having played in 121 games last season. Gentry also started Thursday's exhibition game against Mexico City against right-handed starter David Reyes.

"There's no clear-cut guy," Washington said. "Both guys have shown improvement. Both guys have showed they can help us win ballgames."

The final roster spot will come down to outfielder Julio Borbon and relievers Josh Lindblom and Cory Burns. The decision will come down to whether the Rangers go with seven or eight relievers to start the season.

Left-hander Brad Mills cleared waivers Thursday and was assigned to Triple-A Round Rock. That gives the Rangers 38 players on the 40-man roster, clearing spots for infielder Jeff Baker and veteran pitcher Derek Lowe, both of whom have made the team.

Catcher Eli Whiteside has temporarily left the team to attend to a family matter and will miss Thursday's game.

The Rangers' players made March Madness a part of their Thursday with the South Regional taking place in Arlington. Pitchers Derek Lowe, who is from Dearborn, Mich., and Derek Holland, from Newark, Ohio, went to Michigan's practice. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who went to high school in Orlando, Fla., attended Florida's practice.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers will leave Arizona immediately after today's game in Tempe against the Los Angeles Angels, wrapping up another slate of Cactus League games and workouts at their facility in Surprise.

Spring training was extended by two weeks due to the World Baseball Classic, and games began only a few days after camp opened. The culmination of that long spring came Tuesday when the team announced a series of roster moves, as the Rangers now have identified 22 of the 25 players who will be on the Opening Day roster for Sunday night's contest in Houston.

"The spring went extremely well this year," manager Ron Washington said. "As we went deeper into the spring, we improved as a team. I thought we progressed the way I figured we'd progress. We were slow in the beginning and picked it up as we went along, but I expected it. Especially since we only had a few days before the first game. We were playing in February when we were still trying to work out the kinks."

The Rangers head back to Texas to play an exhibition game in Arlington against the Mexico City Red Devils at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Thursday night. The scheduled game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Surprise on Thursday will feature only minor league players.

Texas then will head to San Antonio for a pair of games Friday and Saturday in the Alamodome before beginning the regular season the following night against the Astros in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Other team notes:

Washington said he thinks his initial choice for an eighth-inning reliever would be either Robbie Ross or Michael Kirkman. He also said that won't preclude others such as Jason Frasor from seeing time in the eighth, but Ross and Kirkman likely will be his first options out of the chute.

The official announcement of the No. 3 and No. 4 starters to open the season is expected today. The projected order is Alexi Ogando at No. 3 with Derek Holland pitching the home opener April 5.

Washington also said the Rangers have not decided whether they will carry an extra pitcher or position player until they need to make room for a fifth starter April 9.

"I think we'll come up with that between before we head to San Antonio," Washington said. "It might be after, but somewhere in there we'll make the decision."

Nate Robertson is taking his reassignment to Round Rock (Triple-A) in stride. The big left-hander had a very good spring that saw him reinvent his delivery. The results paid off, as he allowed just two runs in 11 innings, good for a 1.64 ERA.

Washington compared Robertson's transition to a more control-oriented delivery to that of Frank Tanana, who underwent a similar transformation and extended his career with a few more successful seasons before hanging up his glove.

Robertson hasn't pitched with a big league club since 2010 and even saw time in independent baseball last season, but he sees his successful training camp as a springboard to continue his quest to return to the majors. Robertson had an option to ask for his release but instead accepted his minor league assignment.

"I haven't even gauged interest from other teams, which I think shows my desire to remain in this organization," Robertson said. "I have to weigh the other factors too if there is an opportunity to extend my career someplace else, but I'm just going to let that play out.

"I still have a desire to play this game so I'm not going home."

Michael Kirkman was originally slated to start Wednesday, but recent waiver addition Brad Mills will take the mound to begin the game against his former team instead. Mills was acquired Sunday from the Angels. Kirkman is scheduled as the second pitcher and will throw two or three innings as opposed to the five that were originally planned.

Injury notes:

RHP Kyle McClellan is 15 days into a projected three- to four-week period of not throwing due to a strained right lat muscle. Once cleared, he will begin a long-toss and flat-ground throwing program.

LHP Martin Perez has been cleared to begin a throwing program once he is pain free. He is no longer wearing protective gear on the arm. Perez is anticipated to begin throwing next week.

RHP Joakim Soria continues recovery from his second Tommy John surgery and is throwing bullpen sessions. Barring any setback, he will begin throwing live batting practices the week of April 8.

RHP Colby Lewis (flexor tendon surgery) is on the same time frame as Soria for beginning to throw live BP, again barring any setbacks. He also is throwing bullpen sessions.

C Eli Whiteside has left the team for personal reasons not related to his recent assignment to Round Rock (Triple-A).

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers (15-14-2) saw their two-game winning streak come to an end Monday after dropping a 3-1 decision to the San Diego Padres (15-16) at Peoria Sports Complex.

What it means: Texas failed to move to three games above. 500 for the first time this spring. The Rangers had won three of their last four prior to Monday's loss.

Holland the pitcher: LHP Derek Holland made his first appearance in an 'A' game since Feb. 28 due to his participation in the World Baseball Classic. Holland allowed three earned runs on six hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts over six innings. Two of the hits allowed were home runs. Holland allowed 32 home runs in 171 1/3 innings in 2012.

Holland the hitter: Holland also swung the bat Monday as the first Rangers pitcher to hit in a 2013 spring training game. In his first at-bat, the lefty blooped an RBI single over the head of second baseman Jedd Gyorko. In his next at bat with runners at first and second with one out in the fourth inning, Holland squared to bunt before pulling back and taking a full swing, only to miss the pitch. He attempted a bunt on the next pitch but fouled it off and missed a bunt on the third pitch to strike out. He also struck out in his third and final at-bat. American League pitchers will be called upon to contribute at the plate much more frequently this season with interleague play expanded throughout the entire season.

Electric Elvis: Elvis Andrus went 2-for-5 with a single and double, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. Andrus commented recently that the hitting streak didn't matter because it doesn't count, but it must feel a lot better to be hitting well as spring winds down.

Relieved reliever: Robbie Ross is becoming more comfortable with moving back to the bullpen after competing most of the spring for the fifth starter's job. In his second relief appearance, Ross pitched one scoreless inning, allowing one hit with one strikeout.

Ortiz rebounds: LHP Joe Ortiz bounced back from allowing a run in his last outing to pitch another scoreless frame Monday with one strikeout. Ortiz had not given up a run until his appearance Mar. 22 against the Colorado Rockies. He has an 0.82 ERA in 11 innings.

What's next? Texas will play its final game at Surprise Stadium when it hosts the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday at 3:05 p.m. CT. LHP Matt Harrison (1-0, 4.00) is the scheduled starter for the Rangers. LHP Chris Sale (3-0, 4.19) will take the mound for the White Sox.

PEORIA, Ariz.--The Texas Rangers (14-12-2) seek their third consecutive victory as they take on the San Diego Padres (14-16) on Monday at Peoria Sports Complex at 3:05 p.m. CT. The Rangers posted a 7-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at Surprise Stadium. Derek Holland (1-0, 1.29) gets the start for the Rangers. Jason Marquis (0-0, 2.25) will take the mound for San Diego.

The Rangers' lineup for today's game:

SS Elvis Andrus
CF Leonys Martin
1B Mitch Moreland
RF Nelson Cruz
C A.J. Pierzynski
LF Julio Borbon
3B Yangervis Solarte
2B Leury Garcia
P Derek Holland

Pitchers:

LHP Derek Holland
LHP Robbie Ross
LHP Joe Ortiz
RHP Josh Lindblom

PADRES:

CF Chris Denorfia
SS Everth Cabrera
LF Jesus Guzman
1B Yonder Alonso
2B Jedd Gyorko
C Nick Hundley
3B Cody Ransom
RF Will Venable
P Jason Marquis

Pitchers:

RHP Jason Marquis
RHP Dale Thayer
RHP Tim Stauffer
RHP Huston Street

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers (14-13-2) opened a home-and-home series against the Cincinnati Reds (9-16-2) with a 6-2 victory on Saturday at Goodyear Ballpark.

What this means
Texas moves one game above .500 for the fourth time this spring. The Rangers have alternated wins and losses in their past five games.

Classic confrontation
Yu Darvish unveiled a slow drooping 60 mph curveball earlier this spring that always leads to a chorus of "ooohs" from the surprised crowd. Darvish tossed the pitch to Reds slugger Joey Votto in the first inning, but the former NL MVP got the last laugh two pitches later when he launched a pitch to right field that exited Goodyear Ballpark. Votto held his finger up to his lips as he crossed home plate, as if to signal he had silenced the previously awed crowd.

Mitch mashes
DH Mitch Moreland hit a solo home run in the fourth inning and has been swinging a good bat for nearly the entire spring. Moreland leads the team with four home runs and 12 RBIs.

Still streaking
Elvis Andrus went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Andrus also added his second home run of the spring in the fifth inning when he launched a two-run shot high off the center field batter's eye. He is hitting .412 this spring.

Replacement player
Drew Robinson replaced Jeff Baker (sinus) at third base in the bottom of the third inning. Baker was 0-for-1. In his place, Robinson went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, was hit by a pitch and scored a run.

Battered and bruised
Reds starter Mat Latos left the game with two outs in the sixth inning after Rangers catcher Geovany Soto hit a ground ball off the right-hander's right shin.

Ross in relief
LHP Robbie Ross made his first appearance as a reliever this spring and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Ross was one of the many pitchers who competed this spring for the open fifth starter spot in the rotation. Ross pitched well out of the bullpen during his rookie season in 2012, which was part of the reason why he was taken out of the starter's competition on Thursday.

Tateyama returns
RHP Yoshinori Tateyama was signed to a minor league deal, the Rangers announced Saturday. Tateyama was re-assigned to minor league camp on Tuesday.

Scheppers shines
RHP Tanner Scheppers pitched his fourth straight scoreless outing after allowing only two hits in two innings of relief Saturday. He hasn't allowed a run in his past five innings.

What's next?
Texas returns to Surprise to close out the home-and-home set against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. CT at Surprise Stadium. RHP Alexi Ogando (1-1, 4.11) is the scheduled starter for Texas. RHP Bronson Arroyo (1-1, 3.09) will take the mound for Cincinnati. The game can be seen live on TXA21.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Yu Darvish will make his first start since missing his last scheduled turn on Monday with a stiff neck he suffered while working out the day prior.

The right-hander threw a bullpen on Thursday, but this will be his first work in a game since Mar. 11. Matt Harrison is the ace, by virtue of being named the Opening Day starter, but with the way Darvish has thrown the ball and his potential upside, he could be considered the 1b option to Harrison's 1a, or an ace in a No. 2-starter role.

Manager Ron Washington and Darvish have both commented on the starter's increased comfort level this year after the Japanese import endured a grueling spring training in 2012, complete with a huge media contingent reporting on his every move. That group is much smaller this season and not nearly as intense with scrutiny.

The results on the mound this spring indicate his improved mindset. In fact, the one hole in Darvish's game was his penchant for giving up walks. He allowed 89 in 191.1 innings last season. Washington said the free passes are somewhat a product of Darvish's elusive pitching style. However, the 26-year-old has shown an added ability to get hitters out and stay in the strike zone more this spring.

Through 8.2 innings in three spring starts, Darvish has allowed two walks. He will be stretched out further today. If he continues to pitch well this spring and maintains that command while going through the traditional spring training process of "working on stuff," then there will be a lot of excitement about how much better he could be in 2013.

Following today's outing, Darvish will make one more spring start before taking the hill on April 2 for the Rangers' second regular-season game against the Houston Astros.

Other team notes:

• Today's game can be heard live on ESPN 103.3 FM.
• Texas announced four roster moves on Saturday: RHP Ben Rowen, RHP Lisalverto Bonilla and INF Yangervis Solarte were reassigned to minor league camp. Catcher Konrad Schmidt was given his outright release. The Rangers have 39 players remaining in major league camp -- 31 on the 40-man roster and eight nonroster invitees.
• Last week, I wrote Michael Kirkman could end up being considered for the No. 5-starter job considering he has 106 career minor league starts and a high strikeout rate. Washington didn't see that as an option when asked about it, but something has changed since then. Due to injuries and ineffectiveness, the Rangers are running out of in-house options and are now considering the idea. TR Sullivan of MLB.com blogged this morning that the team is "mulling over" using Kirkman as a starter.
• Jason Frasor is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game for Double-A Frisco today in Surprise.
• Texas and Cincinnati play a home-and-home series today and Sunday, the only two games the teams play against each other this spring.
• Robbie Ross and Tanner Scheppers are the other scheduled pitchers today.

Injury notes:

• Colby Lewis, Martin Perez, Kyle McClellan and Joakim Soria will all be examined by team physician Dr. Keith Meister today. The results of their examinations will determine the next step in their rehab/throwing programs.
• Lewis (surgery - torn flexor tendon) and Soria (Tommy John surgery) both continue throwing bullpens.
• Perez (fractured left ulna) is not expected to resume a throwing program for approximately 2-3 weeks.
• McClellan (strained lat muscle) is not expected to resume a throwing program for 3-4 weeks.