Using a lineup studded with prospects, the Rangers took a commanding lead in the Surprise Recreation Campus intramural championship series by beating Kansas City on Saturday for the second time in four days. LF Kevin Mench, 1B Chris Davis and CF Julio Borbon all homered. Borbon's was a grand slam.

Hits: RHP Vicente Padilla was efficient in his two innings. He needed just 27 pitches and got four ground ball outs. ... RHP Franklyn German has three strikeouts in two innings of work. ... Mench's bid to win the right-handed hitting spot on the bench has gotten off to a fast start. He's 3-for-7 with a pair of walks.

Misses: DH Jason Botts only makes the team if he slugs. He had two on and one-out in the third and hit a chopper to short that should have been an inning-ending double play. ... C Jarrod Saltalamachia had trouble blocking a pair of balls in the dirt, both of which were scored as wild pitches. ... SS Elvis Andrus tried to hurry the flip on a double-play grounder and ended up getting nobody.

Up next: The Rangers get a little more of the Royals today at 2:05 p.m. (CST) (KRLD-1080 AM) at Surprise Stadium. It's the third of five spring meetings between the teams. RHP Jason Jennings starts for the Rangers and LHP Eddie Guardado is scheduled to make his first appearance of spring. RHP Brian Bannister starts for Kansas City.

An occasional look at the Rangers' top priority: Improving the pitching staff

Even if RHP Kevin Millwood has no problems during a full-scale mound session today, it doesn't mean he'll be able to start Wednesday's game against Milwaukee. The right hamstring problem that has put him behind schedule is most troublesome when he tries to field his position. So, a round of pitchers' fielding practice still awaits him before he can pitch in a game. If his hamstring still bothers him when running, he could pitch a simulated game Wednesday. That would allow him to not have to field his position.

Though he grew up in Kansas, Travis Metcalf hated country music until this past winter when bullpen catcher/video coordinator Josh Frasier introduced him to Texas music. We got some notes from Metcalf about his musical tastes:

What do you like to listen to?

I really do like everything. I'm big into alternative stuff and hip-hop, but I'm a guy who starting to really get into Texas country. Growing up in a small town, I really didn't like anything country because that's all you heard. I was the rebel. I liked Staind, Audioslave, Linkin Park and I loved old school hip hop.

So how did you find this newfound love of Texas country?

Josh made me six CDs of the stuff at the end of the season and since I spent the winter in Dallas, he took me to like eight concerts. I grew to really like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Randy Rogers Band, Eli Young and Stoney LaRue.

But you didn't mention contemporary legends like Robert Earl Keen and Pat Green.

I liked them both, too. But they've been around for a while. They are Texas country artists, but they are bigger. Everybody knows them.

Did you bring a lighter to these concerts?

No. No lighter. The cellphone works if I need to flick it on, but I'm there for the entertainment, not audience participation.

If you like everything, what's something in your iPod that you don't want anybody to know about? We'll keep it secret between us and the readers.

This is embarrassing. I used to deejay in college. You did a lot of weddings and high school parties - and look, you are laughing - and then you moved up to the fraternity party. I'd bring my iPod with me in case there was something that somebody want to request and we didn't have it in our selections. So I have Britney Spears, I think it was her second album, in there. And put this in bold print: IT WAS THERE FOR THE AUDIENCE ONLY.

You like any old-guy rock?

Oh, classic stuff? Zeppelin, Van Halen, AC/DC, I love it. I've also got stuff from Tony Bennett, Sinatra and even Etta James.

We are required to ask this: Any Buffett?

Definitely have Margaritaville. But I've got a live album in there, too. I like listening to concerts.

OK, back to the deejay thing. What song can you absolutely not listen to anymore?

Amazed by Lonestar was played at every wedding. I think it's the No. 1 requested song at weddings. After you've heard it enough times, well, you've heard it enough.

Pairings (Foul): Rangers-Royals produced worst composite winning percentage (.444) among the four shared complexes last season. Others: Seattle-San Diego (.545), Arizona-White Sox (.500), St. Louis-Florida (.460).

German history (Fair): Since 1900, only two major leaguers have had the last name of "German": Franklyn of the Rangers; Esteban of the Royals. The latter singled off the former Saturday.

Sliders (Foul): They've hopped on the mini-sandwich craze at a Surprise stadium concession stand. Lobster sliders sound bold, but not when drowned in mayo.