Betting Poll - Sports News - MLB - Texas Rangers

Rangers Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

It's been quite a week for catcher Taylor Teagarden. On Sunday, he was in New York for the Futures Game. On Wednesday, he was named to the U.S. Olympic Team. And on Friday, he made his major league debut as Kevin Millwood's battery-mate.

"It's been an amazing week," Teagarden said. "I just think this is about as good as it gets."

Teagarden, who grew up in Dallas, was promoted Friday from Class AAA Oklahoma. Though he's likely only in the majors for the weekend, Teagarden started Friday's game against Minnesota.

The Rangers called up the 24-year-old after Jarrod Saltalamacchia reported back from the All-Star break still weak from a severe head cold that kept him bedridden most of the week.

Twins shut out mighty Rangers offense (AP)

The mighty Texas offense rolled into Friday night's game against Minnesota with one player on a 25-game hitting streak and another coming off a jaw-dropping 28-dinger round in the Home Run Derby. It's no wonder Ian Kinsler, Josh Hamilton and the rest of these Rangers are the only team left in the majors not to be shutout.

Hitting streak ends for Rangers 2B Kinsler (PA SportsTicker)

Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler's 25-game hitting streak came to an end on Friday as the All-Star went 0-for-4 in a 6-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Rangers activate Blalock, move him back to 3B (AP)

The Texas Rangers came out of the All-Star break on Friday with a familiar face playing a familiar position. Hank Blalock was activated from the disabled list and returned to his original position of third base. Blalock, a former All-Star at third base who has played that position his entire career with Texas, was scheduled to make the switch to first base when he returned from the DL.

Rangers activate 3B Blalock (PA SportsTicker)

The Texas Rangers activated third baseman Hank Blalock from the 15-day disabled list on Friday.

The best players choose the best player (Yahoo! Sports)

All-Stars were asked to pick the top player in the game. Alex Rodriguez and Josh Hamilton were the top vote-getters.

Coroner: Intoxication contributed to Marzano death (AP)

Former major leaguer and baseball commentator John Marzano was intoxicated when he fell down the stairs and died in his home, the medical examiner's office said Thursday. The cause of Marzano's death was determined as "postural asphyxia contributed to by blunt trauma and ethanol intoxication," said Jeff Moran, spokesman for the medical examiner's office.

Pertinent post-All-Star break issues (Yahoo! Sports)

Questions for each team come to mind two at a time as the season enters its second half.

Minor league team has A-Rod, Madonna promotion (AP)

On-field skits with Alex and Cynthia Rodriguez look-a-likes and Madonna's hits playing between innings were just a couple of ways a minor league team near A-Rod's former baseball home tried to cash in on tabloid fodder. The Grand Prairie AirHogs, an independent team west of Dallas and a few miles from the home of the Texas Rangers, offered dollar tickets to fans wearing A-Rod jerseys or dressed as...

Hamilton uses growing platform to tell story (AP)

In two weeks, Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton turned Yankee Stadium taunts of "Josh smokes crack" into awe-struck cries of "Ham-il-ton." The former No. 1 pick with the remarkable story of recovery from drug addiction did it with a dazzling display of power during the All-Star Home Run Derby. He lapped the field nearly four times in the first round with a record 28 homers Monday night.

Hamilton evokes "Natural" comparisons (PA SportsTicker)

Josh Hamilton's All-Star Game experience was short Tuesday, but his impact on the festivities was undeniable.

Hamilton finds success with familiar pitcher (PA SportsTicker)

Josh Hamilton put on a display in the Home Run Derby Monday night, thanks in large part to a pitcher who has been lobbing up meatballs for the slugger and teens in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area for years.

Hamilton's unbelievable night at HR Derby (Yahoo! Sports)

Josh Hamilton's performance at the Derby contest was another riveting chapter in his comeback story.

Hamilton hits record 28 HRs in Derby's first round (AP)

Fans at Yankee Stadium were chanting Josh Hamilton's name and the theme music from "Rocky" was blaring over the loudspeakers. Alas, the Texas Rangers' comeback kid had nothing left. Hamilton hit a record 28 homers in the first round of the All-Star Home Run Derby before running out of gas and getting beaten by Minnesota's Justin Morneau in the finals Monday night.

The Juicys: Baseball's Best Blog Stories of the First Half (Yahoo! Sports)

Most weekday a.m.'s this season, we've risen and shined together with the most recent and decent major league...

FBI investigating swindling of Latin American prospects (Yahoo! Sports)

As players and officials at the Futures Game on Sunday spoke hopefully about the players' imminent major league...

All-Star 2B Kinsler paces Rangers over White Sox (AP)

Ian Kinsler, Michael Young and Milton Bradley took care of business at home before heading to the All-Star game. Kinsler extended his majors-best hitting streak to 25 games with three hits and drove in three runs, and Young and Bradley also had key hits, leading the Texas Rangers to a wild 12-11 victory over the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox that clinched another series win.

Kinsler extends majors-best hitting streak to 25 (AP)

Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler extended his hitting streak to 25 games, longest in the majors this season, with a leadoff double in the first inning Sunday against the Chicago White Sox. Kinsler, who will be an AL reserve for the All-Star game on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, matched All-Star teammate Michael Young for the second-longest hitting streak in Rangers history.

White Sox lefty Danks good again, beats Rangers (AP)

John Danks came home and gave about 40 family and friends quite a show. The Chicago White Sox left-hander also showed Texas fans what they're missing. Danks, the Texas native who was once the Rangers' top pitching prospect, struck out eight with no walks in 7 2-3 solid innings Saturday night and the AL Central-leading White Sox held on after he left to beat Texas 9-7.

Youth coach tagged by Hamilton for HR Derby (AP)

Josh Hamilton used to run around in the outfield while his older brother's American Legion team in North Carolina took batting practice against volunteer coach Clay Council. Later as a teenager, Hamilton would have Council throw him batting practice. And now Hamilton will hit against the 71-year-old coach again -- on one of the biggest of baseball's stages.

Mendoza helps Rangers beat White Sox 7-2 (AP)

Luis Mendoza walked off the mound for the last time Friday night with far different emotions than he had just four days earlier. Mendoza rebounded from a rough outing to strike out eight over six innings, Josh Hamilton drove in two more runs and the Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 7-2. Pitching on three days' rest, Mendoza (2-3) allowed just three hits and one walk to win for the first...

Texas Rangers shuffle pitching staff again (AP)

The revolving door for the Texas Rangers pitching staff took another spin on Friday when the club sent Scott Feldman and Wes Littleton to the minors and called up Kameron Loe and Joselo Diaz from their farm system. Diaz will be the 26th pitcher used by the Rangers this season when he makes his debut with Texas.

Rangers demote RHP Feldman (PA SportsTicker)

The Texas Rangers optioned righthander Scott Feldman to Class AA Frisco of the Texas League on Friday.

Izturis gives Angels 11-10 win over Rangers in 11 (AP)

The Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers combined for 21 runs, 32 hits and five homers. And yet, despite all those offensive fireworks, Thursday night's game turned on a couple of softly hit balls in the 11th and final inning. Maicer Izturis drove in the go-ahead run with a pinch-hit single in the 11th, and the Angels survived a shaky three outs from closer Francisco Rodriguez in an 11-10 victory...

Washington ejected for arguing (AP)

Texas manager Ron Washington was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing a disputed double against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night. Rangers first baseman Chris Davis hit a ball that second base umpire Mike Reilly ruled hit the top of the wall in right field and bounced back onto the field.