SHUTOUT BY THE RANGERS

Rough one last night. No TV, because for some reason the Rangers are idiots, but it sounded like they just weren't swinging the bats particularly well. Appier actually was fairly sharp, except for a few gopher balls. Quite frankly, there's no reason you should lose any game to Texas in which you hold them to four runs. Hopefully this represents a one game hiccup, and they can come back to take at least two out of the next three.

On the plus side, the division, even at this early stage, seems incredibly well balanced. Although the division has some great teams, it's quite possible that this year 93 wins may do it. We may see a team in last place with 84 wins. Perhaps the doomsayers are right, and the wildcard won't come out of the West. Of course, they've been saying for three years now, and they've been wrong every time. Of couse, I'm sure they'll all pat themselves on the back when that day finally comes. Remember the stathead mantra: "If I'm right, it's because I interpreted the numbers correctly, and if I'm wrong, it was luck."