Tim Cowlishaw

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ARLINGTON – Already, this has been a summer unlike any other this century when it comes to Rangers baseball. And that's in spite of the fact that true summer doesn't even begin until next Sunday.

Here are three reasons why:

•   After having games here against Toronto either postponed or delayed because of rain this week, Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers was delayed 1 hour, 40 minutes by a power failure.

And Chris Davis' strikeouts had nothing to do with it.

•   Instead of having his imminent firing being closely monitored and speculated upon by the media, manager Ron Washington had his contract extended, or at least his option for 2010 picked up, earlier this week.

•   Finally, there is this: Since the club made its last playoff appearance 10 years ago, the general refrain at Rangers games always has been: "With a ton of hits tonight, the Rangers have a decent chance to win the game."

In 2009, especially of late, the refrain has become: "With just a hint of offense tonight, the Rangers will surely win the game."

First came Kevin Millwood's 1-0 win over Toronto on Thursday, with a little help from the Texas bullpen.

Then came Vicente Padilla's 6-0 win over the Dodgers on Friday, with considerable help from the bullpen.

On Saturday, before a failed transformer on the first-base side delayed the game, Scott Feldman threw five shutout innings, raising the team total to 24 in a row.

When play resumed, Feldman was gone, and the shutout vanished soon after in a 3-1 loss to the Dodgers.

Thus, this was one of those games where the offense barely materialized.

Still, the Rangers have held first place in the AL West for 39 days. Their 3 ½ -game lead over the Los Angeles Angels says they are going to remain there at least a few days longer.

And all signs indicate that this team is a year ahead of schedule and has a real chance to make its first postseason appearance since 1999.

At the very least, this is going to be the first Rangers team since 2004 and the only other Rangers team since 1999 to finish above .500. The obvious similarity between the two is pitching.

For the most part, the Rangers haven't had any since the glory days when the likes of Rick Helling, Aaron Sele and Esteban Loaiza carried this team to first-round exits against the New York Yankees juggernaut in the late '90s.

The Rangers entered play Saturday with the ninth-best ERA in the American League. Their starters had the seventh-best ERA, more than a full run per game lower than the 2008 starters.

That is how a team transforms itself from third-place afterthought into legitimate first-place contender.

"Up until this year, the talk has always been [needing] better pitching and better defense," third baseman Michael Young said. "Now we're seeing the difference it can make."

The Rangers are tied for second in the AL with five shutouts. Millwood owns the league's sixth-best ERA, more than two runs per game lower than last season's 5.07.

Young at third base and the often magical Elvis Andrus at shortstop, plus the improved play of Ian Kinsler at second and the painful-to-watch splits turned by Davis at first give the Rangers a quality infield they have lacked for years.

Only Cleveland in the AL has turned more double plays.

On top of all this is the fact that the Angels' 31-29 record indicates that Texas is no longer fighting against a 95-to-100 victory team for division supremacy.

When summer officially arrives, I can't tell you exactly what's going to happen. But I can say that the assumption that the Rangers will automatically disappear from the first-place chase in the division is an assumption based on history that is no longer, in any real regard, relevant in 2009.