Not everyone digs the long ball The Texas Rangers lost, again, 12-4 to the New York Yankees and there's a lot not to like.
Just stealing. And I don't mean bases. The Yankees stole six of them, but that is not the story.
Steve Busby noted -- as reported by Jamey Newberg on Twitter -- on the radio broadcast that Derek Holland might be tipping his pitches. Makes sense. The Dutch Over allowed seven hits, six runs and two home runs in five innings. He also walked five and struck out none. Basically, he was terrible and had zero control. He might not have to tip his pitches.
Then, story came out that the Yankees -- particularly Andruw Jones -- was stealing signs from second base. I always thought that it went on, but it was bad form in baseball to steal signs. Ron Washington and Yorvit Torrealba didn't seem to mind. Although, Torrealba noted that he said something to Jones, we just don't know what.
There are bigger issues. Mark Lowe and Neftali Feliz were bombed again. The Rangers hitters had 10 hits, but none of them were important.
The bottom half of the order for the Yankees, this series:
9-22 - 6 runs - 5 RBI - 3 homers - 3 walks - 2 strikeouts - 3 stolen bases.
It's bad enough that Mark Teixeira, Robbie Cano and others are treating your pitchers like slow-pitch softball practice, but if the bottom of the order is killing you, you have no shot.
Leaks are spring up and it's concerning. Maybe it's losing traction on the road against a good team. Maybe it's long-term issues that needed fixed, quick. By the end of June, we'll know a lot. And they might still be in first place.
C.J. Wilson is our only hope against ... former Ranger farmhand and career minor leaguer Brian Gordon!!
