2012 Texas Rangers: Predicting the First Month of the Season

The two-time defending American League pennant champion Texas Rangers should have stiffer competition in the AL West in 2012, especially out of the Los Angeles Angels. 

Yep, the Albert Pujols-led Angels that are also sporting former Ranger hurler C.J. Wilson.  Anything less than another pennant winning season, or World Series championship will probably go down as a disappointment for Ron Washington's squad. 

To get back to the World Series for the third consecutive season, the Rangers need to get out of the gates quickly.  Here is how it should all go down in April, series by series.

Opening Series- 3 Home Games vs Chicago White Sox

In the season opener, Rangers starter Colby Lewis gets roughed up and former Ranger prospect John Danks hurls six scoreless innings as the Rangers fall 6-2.  Ian Kinsler hits a meaningless two-run home run in the eighth.

Derek Holland gets the Rangers into the Win column allowing two runs on four hits in seven impressive innings and the Ranger bats come alive to take down the ChiSox 8-3.  Michael Young & Josh Hamilton both crush two-run homers.

Yu! Yu! Yu! Yu!  The much anticipated debut of Yu Darvish to a packed Ballpark in Arlington does not disappoint the home crowd.  Darvish hurls six shutout innings while allowing four hits and striking out eight. Mike Adams and Joe Nathan pitch impressively in relief as the Rangers win 4-0. 

4 Home Games vs Seattle Mariners

The first AL West series of the season vs the Seattle Mariners—April 9-12.

Matt Harrison struggles to get out of the 5th inning after breezing through the first 4 innings.  The Mariners touch him up for four runs. 

But the Ranger bats were up to the task as well. 

Josh Hamilton rips a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth, Adrian Beltre hits his first of the season leading off the 7th, and Ian Kinsler crushes a grand slam in the eighth as the Ranger cruise 12-6.  Scott Feldman gets the win in relief.

Another much anticipated debut as Neftali Feliz dazzles through six innings.  Feliz strikes out 10 but does yield a solo home run to former Ranger Justin Smoak. Jesus Montero adds a solo home run off Mike Adams and the Rangers fall 3-1 as King Felix shuts down the Ranger bats.

Mike Napoli, who came into the game only 2-for-19, goes 3-for-4 with two home runs and five runs batted in. Mitch Moreland adds three hits, including hit first home run of the season, as the Rangers climb to 4-2 in an easy 9-2 victory.  Colby Lewis rebounds from a rough first start.

The Rangers take the series as Derek Holland allows three runs in six innings, Alexi Ogando tosses two perfect innings and Joe Nathan slams the door.  Michael Young goes 4-for-4 as Texas wins 6-3.

3 Away Games vs Minnesota Twins

Brrrrrrrrr.  The first away series of the season at a place the Rangers have struggled and the frigid air doesn't help things.

Darvish opens the series by striking out 11 Twins in seven innings and allows two first-inning runs.  The Rangers were down 2-1 heading to the ninth and Elvis Andrus singled in Ian Kinsler, who had doubled with one out.  Josh Hamilton then crushed a two-run home run and former Twin Joe Nathan escapes a frightening ninth to hold on to a 4-3 Rangers win.  Rangers climb to 6-2.

A bad day for the bats for both teams with temperatures in the 30's at game time.  The Twins scratch across a run in the seventh of Alexi Ogando and hold on for the 1-0 victory.

Neftali Feliz earns his first victory in the Majors as a starter and the Rangers win the series with a 5-3 win. Mike Napoli hits his third home run of the season and the Rangers take a day off to travel to Boston the following day with a 7-3 mark.

2 Away Games at Fenway vs the Boston Red Sox

First trip of the season to Fenway for a quick two-game set.

Colby Lewis gets knocked around allowing four home runs in four innings and Jon Lester allowed just one run in eight innings as the Rangers fall 9-1.

Derek Holland follows in Lewis' footsteps by tossing three innings of batting practice putting the Rangers in a 7-1 hole.  But the bats did all they could to get back into the game eventually tying it at nine in the 7th.  Mike Adams allows a two-run home run to Dustin Pedroia in the bottom of the eighth to sweep the short series and drop the Rangers to 7-5.

4 Away Games vs the Detroit Tigers, ALCS Rematch.

In a rematch of last season's ALCS, the Rangers finally found something for Nelson Cruz to wake up for.

Darvish opens the series with his first shaky start allowing four runs in five innings. Nelson Cruz hits his first home run of the season and Yorvit Torrealba adds three hits as this becomes the Rangers first extra-inning game of the season. 

Unfortunately, Koji Uehara allows a two-run walk-off home run to Prince Fielder and the Tigers take the opener.  Rangers drop their third straight and fall to 7-6.

Matt Harrison stops the Rangers skid and Nelson Cruz crushes a fifth inning grand slam en route to a 6-2 victory.

Neftali Feliz dominates the Miguel Cabrera-Prince Fielder led Tigers allowing just three hits in eight innings and Adrian Beltre goes 4-for-5 with two home runs and six runs batted in to lead the Rangers to a 8-0 victory.

In the final game of the series and road-trip, Justin Verlander tosses a six-hit shutout and spoils Colby Lewis' strong outing.  Tigers split the series in a 2-0 win.  Rangers head home 9-7.

3 Home Games vs the New York Yankees

The Rangers return home from a difficult road trip to face the Yanks.

Derek Holland and Ivan Nova squared off and dueled to a 0-0 tie heading to the seventh.  Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira hit back-to-back home runs but Nelson Cruz ripped a two-run blast in the bottom of the 8th to tie it up.  Joe Nathan allows a solo home run to Raul Ibanez and Mariano Rivera closes the door for a 3-2 Yankees win.

A packed house in Arlington and the amount of media members rival a World Series game. Why? It's Yu Darvish vs the Yankees. 

Darvish does not disappoint one bit.  The Rangers down the Yanks 5-1 as Yu-Mania starts to take over.  Darvish's line: 9 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 11 K.

Matt Harrison takes the ball for the rubber game and pitches his best game of the short season so far, allowing two runs in eight innings while the Rangers win 6-2.  Nelson Cruz, Adrian Beltre, and Julio Borbon all homer in the victory.  Rangers up their record to 11-8.

3 Home Games vs the Tampa Bay Rays, ALDS Rematch.

The schedule makers don't do the Rangers many favors as they get to see all three of the AL East powers in the first month.

Neftali Feliz appears tired after the eight innings he tossed in his last outing and is done after four innings.  Evan Longoria hits a pair of homers and Josh Hamilton's three-run eighth-inning homer isn't enough to bring the Rangers back as they fall 7-5.

Game two of the Rays series is all about the Rangers' bats.  Home runs by Michael Young, Elvis Andrus, David Murphy and a grand slam by Mike Napoli lead the Rangers to a 14-4 victory.

Derek Holland squared off vs Matt Moore in a battle of two promising young lefties.  This time, Holland gets the best of Moore as Nelson Cruz knocks in three of the four Ranger runs for a 4-2 victory.

The Rangers face one of their most difficult months schedule-wise and come out strong with a 13-9 record. 

Now, if this holds to form, the Rangers might be well on their way to a third-straight pennant winning season.  Four or more difficult series of the season will be out of the way with five months still to go. Yu Darvish and Neftali Feliz strengthen an already solid rotation and the bats continue to be the best in the American League.