1999 Results: March 24, 1999 (L: 8-6)
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Rangers
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Commentary (by me)
This has been a good back and forth game with the Yankees which was nice that we
kept up with them.
Kosovo air strikes started right when Rusty Greer hit a single and drove in Mac to tie the
game 3-3. They kept interrupting the Ranger game a few times to report on what was going
on there. That included a report from over there, and we got to hear President Clinton,
too. He talked over the entire top of the 5th inning.
Rangers blew a big chance in the 6th - Goodwin had a triple with one out, then Mac walked,
and Greer & Gonzalez struck out (Gonzalez with his usual swing at something way out of
the strike zone and low). Damn! Also, Jeff Juden of the Yankees could NOT find the strike
zone. Walked a ton of people, including almost beaning Clayton. However, did not allow a
run. That kind of stuff really bugs me. Not once, but twice having an excellent
opportunity, and doing nothing.
After a pretty decent game, the Rangers put in the guys who were going to be AAA anyway,
Sheldon & Gallagher starting making errors, giving the Yankees a larger lead (3).
And then Ruben Mateo cracks another big Home run to tie the thing. Boy, this really is a
back and forth game. Oh man!
And then the friggin errors do us in at the end. We gave up a couple runs in the top of
the ninth primarly due to errors, and then we lost the game. Was nice to see us hang in
there though - but I'm really starting to get annoyed by all the miscues. :(
Commentary (by Jim Meeks)
Finally, another game on the radio. I listened via Broadcast.com. Due to a server
malfunction on their part, I missed most of the first and some of the 2nd innings. Paul
Harvey was piped in for a while from some Oklahoma City station...so it wasn't a total
loss.....goooood day!
Anyway, the big "pitch-off" today was really nothing more than another crummy
performance by Esteban Loaiza and an average Mike Morgan outing. Loaiza developed a
blister and had to leave early. He was behind just about every hitter. I think he had 3
balls on 5 different hitters but wound up walking just one. Morgan sailed along his first
4 innings, then he gave up some hard hits and a couple of earned runs. The Rangers made
two costly errors in the infield behind him.
As far the "pitch-off" goes, Morgan won easily. despite that bad inning before
he left the game.
Ruben Mateo continues to play very well. He homered in his only at bat, a two-run smash
that tied the game late. He's now hit in 11 straight spring contests. You'd think he's
slated for AAA, but the kid can flat-out play baseball. I'm very excited about his
progress. Oates says never say never, so he's leaving his mind open about the young
Dominican. How can he not? Mateo has been the story of the Rangers' spring.
Mark McLemore seems to be making great strides, as he stole a couple of bases and made at
least two outstanding plays at second base (according to the radio guys). I would have
given him up for retirement after last year. Can you believe he's just 34? With his past
ailments, it seems he's 54.
Anyway, the Rangers lost. The games seem to mean less and less this time of the spring, as
now the blood curdles for the season to start. The team is off tomorrow, but I might write
a commentary anyway, so look for it. :)
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| Esteban Loaiza warms up | Royce Clayton tags out Bernie Williams | Clayton lands on his butt after almost being hit in the head | Orlando Hernandez warms up |
Line Score
GPFT FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
NY YANKEES 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 2 2 8 10 0
TEXAS 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 6 11 3 FINAL
WP - DARREN HOLMES (1-0)
LP - DANNY KOLB (0-1)
SAVE - DAN NAULTY (1)
HOME RUNS: NYY - RICKY LEDEE (2) OFF LOAIZA IN THE 2ND
DARRYL STRAWBERRY (2) OFF MORGAN IN THE 8TH
TEX - RUBEN MATEO (4) OFF HOLMES IN THE 8TH
TIME: 2:59 ATT: 5,141
Box Score
NY YANKEES (8) AT TEXAS (6)
NY YANKEES AB R H BI TEXAS AB R H BI
KNOBLAUCH 2B 3 1 0 0 T GOODWIN CF 4 0 1 0
RAABE 2B 1 1 1 0 MATEO RF 1 1 1 2
JETER SS 4 0 2 0 MCLEMORE 2B 3 1 2 0
SORIANO SS 0 1 0 0 SHELDON 2B 1 0 0 0
STRAWBERRY DH 4 1 2 3 GREER LF 4 0 1 1
WILLIAMS CF 3 0 2 0 SASSER 3B 1 0 1 0
WALTON PR 1 1 0 0 J GONZALEZ DH 3 1 1 0
MARTINEZ 1B 4 1 0 0 DRANSFELDT PH 1 0 0 0
SOJO 1B 1 0 0 0 L STEVENS 1B 3 1 1 0
LEDEE RF 4 2 2 2 S GALLAGHER 1B 1 0 0 0
SPENCER LF 4 0 1 1 ZEILE 3B 2 0 0 0
BROSIUS 3B 3 0 0 0 SHAVE 3B 2 1 1 0
BELLINGER 3B 1 0 0 0 R KELLY RF 3 0 0 0
GIRARDI C 3 0 0 0 S GREEN CF 1 0 1 0
FIGGA C 1 0 0 0 CLAYTON SS 3 0 1 2
CUYLER LF 1 1 0 1
ZAUN C 3 0 0 0
TOTALS 37 8 10 6 TOTALS 37 6 11 6
NY YANKEES 021 000 122-- 8
TEXAS 021 000 030-- 6
E--SHELDON, S GALLAGHER, MATEO. LOB--NY YANKEES 6, TEXAS
9. 2B--CLAYTON. 3B--T GOODWIN, LEDEE. HR--LEDEE (OFF
LOAIZA), STRAWBERRY (OFF MORGAN), MATEO (OFF HOLMES).
SB--MCLEMORE 2, JETER. CS--JETER. SF--STRAWBERRY.
IP H R ER BB SO HR
NY YANKEES
O HERNANDEZ 5 6 3 3 2 6 0
JUDEN 1 0 0 0 3 1 0
HOLMES (W) 2 4 3 3 0 2 1
NAULTY (S) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
TEXAS
LOAIZA 3 4 3 3 1 1 1
MORGAN 4 1-3 4 3 2 1 1 1
VENAFRO 2-3 0 0 0 0 1 0
KOLB (L) 1-3 1 2 2 0 0 0
GUNDERSON 2-3 1 0 0 0 0 0
HBP--SORIANO BY KOLB.
T--2:59. A--5,141.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA (TICKER) -- One day after requesting
a sit-down with general manager Brian Cashman, Darryl Strawberry homered and singled in
the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning as the New York Yankees beat the Texas
Rangers, 8-6 in a spring game.
Strawberry hit a solo homer in the eighth inning before delivering his game-winning hit
off loser Danny Kolb (0-1). He also added a sacrifice fly for a three-RBI day.
Coming back from colon cancer surgery, Strawberry openly criticized the Yankees over the
lack of communication in manager Joe Torre's absence. Don Zimmer is the acting manager for
the defending world champions as Torre recovers from prostate cancer surgery.
Ricky Ledee hit a two-run homer off starter Esteban Loaiza and drove in three runs.
Darren Holmes (1-0) got the victory in relief, despite giving up Ruben Mateo's game-tying
two-run homer in the eighth inning. Dan Naulty pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.
Starter Orlando Hernandez struck out six in five innings, but gave up three runs and six
hits.