Rangers’ Harrison hopes to keep dangerous Yankees grounded

Harrison flashed improved velocity, topping out at 91 mph, and that uptick will help him survive against the New York Yankees. Harrison, though, is more concerned about making sure his sinker is diving down instead of across the strike zone.

“I’ll try to build off my last start and continue to be aggressive and try to keep the ball on the ground,” he said. “The big thing for me is working on keeping that sinker down and mix it in and out to make them look at both sides of the plate.”

Harrison also knows that he needs to get quicker outs earlier in the game, an issue that has plagued him dating to his rehab assignment. The Rockies worked him for 28 pitches in the first inning and 21 more in the second before his pace picked up.

“I need to make them put the ball in play earlier,” Harrison said. “I don’t want to get that pitch count up too early and fall behind guys because I know the Yankees are going to make me throw pitches and make me throw a lot of strikes.

Manager Jeff Banister said that he expects Harrison to continue making progress, though the course he will take as the first pitcher to attempt a comeback after a lumbar spinal fusion is unknown.

“I think we take every start for Matt as they are,” Banister said. “I think he’s going to find it every time out. He’s going to learn from each outing what he has, and the pitcher within him will figure out how to utilize what he has.”

Wandy this week?

The statistics show that the Yankees struggle against left-handed pitchers, so the Rangers are likely to give Wandy Rodriguez a start during the four-game series even though he hasn’t started since July 10.

He is either going to pitch Wednesday or Thursday, building an extra day’s rest into the rotation for its five current members. If Rodriguez were to pitch Wednesday, right-handers Colby Lewis and Yovani Gallardo would be the first in the rotation to receive an extra day of rest before their next start.

“It’s about winning ballgames and starting pitching and putting your starters where we feel are the best opportunities to give us a chance to win,” Banister said.

Though he hasn’t started since before the All-Star break, Rodriguez has thrown two in-game bullpen sessions the past week, including one Saturday night, and pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief Sunday.

Those should be enough to keep a veteran starter sharp.

“Wandy is a professional,” Banister said. “I don’t see that there would be a rust factor.”

A grand of Hamilton

Had he remained healthier in his career, he could be pushing 1,300. But had he not stopped abusing drugs and alcohol, he would have never gotten to one.

“Obviously, when you get drafted, you imagine you’ll play a lot of games one day,” said Hamilton, the first overall pick of the 1999 draft. “But after everything, the drugs and alcohol and all that stuff, to play one was pretty special. I continue to feel blessed to be able to come in and work and play.”

Hamilton returned to the lineup Sunday, his eighth start in the nine games after the All-Star break.

Rua’s winter plans

The Rangers have suggested to left fielder Ryan Rua that he head south in the off-season for some winter ball to help make up for the at-bats he has lost because of an early-season injury and the acquisition of Hamilton.

“If he’s up for it, that would definitely be a way for him to work on getting better,” Banister said.

Banister also said that there are no immediate plans of sending Rua to Triple A Round Rock so he can get at-bats, but that would happen if the Rangers add a veteran right-handed hitter ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.

Rua made his second straight start Sunday a day after collecting an RBI double that got the Rangers’ offense going in an eventual 7-6 win. He had a double and a run scored Sunday.

This story was originally published July 26, 2015 at 6:14 PM with the headline "Rangers’ Harrison hopes to keep dangerous Yankees grounded."