beat out Brad Hennessey for the job. On May 16, he allowed three runs in seven innings, earning the win against the Astros in a 14–3 triumph. The win was his first ever victory against Houston after 12 losses, the most by a starting pitcher to start his career against any team since Don Sutton lost his first 13 decisions against the Cubs from 1966 to 1969. On August 11, Giants' manager Felipe Alou announced that Hennessey would replace the struggling Wright in the rotation. At the time, Hennessey was 6–10 with a 5.18 ERA, but since May 22 his record had been 1–7 with a 6.40 ERA. Trouble locating his pitches and a flat sinkerball contributed to his struggles. Overall, he appeared in 34 games, making 21 starts in 2006 with a 6–10 record and 5.19 ERA. According to sportswriter Rich Draper, Wright "fell far short of expectations in 2006". However, he did lead NL pitchers in batting with a .261 average. On November 1, 2006, the Giants declined their option on Wright for the 2007 season, making him a free agent. Texas Rangers On January 25, 2007, the Texas Rangers signed Wright to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. He competed with Kameron Loe and Bruce Chen for a spot in the starting rotation. Winning the fifth spot, Wright made one short start for the Rangers on April 10 before being placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. After four rehab starts, he was activated on June 15. "My arm strength is good. I'm ready to go and to get back out there," he said. He rejoined the rotation upon being activated on June 15, posting a 3–4 record and a 4.57 ERA through August 3. Long opposed to pitching exclusively in relief, Wright reluctantly moved to the bullpen during the 2007 season, starting just one game for the rest of the season. The transition would be permanent for him this time, as he would start just two more games for the rest of his career. In 20 games (nine starts), he had a 4–5 record and a 3.62 ERA, his finest to that point. Remaining with the Rangers in 2008, Wright pitched exclusively out of the bullpen, posting an 8–7 record and a 5.12 ERA. His 75 games pitched set a new franchise record and tied with Dennys Reyes for third