• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rangers look to keep hot bats going vs. Twins

May 21, 2007 - 2:29 PM Minnesota (20-23) at Texas (17-27) 8:05 pm EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- It took a while, but the Texas Rangers' offense may have just hit their stride.

The Rangers will kick off a three-game series on Monday against the Minnesota Twins at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.

Despite losing five of their last eight contests, Texas is averaging six runs per game in that time, including a 14-1 blowout at the Houston Astros on Sunday as the Rangers took two of three games. Mark Teixeira and Victor Diaz each homered twice to combine for four of the Rangers' season-high six home runs.

The offensive surge would be helpful for Texas starter Vicente Padilla (1-6, 5.77 ERA), who has lost his last two starts. The Rangers are 1-8 in games that the righthander has started this season.

Padilla languished in his last outing on Wednesday, allowing eight runs and 12 hits over four innings of an 11-8 loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Carlos Silva (2-4, 3.56) has pitched respectably this month, but has taken the loss in each of his last three outings. He received just one run of support during that span. In his last start on Wednesday, Silva gave up five runs over six innings of a 7-1 loss at the Cleveland Indians.

The righthander is 2-3 with a 4.37 ERA in six career starts against the Rangers.