Swept

Scott Baker's dozen

I tears me up for the Texas Rangers to get swept.

I know we'd like to tear the pitching up for letting Sunday and Saturday get a tad out of hand, but no team is going to win a game when you total seven runs in three games.

This offense will collect 10 hits, but it will literally be spread over nine innings. Hardly any of them were in the same inning. Thus, you'd get a couple on base only to get three straight to be unable to move any across.

More and more, runs are being scored on outs like sac flies and fielders' choices. Sometimes its the back end of the line-up. More and more, it's been the middle of the line-up.

I don't know if I've seen a Rangers team be able to get two men on or the bases loaded and still come out with no runs.

The Rangers need a bat. Badly. Nellie Cruz needs to stay healthy. They need someone at catcher to swing a bat. They need Michael Young to get clutch. And they probably need a trade to add someone.

Notes about the Minnesota Twins:
I hate the Rangers getting swept. However, if they have to get swept, I prefer it be the against the Twins.

1. I think the Twins are really good. Well, good. They play like I always wish the Rangers would play. Super efficient "pitching" (not just throwing). A line-up that produces from 1-9. Clutch, puck-moving hits.

2. Tom Grieve said that Joe Mauer was the best player in the league. It's hard to argue. He plays the second-hardest position. He's a superb hitter. Patient and professional beyond his years. If he only hit without batting gloves and wore stirrups, he'd be perfect.

3. Mauer and Just Morneau in the heart of that line-up is unfair.

4. Love, love, love the new stadium.

5. Orlando Hudson says the league racist and that's why a talent such as his has sat in free agency until the very end of the winter. Maybe so. I also think he's done something at some point to -- no pun intended -- blackball himself. Either way, why any team would pass up a talent such as his is mind blowing. He was a pest the entire weekend.

6. I'd like to think the Ranger offense could score more than two runs on Friday. I'd also hope that Colby Lewis could not walk and hit No. 9 hitter Nick Punto with a pitch. Punto is a career .328 hitter against the Rangers with a .423 OBP. By far his career bests against any team.

7. I love Kevin Slowey. He's one of my favs in that rotation. Any guy that is all about throwing strikes, not walking anyone and still getting guys guessing on ordinary stuff pitched correctly is an interesting find.

8. Somehow, the Twins have not missed Joe Nathan.