Jason Reed / Reuters file

Jose Canseco apparently has more revalations on steroids in baseball coming in his second book.

Q: What actually happens when a pitcher is said to pitch a simulated game?
— Chuck Hartkaub, Portland, Ore.

A: A pitcher — usually one who is coming back from an injury — will throw as he would in a real game, facing a group of hitters from his own team. There won’t be any fielders on the diamond, so any ball hit is judged to be a hit or an out. The pitcher will throw a half-inning, then rest for about five-10 minutes (as if his team was batting), then go back out and pitch another half-inning, and so on until he reaches whatever inning or pitch limit has been set for him. The simulated game is a step in the process to getting back on the mound for real, usually coming before a minor-league outing or two on a rehabilitation assignment.

Q: Why is it that the Texas Rangers find it difficult to get good pitchers?
— Billy Moon, Brunswick, Maine

A: You’re from Maine, so I assume you’re a Red Sox fan, and certainly must know that Fenway Park is a great place for hitters. It’s much the same case in Arlington, where Ameriquest Field is one of the best hitters’ parks in the game, right there with Coors Field in Denver, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. The ball carries out to right-center, the grass is cut low and the infield is baked hard by all the sun and summer heat, so all conditions favor offense. Pitchers obviously know that, too, so they are hesitant to sign there as free agents, unless overpaid to do so, as was Chan Ho Park. The rest is on the Rangers organization to develop more quality pitchers, as they have done in the past with Kevin Brown, Kenny Rogers, Bobby Witt and others. Chris Young has a chance, and the top starting pitching prospects are Thomas Diamond, John Danks and Edison Volquez.

Q: I saw that the White Sox played an extra-inning game under protest the other day. What is the point of playing a game under protest?
— Alan, Springfield, Mass.

A: The only reason for a team to protest a game is because it believes that the umpires have made an incorrect interpretation of the rules, didn’t apply a rule correctly or allowed something against the rules. You can’t file a protest over an umpire’s judgment call, such as safe/out, ball/strike or fair/foul.

More news

Tony Gutierrez / AP

More heroics from Hamilton

Josh Hamilton fights off illness to hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning, lifting the Texas Rangers to an 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Angels win as Pujols HR streak up to 3 games

SEATTLE (AP) - Albert Pujols hit a home run in his third straight game and pinch hitter Alberto Callaspo came through with a grand slam in the sixth inning to give the Los Angeles Angels a 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

Headlines

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Saltalamacchia's walkoff HR lifts Red Sox

Red Sox's Valentine calls out Rays' coaches

Teixeira hits 2 HRs as Yankees rout A's

HBT: Santana pitches first shutout in 2 years

Harper homers as Strasburg, Nats beat Braves

Buehrle, Marlins stay hot, beat Giants

Fielder's 4-hit game lifts Tigers over Twins

Fear of losing Montero leads D-backs to big deal