Monday Night Baseball...Rich Harden

Summing Rich Harden's night: He went 32/3 innings and allowed 80 pitches. During the regular season, 80 pitches should get a pitcher through five innings.

He allowed five runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out four. His night began with a walk to Andres Torres and then a two-run home run by Fred Lewis. Harden now has a 9.72 ERA.

His fastball was clocked at 92 miles per hour on the Surprise Stadium scoreboard. That radar gun is considered a little slow. So Harden's velocity continues to creep up as the spring progresses.

He has not looked overpowering yet. But the Rangers feel confident he will get there and Harden was upbeat after his outing.

"Every game is about getting your pitch-count up," Harden said. "I felt strong and made some good pitches. In the last inning I ran out of gas but overall I felt pretty solid.

"I felt good throwing my off-speed pitches but it's about consistency. Early it wasn't there but in the middle of the game it was better. "

Harden has three starts left before Opening Day.

"I just need to get my pitch counts up and get my arm strength," Harden said. "When the season starts, it's a different mindset. You lock it in."

Scouts watching Harden as well as manager Ron Washington all said he was better than previous outings.

"He was much better," Washington said. "He was only a pitch away from getting out of the fourth. His velocity was better, his changeup was good. He just got some balls up in the last couple of innings.

* Pitcher Michael Kirkman was back in camp and fine, one day after taking a one-hop ground ball off the side of his head in a game against the Dodgers on Sunday. Kirkman had a cut above his head but otherwise was fine,

It was described as a glancing blow but Kirkman said, "No it didn't feel like a glancing blow. I heard it and I felt it."

* Ian Kinsler reported some improvement in his high right ankle sprain but is still at least a week from playing in a game. It's going to be awhile before he is ready.

"I'm taking it slow and made sure I'm running 100 percent by the time the season starts," Kinsler said. "That's the goal. It's getting better every day. It's going to take time. A high ankle sprain is something that can linger if you don't take care of it."

* The Rangers have a B game on Tuesday against the Royals. Luis Mendoza, Guillermo Moscoso, Omar Beltre and Edwar Ramirez will pitch for the Rangers.

* Rangers players are starting to prepare their NCAA brackets. Some have personal affiliations: Michael Young (UC Santa-Barbara), Ian Kinsler (Missouri), David Murphy (Baylor), Darren O'Day (Florida), Julio Borbon (Tennessee), Taylor Teagarden (Texas), Dustin Nippert (West Virginia), Doug Mathis (Missouri), Brandon Boggs (Georgia Tech), Kevin Richardson (Gonzaga), and Toby Hall (UNLV). Among on-players: Jon Daniels (Cornell) and Mike Maddux (UT El Paso).

* Former outfielder Rusty Greer is in camp as a special instructor along with second baseman Mark McLemore.

* Manager Ron Washington, general manager Jon Daniels and their staffs met to go over the Rangers players. Preliminary cuts will be made later this week, mainly sending young players back to the Minor Leagues.