Worth noting

• While the Rangers' bullpen has put up impressive numbers since the onset of the season, reliever Michael Kirkman has struggled to settle in throughout April.

Kirkman was tagged for three runs off four hits in the eighth inning Saturday in relief of Holland with the Rangers trying to come back from a 3-0 deficit. In his last five appearances, Kirkman surrendered six runs in six innings of work, causing his ERA to inflate to 6.97.

Washington, however, does not appear concerned by Kirkman's slow start.

"In this game sometimes you can do the things you want to do right, and the results you're looking for just aren't there," Washington said. "He's just got to keep grinding, and things will turn around. We've just got to keep getting the ball to Mike."

• Washington approached second baseman Ian Kinsler prior to Texas' series finale with the Twins on Sunday about sitting out the afternoon. But Kinsler declined, insisting that the Rangers' off-day before opening Tuesday's series with the White Sox would be enough for him.

The Rangers' leadoff hitter has been a consistent force in the lineup, used in 24 of 25 games this season. Kinsler posted seven hits in the first three games of the series against the Twins, including four doubles, and he had 14 RBIs and a .315 batting average entering Sunday's series finale,