The Athenaeum Forum

(Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers have picked an awful time to play their worst baseball of the season. On Tuesday, the Rangers try to stop a seven-game losing streak and remain in the postseason mix when they play the second of four straight games against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Texas struggles continued on Monday, as Alex Cobb threw eight strong innings to lead Tampa Bay to a 6-2 win. Wil Myers hit a solo homer and had three RBI and Ben Zobrist reached base four times with three hits and a walk for the Rays, who remained atop the AL wild card standings with their fourth win in five games. The Rangers were tied for the wild card lead with Tampa Bay coming into the game but fell to 2-12 in their last 14 games. Cobb (9-3) struck out 10, walked one and gave up two runs and six hits. The Rays won for the first time in his last five starts. "At this point of the season, and with the position were in, every game is going to get bigger. Yesterday was the biggest game of the season, today is the biggest game of the season, tomorrow will be the biggest game of the season. I dont think its unfair to say that. We realize the performance we have to put together out there every night. I think were up for it," Cobb said. Matt Garza (3-5) was charged with six runs in 4 1/3 innings in his first-ever start against his former team. Garza, who pitched for Rays from 2008-10, gave up eight hits and two walks and struck out three. Garza made his first appearance at Tropicana Field since the Rays dealt him to the Cubs on Jan. 8, 2011. "Im not frustrated and Im confused," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Im trying to figure out what we have to do to jump-start this offense." Heading to the hill for the Rangers on Tuesday will be right-hander Alexi Ogando, who is 6-4 with a 3.23 earned run average in 19 games (15 starts) this season. Ogando has not started since Aug. 13, making four relief appearances this month since coming off the disabled list. He has thrown six scoreless innings over that time, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out five. Ogando is 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in nine career meetings with the Rays, including two starts. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will counter with righty Jeremy Hellickson, who is 11-8 with a 5.04 ERA. Hellickson did not get a decision on Thursday against Boston, as he allowed three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 frames of his teams 4-3 win. Hellickson has faced the Rangers three times and is 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA. Texas has split its four matchups with the Rays this season. Nigel Bradham Jersey . Alina Fodorova of Ukraine took third place. Broersen based her gold-medal performance on great high jumping, and finished with 4,830 points, while Theisen-Eaton, from Humboldt, Sask., set a national record of 4,768. Jason Kelce Jersey . The group of Slava Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Sergei Fedorov, & Slava Kozlov were a dominant force for The Wings at one point in the 90s. http://www.theeaglesshoponline.com/Yout ... es-Jersey/. The top-ranked Djokovic also beat Gael Monfils and then routed Roger Federer en route to his first Abu Dhabi title. "Its always great to win a title. This is the best way to start the 2012 season," Djokovic said. Caleb Sturgis Jersey . - Josh Sterk scored twice to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 7-1 rout of the Ottawa 67s in Mondays Ontario Hockey League action. Brian Dawkins Jersey . - Maxence Parrot of Bromont, Que.CAPE TOWN, South Africa - There will be no Didier Drogba and no Samuel Etoo.For the first time in more than a decade, both of Africas most celebrated players will be missing from the African Cup of Nations after retiring from international soccer.Its a chance for other players to make their mark at the continents top tournament. Here are some names to look out for in Equatorial Guinea over the next three weeks:___Yacine Brahimi (midfielder), Algeria:The attacking midfielder is adored in Algeria, not least for ultimately choosing the country of his immigrant parents over his country of birth, France. Brahimi is Algerias playmaker. Much of its hopes of living up to its top-ranking in Africa and winning the title for the first time in 25 years rests on the FC Porto players shoulders — and his combination with Valencias Sofiane Feghouli and Sporting Lisbons Islam Slimani, Algerias so-called golden trio. Brahimi represented Frances youth teams for six years before switching to Algeria. He was Algerias top scorer in African Cup qualifying, and his dribbling skills and clever passing creates goals for others, too. His 25th birthday is the day of the final.___Wilfried Bony (striker), Ivory Coast:Bony may be even more important to Ivory Coast than midfielder Yaya Toure. Without Drogba, Bony could emerge as the Ivorians new No. 1 striker at the African Cup following his stellar year in 2014 with Swansea in the Premier League. Bony scored more goals than any other player in the league last year and could shoot the Ivorians to victory in Equatorial Guinea if he keeps that form going in January and February.___Fabrice Ondoa (goalkeeper), Cameroon:Watch out for Cameroons teenage goalkeeper. A product of the Etoo academy in Yaounde, the 19-year-old Ondoa is now part of the reserve team at Barcelonaa, which he joined when he was 13.dddddddddddd Following a disastrous World Cup for Cameroon, coach Volker Finke gave Ondoa his national team debut in the final round of African Cup qualifying last year. Ondoa responded by conceding only one goal in six games as Cameroon won its group.___Vincent Aboubakar (striker), Cameroon:Cameroon has a new striker, too: Aboubakar has emerged as the likely successor to Etoo. Tall and quick, Aboubakar has the natural qualities that make him very difficult for defenders to stop. But he also has impressive ball skills and a deadly right foot from close range.___Sadio Mane (midfielder), Senegal:The question surrounding Sadio Mane is if he will play. Ruled out of the African Cup with a leg injury by his English club Southampton, Senegal coach Alain Giresse has still picked Mane in his final squad in the hope that he will recover. Mane is a pivotal figure for a new-look Senegal team as an energetic midfielder with a habit of scoring valuable goals.___Seydou Keita (midfielder), Mali:Keita turns 35 a day before the African Cup kicks off, and is back for what might be his last attempt at winning the tournament. Keita was the driving force behind Malis near misses in 2012 and 2013, when the team lost in the semifinals and finished third on both occasions. Used more off the bench now, the former Barcelona player has vast experience in six previous African Cups. Mali may need his calming influence in the centre of midfield as they face Cameroon and Ivory Coast in the group stage.___Associated Press writers Aomar Ouali in Algiers, Algeria, Robbie Corey-Boulet in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Divine Ntaryike in Douala, Cameroon, and Babacar Dione in Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report.___Gerald Imray is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '