While Lee doesn’t feel as though he is tired and needs additional rest, it’s a luxury the Rangers can afford. The team holds a very comfortable lead over the floundering Los Angeles Angels in the American League West.

They will need the ace of their staff to actually pitch like it when the playoffs roll around in October.

The Rangers gave away two pitching prospects to acquire Cantu, whose numbers are down from last year.

The team has been unhappy with the play of first baseman Chris Davis and already traded away Justin Smoak.

Cantu will be expected to play first base and could move over to third base on occasion to give Michael Young a day off.

Davis is a left-handed hitter while Cantu bats from the right side, so there could be a platoon over at first base.

The franchise is still in limbo as the sale of the club has still not gone through and appears to be on hold.

Without additional capital, the Rangers won’t have the money necessary to throw at Hamilton.

The outfielder is having a huge season in leading the Rangers to first place in the division and is even a threat to win the Triple Crown.

If Hamilton is available at season’s end, there are going to be a ton of teams lining up for his services.

Wilson struck out a career-high 10 batters in 6 2/3 innings, limiting the Red Sox to a single run. He was supported by Nelson Cruz, who went 2 for 4 with a run scored and RBI. Elvis Andrus went 3 for 4 with a run scored and stolen base. Lester went eight innings, surrendering four runs while striking out six. His defense let him down on more than one occasion, and as a result his record fell to 11-.4

Kevin Youkilis went 2 for 3 for Boston, making him the only player on the team to record more than one hit.

The first-place Rangers haven’t made the playoffs in many years and know this might be their best chance.

Getting Lee would give the Rangers a vital missing piece to their team: A legit, top-of-the-rotation pitcher.

The Rangers have all the offense you could ever want and then some, but the pitching remains suspect.

After getting off to a slow start, Lee has turned things around is having a terrific season with the Mariners.

The pitching has been suspect at times, but the explosive offense has been slowed down by very few opponents.

Offseason acquisition Vladimir Guerrero was supposedly washed up, but he has been a real bargain.

Josh Hamilton has bounced back from a disappointing and injury-marred 2009 campaign to put up big numbers.

Second baseman Ian Kinsler missed the first month or so with a sprained ankle but is back and has really added a lot to the lineup.

A ball had hit off the batting cage and then bounced back to strike Guerrero, a strange incident to say the least.

The injury forced the slugger to be scratched from that night’s game and be taken to a hospital.

The good news is that, despite significant swelling, there was no structural damage and he will return to the lineup.

That’s very good news for the Rangers, who have watched Guerrero rejuvenate his career this year.

Starting pitcher C.J. Wilson gave up five runs in 5 2/3 innings to lose for the first time in seven starts. He was hurt by Alfonso Soriano’s two-run home run  but settled down after a shaky start.

Michael Young homered and drove in three runs in defeat for the Rangers. Julio Borbon went 2-for-3 and drove in the other run for Texas, but Vladimir Guerrero struck out with the tying run on second in the ninth inning.

Prospect Justin Smoak continued to struggle,  going 0-for-4 and is now batting .165.

But with a couple swings of the bat, they made it memorable for all the right ones.

Newcomer Vladimir Guerrero broke up Shaun Marcum’s no-hitter with a single, and Nelson Cruz delivered tw0 crucial hits to help the Rangers rally for a 5-4 win in front of a sellout crowd of 50,299.

After Marcum cruised through the first six innings, he surrendered a one-out walk to Josh Hamilton before Guerrero reached with the first hit of the game for Texas. Then Cruz, coming off a career season, delivered a game-tying three-run bomb.

Toronto bounced back in the eighth, getting a two-out RBI single from Vernon Wells to reclaim the lead. But in the ninth, Texas stormed back. Cruz came up with the goods again, hitting a one-out RBI double to tie the game at 4. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled to deep right to give the Rangers the win.

Cruz finished 2 for 4 with 4 of the team’s 5 RBI. Starting pitcher Scott Feldman pitched seven strong innings, surrending three runs on five hits to earn a no-decision.

Kinsler suffered a high ankle sprain, an injury that can be difficult to gauge when it comes to a timetable for a return.

In fact, Kinsler has already made it known that there is no timetable for when he might be activated.

The second baseman is a big part of the Texas offense and his loss is a big blow to their powerful lineup.

He is considered one of the best at his position in all of baseball.