--2B Ian Kinsler has an excellent shot to be the AL Player of the Week after going 15-for-27 (.556) with a cycle that was part of a 6-for-6 night, eight consecutive at-bats with a hit and six stolen bases for the week. Kinsler had a 1.600 OPS for the week. Since the start of last season, a span of 133 games played for Kinsler, he is hitting .331 with a .388 OBP and a .937 OPS. He has 22 homers, 48 doubles and 32 steals (in 35 attempts).
--RHP Frank Francisco pitched a scoreless ninth to get the victory. Since taking over as closer late last August, he is 2-0 and is perfect in six save attempts. He has not allowed an earned run in 16.1 innings of work as the closer. He is holding hitters to a .091 batting average and is averaging 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings. BY THE NUMBERS: .678 -- Percentage of times the Rangers had taken on the first pitch through their first 11 games. It was the lowest percentage in the AL. The only other team that took less than 70 percent of the time was Tampa Bay (.694). Nine teams took 73 percent of the time or more.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It will come around. And when it does, it's going to be big." -- CF Josh Hamilton, who took a 1-for-16 stretch that included 10 strikeouts into the week. Hamilton has been trying to make a switch back to a timing mechanism to start his swing that he used last year.
