Rangers notes: Texas finds winning ways at home

Home sweet home. Finally, the Texas Rangers can say that with some love in their hearts.

Since July 29, Texas is 22-5 at Globe Life Park, the best home record in the majors over that span. The Rangers are finally getting a taste of some home-field advantage after winning five consecutive, 10 of their last 11, and 19 of their last 23 at home.

Texas was 38-33 overall at home entering Friday’s series opener against the Seattle Mariners.

But home was a scary place just a few months ago. The Rangers were 1-12 during a home stretch from June 23 to July 28. They were 19-28 at home through the month of July but turned it around in August to reach 32-32 when September began.

Winning ratings

Wins aren’t the only thing on the rise for the Rangers. Their television ratings are blowing up, too.

Thursday’s series-sweeping win against the Houston Astros was the highest-rated game this season on Fox Sports Southwest with a 6.04 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research.

It’s the third consecutive night the Rangers-Astros games set a new season high. Wednesday’s game drew a 5.47, and Tuesday’s game drew a 5.34. Monday’s series opener had a 4.37 rating, ninth best of the season at the time.

Among the ratings highlights from Thursday’s game, according to Fox:

▪ It was the highest-rated Rangers game on FSSW since Aug. 21, 2013, when the Rangers completed a three-game sweep of the Astros and scored a 6.8 rating.

▪ An average of 157,300 homes in Dallas-Fort Worth watched Thursday’s game.

▪ It was the second most-watched program Thursday night in Dallas-Fort Worth, trailing only CBS’ Denver Broncos-Kansas City Chiefs NFL game, which notched a preliminary 10.1 rating from 7:30-10:00 p.m. on KTVT/11.

▪ The four-game sweep averaged a 5.3 rating and increased the team’s season rating average on FSSW to 2.96.

Chirinos close

Catcher Robinson Chirinos hopes to be available Saturday for the first time since suffering a biceps tendon injury Sept. 9.

He took live batting practice and caught a five-inning simulated game before Friday’s series opener against the Mariners.

“It went well,” said Chirinos, who has played in two games since July 30 because of a shoulder injury. “I was a big part the whole year. I want to be back on the field at this moment when we’re playing so well.”

Briefly

▪ Elvis Andrus stole two bases in the eighth inning Thursday to reach 20 for the season. According to baseball-reference.com, he’s one of 12 players since 1901 to reach 20 stolen bases in each of his first seven seasons and the first to do it since Ichiro Suzuki in 2007. He’s the only Rangers player with at least seven seasons of 20 or more steals.

▪ The Rangers won consecutive games without using closer Shawn Tolleson for the first time since May 31 against the Red Sox and June 2 at the White Sox.

▪ Outfielder/first baseman Kyle Blanks had arthroscopic surgery on his left foot for a chronic condition. Dr. John Crates performed the procedure, which Blanks also had done on his right foot. He’ll begin rehab in a few days.

Key stat

19-4 Rangers record when catcher Chris Gimenez starts. With Chirinos starting, the club is 34-36; Carlos Corporan is 15-15; Bobby Wilson is 21-16 and Tomas Telis was 1-2.

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Rangers notes: Texas finds winning ways at home."