Vicente Padilla has been very solid this season and that’s a good thing after he was horrible last year. He has started 11 games this season for the Rangers and he is 6-2 with a 3.33 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. He has stepped up into the #1 starter role that was to belong to Kevin Millwood who is injured right now. Padilla’s pitching was a big reason for the recent hot streak the Rangers are on right now.

This is the pitcher the Rangers thought they were getting when they signed him to a multi year contract three years ago. Millwood has started 5 games this season and he is 1-2 with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. Millwood should already have 3-4 wins this season but he’s run into bad luck. The Rangers either haven’t scored for him or the bullpen has blown his leads. Hopefully Millwood can overlook the things he can’t control and he keeps pitching well.

The Rangers were almost ready to give up on Joaquin Benoit before this season.  They are glad they have held onto him as he has emerged as a part time closer for the Rangers after the trade of Eric Gagne to the Red Sox.  Benoit has worked in 66 games this season for the Rangers and he is 7-4 with 5 saves, a 2.65 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP.  In 78 innings this season he has allowed 62 hits, walked 24 batters and whiffed 84.  Before this season, Benoit had pitched in 159 games for the Rangers and he was 20-20 with 1 save and a 5.12 ERA.  The Rangers are now 70-81 on the season which has them in last place in the American League West, 19 games behind the Angels but only 3 behind the A’s.

The Rangers bullpen has been outstanding this season and many teams will be calling them in the next couple weeks with trade offers for Eric Gagne and Akinori Otsuka.  Gagne has been great so far this season as he is 2-0 with 12 saves, a 1.32 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP.  Otsuka is 2-1 with 4 saves, a 2.51 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP this season as he’s been the setup man for the Rangers for most of the season.  Lefty Ron Mahay has been good this season as he is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.  Mahay has teamed with fellow lefty C.J. Wilson to give the Rangers a potent pair against lefty hitters.  Wilson is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP this season.  Joaquin Benoit (3-2, 1 save, 3.13 ERA), Willie Eyre (2-3, 1 save, 3.64 ERA) and Frank Francisco (1-0, 3.78 ERA) have all been contributors to the Rangers bullpen this season and they need them to keep up the good work in the 2nd half.

21 year old righty Eric Hurley is the #2 rated prospect in the Rangers system according to Baseball America.  In 10 games (9 starts) in AA ball, Hurley is 6-0 with a 1.83 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP so far.  In 64 innings, he has allowed 47 hits and walked 16 batters while whiffing 51.  Look for the Rangers to put Hurley on the fast track due to needs on the big league team.