Perhaps this wasn’t what Ron Washington envisioned when he took the job managing the Texas Rangers—a 6-9 start with a no-hitter thrown in and his 1-5 hitters all batting .222 or lower—but I’m sure he’s still having a blast. Tonight, he takes on his former team for the first time, with Brandon McCarthy and his airplane like 7.07 ERA squaring off against the round Joe Blanton. Following their two-game sweep of the Angels, Oakland enters play in first place with a record of 8-7 and a lineup tonight that has Milton Bradley and Mark Ellis ack in baction. Said lineups:
Stewart
Swisher
Chavez
Piazza
Bradley
Buck
Crosby
Kendall
Ellis
Lofton
Catalanotto
Young
Teixeira
Sosa
Blalock
Kinsler
Cruz
Laird
