The Babaganoush Sports Beat

Texas Rangers
Playoff talk (positive and negative) is sweeping much of the Metroplex, thanks to the Texas Rangers' 8-game lead in the American League West. But there is a moratorium on the subject in the home dugout and clubhouse at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. It's not an official ban that has been imposed by, for instance, manager Ron Washington or third baseman Michael Young. Everyone in a Rangers uniform knows where his team stands, while also knowing that in early August plenty of baseball remains to be played. So, forget all talk about first-round playoff previews over the next eight games, beginning tonight when the New York Yankees come strutting to town for a two-game series. Boston visits this weekend to conclude a five-game homestand, and the Rangers head to Tampa Bay for the only time this season Monday. Despite all the current markers that point to a first-round matchup between the Rangers and one of those three AL East teams, the Rangers aren't biting.

The Rangers' thoughts are centered on righting the ship after an inconsistent nine-game road trip to the West Coast. The fact that they have to do it against the past three American League champions and two of the past three world champions isn't a major concern. Rangers players say they usually rise to the occasion when playing a quality opponent, but their focus will be on playing well instead of the name on the opponent's jersey. The Rangers' record is 6-7 this season against the Big Three, who entered Monday a combined 65 games over .500, but only three of those games have been at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. That will even out some over the next five games. The Rangers are a cool 36-21 at home this season, the second-best winning percentage in the league, and they lead the AL with a .292 home batting average. Their 3.60 home ERA is fifth in the league.

First up are the reigning world champions, who have the best record in baseball. The Yankees swept three games from the Rangers in New York back in April during a season-long six-game losing streak. Even though the Red Sox are without Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, their pitching staff is healthy again. Boston, which qualified for the playoffs six of the past seven seasons, knows how to win down the stretch. Tampa Bay swapped first place with the Yankees last week but has fallen back into second place. The Rangers know a big test is ahead, a test that is part of the process of getting to the playoffs.

But wait, it's August, and with the summer heat beating down on the Texas landscape, the theory often has been advanced that the Rangers are somehow at a disadvantage, playing home games at the baseball venue most associated with the term "heat index." Isn't this Kryptonite Month for the Rangers? Shouldn't they be preparing for postgame ice baths and getting the pitching reinforcements ready for a 15-man staff? Aren't their helmets melting in the Texas sun yet? Um, no. Call it an urban legend, or call it a meteorological assumption, but August and September always seem to enter the conversation when it comes to the Rangers. This 2010 squad is prepared to leave that conversation in the past.

Really, the evidence doesn't support the myth that when the calendar flips to August, the Rangers start to fade. They were a non-disastrous 14-15 in August last year, losing just two games in the standings to the Angels, who got hot down the stretch to pull away. The last time the Rangers were really in the hunt was in 2004, and they went 16-12 in August that year, including 11-5 at home. Each of their division-title seasons included solid August marks (18-12 in '99, 16-13 in '98 and 16-12 in '96) but then those were quite a while ago. Something says the 2010 Rangers can stand the heat, regardless. Actually, almost everything does: This is a complete team…not perfect, but certainly capable of handling the heat of a division race, especially with the pitching depth it now possesses.

Dallas Cowboys
Preseason openers typically provide small sample sizes for the starters and incomplete grades for the fringe players fighting for roster spots, particularly in an additional (fifth) exhibition game like Sunday's Hall of Fame special. To that end, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips's goals were clear against the Cincinnati Bengals: play to win, evaluate, and get back to Dallas relatively healthy. Injuries occurred, most notably to tight end John Phillips' right knee - officially termed a sprain but discussed to be a torn ACL during test on Monday. Overall, though, the team accomplished its goals in a 16-7 victory at sold out Fawcett Field, the culmination of former running back Emmitt Smith's weekend enshrinement into the Class of 2010.

As expected, the starters played only one series each and 22 total plays (14 offense, 8 defense). Quarterback Tony Romo's unit drove 70 yards to the Bengals' 2, overcoming a holding penalty near midfield, though they settled for a field goal after three straight incompletions near the goal line. Then Phillips' defense forced Cincinnati, led by quarterback Carson Palmer and ex-Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens, to punt in eight plays. That was it. The remaining 46:27 belonged to the backups - a critical audition for those hoping to fill out the eventual 53-man roster. That's weeks away. The next priority is returning home for Thursday's preseason game against Oakland at Cowboys Stadium, then traveling to Oxnard, Calif. on Friday for the remainder of their split training camp.