The agony

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The Japanese are a good investment. Canadians suck.

The Toronto Blue Jays have perpetually played the Texas Rangers tough, particularly in the Skydome, or whatever it's called now.

That didn't change this week. Yesterday's soul-sucking 11-5 loss capped off a second-straight series loss and the Rangers' first back-to-back losses of the season.

Certainly, no time to freak out. Matt Harrison's scaring me. Multiple, long-term injuries is terrifying. The gigantic holes in the line-up courtesy of Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli are unsettling.

However, it's hard not to chalk things up to playing on the road against a good baseball team, taking your knocks and working through things. It's early May. It was never going to be that good for 162 games. And it'll certainly get better than it has the last three games.

Notes:

1. Opponents are hitting .240 off Mark Lowe, but they're getting little else. He's walked one and allowed one run this season, off a home run. He is pitching in low-leverage situations. I wouldn't necessarily trust him with a one-run lead in the bottom of the seventh. But good pitching is good pitching.

2. Speaking of, we might look back in mid-July and thank God that we didn't trade Koji Uehara. He's been perfect (no hits, runs, walks) in four straight outings. In fact, he's not walked anyone all season and is striking out more than a batter per inning. Opponents are hitting .143. Aside from two home runs allowed, he's been near perfect all year.

3. Elvis Andrus is raking. Average up to .292, but more important he's driving in runs. Four straight games with an RBI and he's on a pretty good pace for about 70 on the year. His walk rate is up also.

4. Quietly, Mitch "Bunk" Moreland had a six-game hitting streak before yesterday's ill-fated pinch hit. Wish I could just fast forward his season to see how he turns out.

5. Harrison's inability to get out of the fourth inning yesterday was the first time all season a Rangers starter has failed to get through five.

6. Scott Feldman needs to pitch more.

7. In 114 innings as a San Diego Padres in 2010-11, Mike Adams allowed a total of four home runs. In 36 innings as a Texas Ranger in 2011-12, he's allowed four home runs. Although he's been stellar this season, his strikeout total's down. Still love him.

8. Ian Kinsler's scored 27 runs in 25 games. On pace to score about 180 on the season. Most promising, his road average/OBP is .231/.355. Last year: .214/.302.

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