The Babaganoush Sports Beat

Texas Rangers
The Rangers have gone out of their way to protect Joaquin Arias. When he couldn't break into the lineup at shortstop, they moved him around the diamond. When he couldn't throw for two years, they waited patiently. When he ran out of minor league options, they created injuries for him so they wouldn't have to risk losing him on waivers. One place they can't protect him: When he's on the field. As a late-game replacement Monday in a 6-4 loss to Tampa Bay, Arias once again demonstrated why he so perplexes management. He helped them get their first lead of the game at the plate, then promptly went into the field and opened the door for a four-run Tampa Bay eighth inning. It was enough to leave manager Ron Washington pacing his office and pinching his lip in frustration before tossing aside his hat and throwing his pack of Winstons on the desk.

We have got to get our heads out of our butts and play better baseball. We gave them too many outs. Cliff Lee should have faced only four hitters in the inning. We made too many mistakes. There were two in particular. Arias was smack-dab in the middle of both. In the field, Arias looked like an about-to-be-thrown bull rider. When B.J. Upton lifted a soft fly ball toward right, Arias wandered out after the ball in a tentative and circuitous route, but it was still shallow enough he came within six inches of catching it. Instead, Upton wound up at second with a double. After Jason Bartlett reached on a single, the next batter was Carl Crawford. He's kind of known for being fast. Word gets around when you average 50 stolen bases for the last seven years. But when Crawford dribbled a ball toward second, Arias stayed back on it, then tried to hurry a throw to second to start an impossible double play.

Asked if Arias played a role in the bizarre feeling of the inning, starter Cliff Lee declined to pass judgment. But if you were watching the game last night, you could see how Lee felt about the debacle. The heat merely appeared to be pouring out from inside of Lee as he seethed in the dugout. And this wasn't the first time the Texas defense let him down. Washington, however, did judge…righteously. He was far more direct and stinging in his assessment of the plays, quite out of character for a manager who loathes saying anything critical of a player. Then again, Washington has seen this before. Last August, with the Rangers trying to catch Los Angeles, Arias stepped in for a pair of starts at second while Ian Kinsler was on the DL. Arias bumbled through two games, both losses, and was promptly banished from the big league team. He was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, using up his last minor league option. This time, it only took one inning for a problem to surface. This time, if the Rangers decide he can't help them, they aren't going to be able to protect him. This time, that might not be a concern.

On a note dear to my heart, Rangers manager Ron Washington said the team will wait until Ian Kinsler (left groin) resumes baseball activities until making a decision on the second baseman. Washington and team officials will evaluate Kinsler in Baltimore during the Rangers' four-game series against the Orioles or when the team returns to Texas after the seven-game road trip. Kinsler, who was placed on the disabled list on July 29 and eligible to come off it Aug. 12, mentioned before Monday's game against the Rays that he feels healthy and is just waiting on the team's decision.

Dallas Cowboys
Now training in Oxnard, CA, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive players walked off the field when practice ended Monday, a clear indication they received the message coaches sent the day before. The whole crew “stayed after school,” as team owner Jerry Jones put it, because of a sloppy workout Sunday. They recovered nicely on Monday, drawing plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd, especially on touchdown catches from Jason Witten and Miles Austin during a 2-minute drill. Tony Romo was sick Monday, although not as much as he had been Sunday. Jones praised his quarterback for being out there anyway as did coach Wade Phillips.

Offensive worries have been a constant the past few weeks, from the ankle injury that’s sidelined Dez Bryant to right tackle Marc Colombo needing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Monday, from the offense failing to score a touchdown in the first two preseason games to the line allowing 11 sacks in those games. So when the offense got sloppy Sunday, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett reached his breaking point. Phillips said off days are bound to happen. The bothersome part was that players let it keep deteriorating. Jones said he’s not overly concerned. Tight end Jason Witten noted that the starters have only played 32 snaps. Another risk-reward issue is how much Romo will play Saturday since he’ll be missing his usual right tackle. Phillips said that probably won’t be much of a factor in the decision.