Royals-Rangers Preview

5/1/2008 12:54 AM

By DAN PIERINGER
STATS Writer

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1999, was considered a can't-miss prospect before drug addiction temporarily derailed his baseball career.

Kansas City Royals starter Zack Greinke was similarly regarded when he was chosen as the sixth overall pick three years later, but social anxiety disorder kept him from fulfilling his potential.

With both players seemingly back on track, the Rangers and the Royals are reaping the rewards.

Each last-place club goes for its fourth win in six games following a seven-game skid on Thursday when they close a three-game series at Rangers Ballpark.

Hamilton has rejuvenated a career that seemed lost when he was suspended for the entire 2004 season because of his addictions to alcohol and crack cocaine. After years battling the disease, he resurfaced with Cincinnati last season and batted .292 with 19 home runs and 47 RBIs in 90 games.

He has been even more impressive with Texas (10-18), hitting .330 with six homers and a major league-leading 32 RBIs. He hit his first career grand slam as the Rangers beat the Royals (12-15) 11-9 on Wednesday night.

"I don't think I really realized what I've done," said Hamilton, who has 11 RBIs in his last five games. "I've never played a full season, so I'm just coming to the park every day and doing what I have to do to get ready."

Hamilton has never faced Greinke (3-0, 1.25 ERA), who is putting together his best start in his fifth major-league season. The right-hander had a solid rookie campaign in 2004, but struggled the following year and made only three appearances in 2006 after being diagnosed with social anxiety disorder.

After splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen last year, he has emerged as one of the Royals' top starters, tying Brian Bannister for the team lead in wins and limiting right-handed hitters to a .213 average.

Greinke held Toronto to one run and five hits in seven innings of his last start Friday, and Kansas City went on to win 8-4 to snap a seven-game losing streak.

"It was just nice especially to get us out of a little funk," Greinke said after that game. "Hopefully, it creates momentum."

That win was the first of three in five games for the Royals.

The Rangers have also won three of five following their own seven-game skid from April 18-24.

"It was tough certainly," said Rangers manager Ron Washington, who has to had to answer questions about his own job security. "We had higher expectations. Some of those losses we got could have been wins. There's a lot better things ahead."

Sidney Ponson (0-0, 1.69) will be making his second start for the Rangers, who purchased the right-hander's contract from the minors on Saturday. Later that day, Ponson gave up five runs - only one earned - in 5 1-3 innings of Texas' 12-6 loss to Minnesota.

Ponson is 9-7 with a 4.60 ERA in 19 career starts against the Royals, but he's 0-2 with a 13.81 ERA in his last four games against them dating to May 17, 2005.

That doesn't bode well coming into this game against a Kansas City team that has totaled 18 runs and 26 hits in the first two games of the series.

"We've had run production two nights in a row," Royals manager Trey Hillman said after Wednesday's defeat. "That's a good sign. We'll take that everyday."