Confident Choo back in Rangers lineup after cycle

Shin-Soo Choo was back in the starting lineup Wednesday against a left-handed starter about 15 hours after he became only the eighth Texas Rangers player to hit for the cycle.

The final two hits — the single and the triple — were against lefties, who have put the screws to the lefty-hitting Choo this season and have put him on the bench at times when a lefty starts.

But manager Jeff Banister liked Choo against Colorado lefty Jorge De La Rosa in the finale of the three-game series. Foremost in Banister’s decision-making was that Choo is confident, and De La Rosa’s reverse splits were a favorable matchup.

“It’s all about confidence with Choo,” Banister said. “I really believe that guy feeds off his own confidence and what he can do.”

Choo said that he is definitely in a good place mentally after four days without baseball during the All-Star break. He said that he feels it’s Opening Day again and has a fresh outlook for the second half.

He also knows that his numbers this season against lefties — including a .167 average and a .508 on-base-plus-slugging percentage — look like he’s clueless. But he opened Wednesday with an RBI single off De La Rosa in the Rangers’ four-run first before striking out in his next four at-bats.

“I have an approach against left-handed pitchers and maybe I haven’t been really good at following that approach,” said Choo, a .235 career hitter vs. lefties. “That’s going to happen. Last night I was swinging at strikes.”

He also believes that he’s an everyday player, but said that he’s OK sitting against some lefties if it will give the team a better chance to win a game.

“I’m ready to play every day, and I believe I’m an everyday player,” Choo said. “Winning games is the most important thing. That’s why I’m here.”

Harrison produces

He put down a nice sacrifice bunt in the third inning to move runners to second and third, and they both scored as Delino DeShields followed with a single. Harrison struck out looking in his next plate appearance, but Kyle Kendrick needed six pitches to get him.

Elvis Andrus scored on the play.

“It was more like an arm-type of swing because I didn’t want to foul one off and then have him throw me a changeup and lock me up,” Harrison said. “I would have loved to have gotten a hit.”

Right-hander Colby Lewis was especially happy for Harrison, who is attempting to be the first pitcher in baseball history to return from a lumbar spinal fusion. Lewis came back last season after a hip resurfacing.

“When I came back, you need something to build of off, and that is a great thing to build off of,” Lewis said. “Any time someone tells you it can’t be done and you go out and do it, I think that opens a lot of eyes.”

Surging Angels next

The Rangers will enjoy an off day Thursday before resuming their nine-game road trip Friday at Anaheim, where Josh Hamilton will be playing for the first time since his trade from the Angels.

The Angels are the hottest team in the American League and are atop the AL West. They entered Wednesday having won 16 of 19 games, including a three-game sweep this month at Globe Life Park to improve to 7-2 this season against the Rangers.

Lewis is scheduled to start the opener. He is 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA this season against the Angels, who got him for 10 runs in four innings July 5.

“I’ve just got to be myself,” Lewis said. “I can’t worry about what they’re doing. I just have to go out there and take care of myself.”

The Rangers are 12-25 against West foes, the worst division record in baseball.

This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 7:26 PM with the headline "Confident Choo back in Rangers lineup after cycle."