1999 Results: March 24, 1999 (L: 8-6)
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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. :)

Photos

capt_yankees_rangers_53c.jpg (12412 bytes) berniewilliams_clayton.jpg (20133 bytes) capt_yankees_rangers_0z5.jpg (14963 bytes) capt_yankees_rangers_au3.jpg (12250 bytes)
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

Box Score

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.

Game Recap

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.