--LHP Derek Holland earned the first win of his major league career Tuesday by pitching 1 2/3 innings of perfect relief behind RHP Scott Feldman. Holland came in with a runner on second base and the score tied in the seventh, and he retired Yuniesky Betancourt and Wladimir Balentien on groundballs. Holland has pitched in relief of Feldman four times already in the three weeks since he was called up; the Rangers have won three of those games.
--2B Ian Kinsler was 2-for-3 against Seattle LHP Jason Vargas. Kinsler raised his batting average against lefties to an AL-best .477. Kinsler is also hitting a ridiculous .577 at home. --3B Michael Young, who left Friday's game early with a stiff lower back, did not start either of the two games over the weekend. It left 2B Ian Kinsler as the only Ranger to start all 31 of the team's games.
BY THE NUMBERS: .204 -- DH Hank Blalock's average for 54 at-bats with runners on base this season. He is hitting .309 with nobody on base. Blalock had a pair of bases empty homers on Sunday, but also popped up with the bases loaded.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "When your bell cow has success with something, I think everybody is more willing to follow. You work fast and you throw strikes, you get your defense more involved. Good defense can make a medium pitcher a good pitcher and a good pitcher into a great one." -- Pitching coach Mike Maddux, on the overall success the starting rotation has enjoyed since RHP Kevin Millwood quickened his pace on the mound to start the season. Since then, the others have followed.
