Jeff Francoeur joins the Texas Rangers on Wednesday in time for a night game against the Kansas City Royals, although he was not in the starting lineup. The Rangers acquired Francoeur in a trade Tuesday night with the New York Mets. While the Rangers are in first place with an 8 1/2 -game lead over Oakland in the American League West, the Mets were in fourth place and 12 games out in the National…

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David Murphy had three hits and Nelson Cruz drove in two runs, yet their late-inning catches in the outfield drew the most praise in the Texas clubhouse. "The defense was outstanding," Rangers manager Ron Washington said after a 4-3 win over Kansas City on Wednesday night. "Murphy and Cruzie just saved the game for us." Rookie Mitch Moreland homered again as the Rangers…

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Texas Rangers lefthander Cliff Lee already was scheduled to have an extra day off before his next scheduled start. Good for him. He needs the rest. Since making his first start April 30, Lee has been busier than the Boston Red Sox's team trainer. He has worked more innings (184 1/3) and completed more games (seven) than any pitcher in the majors over the past four months. Only Seattle's Felix Hernandez has thrown more pitches.

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The Texas Rangers picked up outfielder Jeff Francoeur from the New York Mets last night to come off the bench in…

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With a majors-best .359 batting average, about the only person who seems capable of stopping Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton this season is Josh Hamilton. He hasn't been stopped yet but Hamilton is being slowed by a cranky right knee. Hamilton is scheduled to receive an injection of lubricant — Synvisc, to be medically specific — in his right knee after Tuesday's game at Kansas City. Manager Ron Washington said he plans to sit Hamilton Wednesday and return him to the lineup Friday at Toronto after the Rangers' off day on Thursday.

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The more familiar C.J. Wilson becomes with teams, the more dominant he is. Wilson gave up just two hits in 7 2-3 innings Monday night to lift the Texas Rangers to a 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals and continue an incredible second-half pitching surge. He is 7-0 with a 1.99 earned run average since the All-Star break and has the most wins in the majors during that span.

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The Texas Rangers have reinstated outfielder Nelson Cruz from the 15-day disabled list and put him into the starting lineup. Cruz was ready to play Monday night against Kansas City. He's been on the disabled list three times this season with hamstring injuries. Cruz is hitting .320 with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs in only 77 games for the AL West leaders.

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Everybody's heard about "The Bird," former Detroit Tigers right-hander Mark Fidrych, who came to…

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Gio Gonzalez provided quite a follow-up to Dallas Braden, going to a near extreme to copy his Oakland teammate while pitching the Athletics to a series-clinching victory over AL West-leading Texas. A day after Braden threw a shutout, Gonzalez limited the Rangers to two runs over six innings Sunday to win his third straight start, an 8-2 victory that cut Oakland's division deficit to 7 1/2…

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The Oakland Athletics needed this one, and Dallas Braden delivered. Braden threw a four-hitter for his second career shutout, Daric Barton homered and the A's trimmed Texas' imposing lead in the AL West with a 5-0 victory over the Rangers on Saturday night. Braden (9-9) improved to 5-7 since his perfect game against Tampa Bay on May 9, striking out one and issuing no walks in a 120-pitch…

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