up and at ’em

If it was a reward for his hot hitting, Mitch Moreland did not rest on his laurels. The former Mississippi State standout, who typically hits at the bottom of the stacked Texas order, found himself in the No. 2 spot on Sunday against Minnesota. He responded by banging out two hits, extending his hitting streak to nine games, though the Rangers fell 6-5. “I just thought that was kind of funny,” Moreland told reporters about seeing his name in the 2-hole. He certainly has been enjoying himself of late, batting .394 with 11 RBIs and his first career grand slam during the current streak, which has boosted his average to .297. The Rangers have their fingers crossed that Moreland can stay healthy. … Another thing different about Texas’ Sunday lineup: Former Mississippi Braves infielder Luis Hernandez started at shortstop. He was making a brief return to the big leagues as a roster fill-in but hopes to get called again in September. P.S. Kudos to Meridian Community College alumnus Cliff Lee, who went seven innings to beat Washington and drove in a run with a double in Philadelphia’s 4-1 victory. Lee is 3-7 now with a 3.67 ERA and is batting .200.