Talk » their energy and getting the best out of them

HOUSTON -- The Texas Rangers got hits from seven of their nine starters on Friday night, to the delight of manager Ron Washington. "Thats when were at our best, when we get hits from everybody," Washington said. Leonys Martin hit a two-run double in a four-run eighth inning, and the Rangers used the balanced attack to rally and tie a season high with their fifth straight victory, 9-5 over the Houston Astros. Houston led by one entering the eighth before Adrian Beltre tied it with an RBI single off Josh Zeid (0-1). Wesley Wrights two-out, bases-loaded walk of Jurickson Profar put the Rangers on top. Martin then belted a line drive to right field to score two and make it 7-4. "Since were playing so aggressively, that lead that they had didnt mean a lot to us," Martin said. "I think were playing good baseball right now." The Rangers have rebounded from a stretch where they lost 12 of 15 games to win 10 of their last 11 and move into a tie with Oakland for first place in the AL West. Matt Garza (2-1) yielded seven hits and four runs with eight strikeouts in seven innings. "Great team win," Garza said. "I stayed long enough in there to let the boys come back and pick it up. Sometimes you give up four and you get a win." The Astros used five pitchers in the eighth inning alone, but it didnt help relieve their bullpen woes. Houstons relievers have given up the lead six times in the last 13 games and have blown six saves in that span. "I personally feel sorry for our starters, but they are not going to show it because they are good teammates," manager Bo Porter said. Jason Castro doubled and homered, and Brandon Barnes added a home run for the Astros, who lost for the seventh time in eight games. Houston loaded the bases in the eighth inning, but came away empty-handed when Neal Cotts struck out pinch-hitter Marc Krauss to end the inning. He earned his first save. Joey Butler had his first career hits on a pair of doubles for Texas in his first major league start. "Im real happy," Washington said in summing up the night. "The key is whats happening up and down the lineup. Tonight it was a big walk by Joey Butler, another big walk by Profar; it was a battle by Martin against a lefty to deliver." Butlers second double came with one out in the seventh inning. Profars RBI single got Texas within 4-3 before Houston starter Erik Bedard ended his night by striking out Martin. Ian Kinsler walked to start the eighth and stole second base. The Rangers tied it at 4-all with Beltres RBI single to shallow centre field which chased Zeid. Josh Fields intentionally walked pinch-hitter David Murphy with two outs before walking Butler to load the bases and bring on Wright. Things looked good for the Astros early. Castros 445-foot homer to the second deck in right field to start the second put Houston up 1-0. Singles by Kinsler and A. J. Pierzynski sandwiched around a walk by Beltre loaded the bases in the fourth inning. A sacrifice fly by Jeff Baker tied it at 1 before a sacrifice bunt sent Beltre home to put Texas up 2-1. Garza had retired six in a row before L.J. Hoes doubled to start Houstons fourth. A double by Jose Altuve sent Hoes home to make it 2-all. Castros 31st double, which bounced off the wall in left-centre, scored Altuve to put Houston up 3-2. Barnes homered to start the fifth for a two-run lead. Bedard allowed seven hits and three runs in 6 2-3 innings and is winless since June 26. Houstons inexperience was painfully evident in the ninth inning, when Pierzynski bunted and rookie pitcher Jorge De Leon scooped up the ball and looked at Kinsler on third before throwing to first. As soon as De Leon looked away, Kinsler dashed home ahead of the throw to make it 8-4. Murphy had an RBI double later in the ninth. NOTES: The Rangers acquired OF Alex Rios from the Chicago White Sox on Friday. He will join the team on Saturday. ... Texas DH Lance Berkman, who has been on the DL since July 7 with left hip inflammation and also experienced pain in his surgically repaired right knee, will begin a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday. ... Houston SS Jonathan Villar was out of the lineup for a second straight game with a sprained left thumb. Porter said he will not go on the DL, but he isnt sure when hell play. "Hes going to take batting practice and go through the whole routine and we will re-evaluate it after to see what degree of soreness if any and then move forward from there," Porter said. ... The series continues on Saturday when Texas left-hander Derek Holland opposes Brad Peacock.Custom Washington Nationals Nike Jerseys .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Custom Cincinnati Reds Nike Jerseys . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.com/?tag=custom-los-angeles-angels-nike-jerseys . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. Stitched Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Custom Kansas City Royals Nike Jerseys . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No.As far as learning curves go, Daryl Gibson has already travelled both a slippery slide and rapid ascent in his first season as a head coach.The step up to the top job at NSW Waratahs was never going to be easy given the way Michael Cheika had first transformed the franchise from Super Rugby laughing stock to hardened rugby outfit and then delivered a maiden Super Rugby title while instilling a style of play that was not just the talk of Australian rugby but also the nations ultra-competitive sporting market, too.Gibson may as well have been following Sinatra on stage.Adding to that was a swathe of new playing personnel, changes to the backroom staff, injuries to star Wallabies Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale - and then some choice comments landed him in Eddie Jones crossfires prior to Englands arrival Down Under.Yeah, good question, Ive made plenty of mistakes this year and, I guess, from those things, thats good experience in the fact that Im learning from that, Gibson told ESPN earlier this week when asked about the step up to the top job.But Ive really enjoyed the role of the head coach. Its very different to an assistant. You probably do less coaching but a lot more managing and you can probably have a greater influence on the whole squad.I think one of the real positives is that weve managed a lot of change this year with Cheik leaving, we had to bring a number of support staff in and we lost 15 players to retirement or overseas and there was a lot of experience in that 15.So to manage and to make sure we stay true to the culture that we have set up here, its been a really big learning curve. And I think next year well see a similar sort of turnover and then go through a period of really nice stability in years to come.Gibson had access to his entire squad for the first time in a month earlier this week when the Waratahs Wallabies returned to Moore Park to begin preparations for the final three weeks of Super Rugbys regular season.Beaten 3-0 by Jones England, it hasnt taken long for the Wallabies to crash back to earth following their thrilling run to last years Rugby World Cup final.Luckily for those Waratahs involved the recent series whitewash, a Super Rugby season that still has a heartbeat will be a welcome distraction while Gibson has expressed surprise at their condition given the physical nature of the three Tests against England.Theyve come back very well, all with a real keen attitude to get playing again, he told ESPN.I guess coming off the disappointment of the Test series, they really want to get back and play. I expected them to be a bit more beat-up than what they were, but Im really pleasantly surprised that theyre keen to get into it and on that, just about all of them will play, or start, which is really positive.The Waratahs first assignment is also clearly the easiest of their closing three rounds given it comes against Japans Sunwolves.Being played in Tokyo, it is also just the Waratahs second overseas fixture - New Zealand excluded - after they had just one match in South Africa against the Stormers.And it should also afford them the opportunity to fine-tune a game plan that finally clicked in what was easily their best performance of the season - a 45-25 victoory over the Chiefs in the final round of fixtures before the June Test window.ddddddddddddeah, I think we tried, against the Crusaders, a week before [the Chiefs], to play quite a defensive game, to kick a lot more, and it really didnt suit us, Gibson said.We didnt play particularly well and we were well beaten. So against the Chiefs, we really went back to saying hey, this is the style of play that we really want to play against a team who we respect around a number of things.So really it was a case of well, if were going to progress in this competition, were going to do it in the way that we want to be known for and the style of play; thats very much using the ball positively, whether thats going through a team or going around the edges, and keeping the ball alive, continuity, combined with that go-forward and using our big forwards to rumble on.Following their Tokyo outing, the Waratahs return home to face the Hurricanes before heading offshore once more to tackle the Blues in Auckland.The state of Super Rugby ladder suggests that only one Australian team will reach the playoffs, and with the Brumbies -- who currently sit level on 34 points with NSW -- having a much easier run home, its likely Gibsons side will need three wins to reach a third straight postseason.But drawing on the learnings from 2014, when the Waratahs won nine straight to lift the title, Gibson knows the Waratahs will be primed for a crack at the finals if they can negotiate a tricky final three rounds.Back in 2014 we went on an amazing run, I think we won nine straight and we built a lot of momentum and a lot of belief out of quite a lot of adversity really, he told ESPN.We werent playing very good rugby in the early rounds and we struggled our way through; I think we came off a loss to the Force and then went on a winning run. So for us, and in my experience, coming into finals its all about momentum and getting really confident and positive about your play.I guess the challenge for us with the returning Wallabies is harnessing their energy and getting the best out of them while also the guys whove been holding the fort, so to speak, and making sure that they also carry the team.Whether they fall short in a quest for a third straight finals appearance, or record the three wins theyll likely need to progress and challenge for the title, Gibson has already endured a crash course in head coaching.More to that, its opened his eyes to the greater challenges at play in Australian rugby, specifically NSW, and what he needs to do if the Waratahs are to be perennial contenders under his reign.Well certainly part of our challenge here at NSW is to set up the pathways and systems so that we can have long-term success, he said.I think weve got a way to go, but were certainly growing and starting to align more with the very successful teams in Super Rugby.I guess the luxury we have here is the fantastic player base that we do enjoy and its making sure that we maximise that advantage and I think that weve still got plenty of growth (to go) and were still finding out what is the best way to do that. 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