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A lineup that was patient and productive has turned one-dimensional. Chris Davis drove in one of the Rangers' two runs with a homer Tuesday; nine of the Rangers' 11 second-half runs have come via the homer.
The big problem has been the Rangers' quartet of All-Stars. Ian Kinsler, who entered the second half as the AL's leading hitter, finally broke an 0-for-18 stretch with an eighth-inning single Tuesday. He is 1-for-19 in the second half. No. 2 hitter Michael Young is 2-for-19. No. 3 hitter Josh Hamilton is 4-for-16, and cleanup hitter Milton Bradley is 4-for-19. The quartet is hitting a combined .151 since the break.
"Everyone wants to push the panic button or think something's wrong," Kinsler told the Dallas Morning News. "It's hard to hit in this game and keep up that pace. We're all going to keep doing what we're doing, and it will turn around."
WHITE SOX 10, RANGERS 2: RHP Luis Mendoza could not duplicate his most successful start of the season. Mendoza, who allowed Chicago just one run in six innings in his last start July 11, did not see the sixth inning Tuesday. He allowed five runs in the first four innings and was removed after giving up consecutive hits to start the fifth. Mendoza allowed nine hits to raise his opponents' batting average to .326. Mendoza had a breakthrough minor league season last year and impressed the Rangers with his sinking fastball last September, but he has not fooled anybody in the majors this year. Only twice in seven starts has he pitched at least five innings.
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