Luis Mendoza broke camp as the Rangers' fifth starter. Three months into the season, he's back.
Mendoza, a 24-year-old right-hander, has replaced Kason Gabbard. Gabbard, who has struggled with command, was placed on the disabled list with left elbow inflammation. Mendoza knows all about the DL. He went on it early in the year with elbow and blister problems, then endured a demotion to the minors before coming back. Since returning on June 20, however, the sinkerball pitcher has looked just like the guy the Rangers saw during spring training. He's pitched seven scoreless innings over three outings and has shown a sharper breaking pitch than at any other time this year.
"He's somebody we envision being in our rotation for a long time to come and right now he's healthy," manager Ron Washington told reporters. "He's got his sink back, he's got his depth back on his breaking ball. He's moving the ball on both sides of the plate."
RANGERS 5, PHILLIES 1: The Rangers moved above .500 for the seventh time this season by doing what they've done infrequently in 2008: Beat a left-hander. The Rangers scored three runs against Philadelphia LHP Jamie Moyer in 5 2/3 innings to run their record to 9-17 against lefties this season. Texas scored single runs in each of the first three innings, including a homer by rookie 1B Chris Davis. Davis has homered in each of his first two major league starts.
