Jun 6, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Michael Kirkman (left) reacts to giving up a walk off home run to Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (not pictured) to defeat the Texas Rangers 6-3 at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Or in the Rangers case, running the same terrible pitcher out there and expecting different results. The Rangers went into the ninth inning of last nights game in a 3-3 tie, but every human being who has ever even heard of baseball knew the game was over when the name “Michael Kirkman” was announced to pitch the inning for the Rangers. That is, every human being except Ron Washington. From time to time, Washington makes some questionable bull pen decisions, but none as questionable as the one he pulled off last night.

When asked why Kirkman was taking so much flak from Rangers fans lately (prior to last nights game) on The Hague Sports Podcast, Anthony Andro of Fox Sports Southwest said “well, have you seen the numbers? Statistically, he’s the worst reliever in the American League! He’s been dreadful. I mean, he’s not getting left handers out, he’s not getting right handers out, it was crazy when we talked to Wash last week about him, he said ‘his stuff is there, he’s just been unlucky’. How is that unlucky? If you throw hard, you throw straight, and you throw it down the middle, that’s great! If your a hitter.”

Andro is right. Why, in that situation in Boston you would put in the worst reliever in the American League is beyond me. Now, I am a giant Rangers apologist, I will admit that before I go on, but Kirkman has to go. He has no redeemable quality left as a reliever.

Lets look at some numbers on Kirkman. He is posting an ERA of 8.18. In 22 innings, he had allowed 36 hits and 20 runs, ALL EARNED. He has walked another 15, only 4 were intentional. His RAA is -10, his WAA is -1.1, his WAR is -0.0, his RAR is -8, and he is allowing nearly 8.2 runs per nine innings pitched. In other words, he is downright awful.

The Rangers still hold the division lead by 0.5 games. When the lead is that slim, you need to put your best foot forward as a team, and not throw the worst reliever in the AL out there. He is our version on the Astros former pitcher Phillip Humber. Yes, former! Even the Astros know when to get rid of a guy! Since the Rangers have been to the post season in three straight seasons, we as fans expect more from them, like an actual attempt to win each and every game.

So I am not giving Ron Washington a pass on last nights game. It is unacceptable to put Kirkman in last nights game, and it is unacceptable to have him on this roster anymore. He is a failed experiment, he cannot get his head right at the major league level. It is time for the Rangers to cut their losses. This team is better than that and this fan base deserves better than that.

Alexi Ogando in his last outing pitching in first inning against the Atlanta Braves. (AP Photo – John Amis)

The Rangers road trip has been mostly unsuccessful so far, after losing to the Cubs and splitting with the Brewers, but the good news is the next team on the road trip is the Houston Astros. The Astros just finished a series with the Angels, an epic battle to see who could achieve last place in the AL West. The Astros were just able to hang on to last place after taking two our of three from the Angels. We have seen in very recent history that the Rangers sometime tend to have a bit of a letdown when they are playing against a much inferior opponent, like say, the Cubs or the Astros. They need to play to their potential and put more distance between themselves and the rest of the AL West.

The Astros have finally won ten games, thanks to the Angels (I just like to remind you all that the Astros took two out of three from the Angels), and that is very good when you have played over thirty. They send Dallas Keuchel to the mound tonight for his first start of the season. Keuchel, as a reliever for the Astros, is 0-1 with a 4.96 ERA, a WAR of -0.5 and a RAR of -3. Those numbers look good for the Rangers. The Rangers have played well in Houton over the past few seasons, and some of those year the Astros had pretty good teams. The Rangers should be able to knock Keuchel around a little bit tonight. Alexi Ogando will be going for the Rangers, and I hope that good Alexi shows up and dominates this less than potent offense. This is a side track, but I think when Colby Lewis gets back (and he is about to go through his rehab assignment) that Alexi is going to be moved back to a bullpen role to replace Derek Lowe or Jason Frasor. I may be way off base on this one, just what I think that the Rangers are going to do. I would be good with that too, for the record.

Saturday pits Eric Bedard (0-2, 7.36 ERA) against the master of all pitching in the American League and the guy who almost threw a no-hitter last time he pitched against the Astros, Yu Darvish (5-1, 2.56 ERA). This game should be a no brainer. The Rangers should run away with it. I say should because the Rangers have never hit Bedard that well. I hope that changes Saturday night.

Sunday has Jordan Lyles (1-0, 4.50 ERA) going up against the struggling Nick Tepesch (2-3, 4.50 ERA, but he is 0-2 with a 8.44 ERA in his last two starts). Tepesch needs to use this opportunity of playing against the Astros to get back on track. He struggled with his command in his last outing against the Cubs, looking awful. If there ever was a time to straighten that out, it would be against the Astros.

As mentioned, I think the Rangers should sweep this series, they are a much better team all around and they are at the top of the AL as far as record and pitching are concerned. I will be sorely disappointed if the Rangers do not win the series, and a little disappointed if they do not sweep the series. Lets all sit back and enjoy some Rangers baseball this weekend.

Josh Hamilton and Elvis Andrus are two of the seven Rangers to be named to the American League All-Star team. (Photo: Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE)

However, better late than never, I was able to watch the MLB.tv Condensed Game and thought Martin Perez’s first career start went a lot like A.J. Griffin’s start the other day for Oakland.

Perez pitched into the sixth inning, striking out five, giving up six hits (including one homerun), two runs and one walk.

He was able to use the off-speed stuff to get strikeouts, and while there might have been a wide strike zone yesterday, he had swing-and-miss stuff and that was impressive. You couldn’t help but notice some similarities between his start and Justin Grimm’s first start. The strikeouts, the help from the offense and the win. Not to mention both were on Saturday evenings on Fox. And both were against 2013 AL West teams.

The offense once again was a little sputtered at times but the good news was, they were given extra opportunities by the Oakland defense and took advantage of them. Josh Hamilton with a big three-run homerun to pull away really helped Ron Washington manage the bullpen as well getting work to Michael Kirkman and the recently recalled Yoshinori Tateyama who seems to have gotten some confidence back starting his outing with back-to-back strikeouts.

All-Star Rosters Announced: Hamilton, Mike Napoli and Adrian Beltre will be starters for the American League in the 2012 All-Star Game in Kansas City. Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler Matt Harrison and Joe Nathan also made the team as reserves. Yu Darvish is on the ballot for the final roster spot. The seven all-stars is a Rangers record. Darvish on the team would obviously extend that record.