rangers back in first

Tex and GMJ go yard, Rangers win. If you read this much (which you probably don't), you'd notice a trend. When the Rangers homer, they tend to win, when then don't, they lose. Johan Santana struck out 5 of the first 6 Ranger batters and things looked to be a repeat of Saturday night. Then Santana hung an 0-2 curve to Teixeira, who deposited it deep into the left field bleachers. Then in the 7th Matthews took a low and away fastball opposite field, creeping it over the wall and into the first row in right. Good thing for Gary that Michael Cuddyer isn't much of an outfielder, as that ball was easily catchable. GMJ wouldn't have let that one go out. The Rangers became the first team this season to hit two homers off Santana in a game and it was the first time in 40 starts -- since June 2, 2005, against Cleveland -- that Santana allowed more than one homer in a game.

At the All-Star break, the Rangers, at two games over .500, are in a first place tie in the AL West with Oakland.

Check out Evan Grant's "Birds Eye View of the Rangers" at mid-season here. My favorites... Vicente Padilla as the Common Cuckoo and Brad Wilkerson as the Red-Faced Warbler.

I've seen this in a few places over the last week, so for those who might be wondering about Ex-Ranger Juan Gonzalez, he's hitting .302 for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. There's no stat on how many DL stints he's make thus far.

Italy beat France in today's World Cup Final 2-1, winning on penalty kicks, 5-3 (was anyone watching?). The 2010 World Cup will be in South Africa.

Here's yet another reason why I can't stand Jeff "the flaming fag" Gordon.

they're celebrating in Rome

Cuddyer's 6" vertical turns into a home run for Matthews