NewsRecent time off paying dividends for Davis
Texas (32-22) at Boston (32-23), 6:10 p.m. CT
By John Barone / MLB.com
06/06/09 12:48 AM ET
BOSTON -- Turns out David Ortiz isn't the only American League slugger who recently took some time off to address his woes at the plate. Chris Davis and his .194 batting average were sent to the bench prior to the middle game of the Rangers' series with the A's last weekend, and he steered clear of game action for three full days. Tuesday night in New York, the first baseman returned to the lineup with renewed focus and sharpened mechanics. Following an 0-for-4 showing in the series opener against the Yankees, Davis' mini-hiatus has started to pay dividends. With six hits in his past 12 at-bats, including a three-knock effort in Friday's win over Boston, the 23-year-old is a firm believer that his time off was well spent. "The three days off were huge just to slow things down," said Davis, whose Rangers will continue their series with the Red Sox on Saturday night at Fenway Park. "When you're going bad, you go out there and work on certain things and it feels like you have to turn around and apply them right away in the game. It's kind of tough. When you get a chance to work on certain things and sit back and relax and let it marinate, I think it definitely pays off. "With the work I've been putting in over the last few weeks, I've just been trying to keep my head up and keep after it. This game can be really frustrating at times, but as long as you hang in there and keep battling, good things are going to happen." With the loss of reigning AL RBI champion Josh Hamilton to a groin injury, it's no secret that a red-hot Davis would be a welcome sight for a Texas team trying to compensate for the absence of its injured star. "We're going to need him," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Davis. "We have confidence in him. I'm so glad that he's beginning to feel good about himself, because the kid can do some damage." Pitching matchupTEX: LHP Derek Holland (1-2, 6.33 ERA)
Holland last appeared on Sunday, when he pitched two innings of relief against the Athletics and allowed two runs. In two starts, he is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. The Rangers envisioned using him as a reliever, but injuries to Matt Harrison and Vicente Padilla forced Texas to thrust the 23-year-old left-hander into the rotation. Holland has a 2.70 ERA in five road appearances, including one start. BOS: LHP Jon Lester (4-5, 5.65 ERA)
In one of his best performances of what has been an inconsistent season, Lester struck out a career-high 12 batters over six innings in his last start Sunday, a win over the Blue Jays. He allowed just three hits and one run. Lifetime against the Rangers, Lester is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA. Tidbits
Washington said outfielder Brandon Boggs will make his first start of the season Saturday night. ... Closer Frank Francisco reported right shoulder stiffness prior to Friday's game and was held out of the contest by Washington. ... With Friday's roundtripper, Ian Kinsler is the first Rangers second baseman to hit 15 home runs in three consecutive seasons. Tickets
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• Sunday: Rangers (Vicente Padilla, 3-3, 5.57) at Red Sox (Daisuke Matsuzaka, 1-3, 7.17), 12:35 p.m. CT
• Monday: Rangers (Scott Feldman, 5-0, 3.79) vs. Blue Jays (Casey Janssen, 1-2, 5.82), 7:05 p.m. CT
• Tuesday: Rangers (Brandon McCarthy, 5-2, 4.92) vs. Blue Jays (Brian Tallet, 3-3, 4.54), 7:05 p.m. CT
John Barone is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
