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ARLINGTON, Texas -- When Texas Rangers starter C.J. Wilson fired his first pitch to Cleveland Indians center fielder Michael Brantley on Saturday night, the temperature was a scorching 106 degrees, a record for game-time temperature at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Saturday was the fourth time it's been at least 105 degrees at the start of a game at the Ballpark (July 8, July 24 and Aug. 5 of this year). The temperature was one degree shy of the high in the majors this season --107 degrees when Baltimore played at Kansas City on Aug. 2.

The Rangers have now started 13 of their past 18 home games in temperatures of 100 degrees or more. Texas didn't take batting practice Saturday and will skip it a few more days on this homestand to help keep the players fresh. Manager Ron Washington shortened batting practice on Friday by about 20 minutes, having hitting groups take swings for 10 minutes rather than the normal 15. He's likely to keep that pattern in place until the temperatures cool off.

"We'll get out in it and get accustomed to it," Washington said Thursday, just before his team headed back to Arlington from Detroit. "We'll monitor things, but we have to play in the heat."

Both dugouts have fans and air conditioning units to try to help cool the players down.

Richard Durrett covers the Rangers for ESPNDallas.com.

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Richard Durrett

ESPNDallas.com

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Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.