1999 Results: Mar 29, 1999 (L: 8-1)[ Previous Game | Next Game ]
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1999 Results: Mar 29, 1999 (L: 8-1)
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Game Commentary
Game Photos
Box/Line Score
Game Recap
Rangers Media Notes
Commentary (by me)
I didn't know today's game was on the net via the Devil Rays audio feed. I turned
it on and the first thing I heard was "Devil Rays bat around and score 7"... Oh
my god! :( It never got any better - the Rangers only scored one run the whole game,
and the audio feed was spotty for me, I kept getting dropouts.
After Burkett got shelled for 7, he was still in teh game the next inning, which surprised me. But then again, it didn't, as they wanted to get him his innings, I suppose. Bobby Witt looked decent for the Devil Rays - I hope he manages to get on their rotation.
Kind of busy here at work today, I'm not going to be able to write a lot about this game. :)
Commentary (by Jim Meeks)
I listened to the game Monday via RealAudio on Tampa's WFLA radio station and the
announcers are actually quite good, although somewhat boring in their approach.
Starter John Burkett gave up 8 runs in his 5 innings Monday as Tampa Bay bedeviled the
Rangers, 8-1. Burkett didn't pitch poorly; he was victimised by a host of sharply-hit
ground balls that made their way through the infield. He didn't exactly pitch like Tom
Seaver either, as the Rays banged a couple of doubles to the gaps. However, the 7 run
third inning was the nail in his coffin.
Jon Shave and Scott Sheldon anchored the infield's left side and just couldn't get to most
of the shots driven their way. Sheldon however, who played 3rd base, made two exceptional
back-to-back plays in the 2nd inning (saving 2 runs at least) or the game would have been
even more lopsided. This probably greatly helped his cause for making the ballclub.
Meanwhile, other balls had seeing eyes; one ball bounced over Lee Stevens' head at first
base in the 3rd. The inning began ominously enough when Juan Gonzalez made a three-run
error on a ball hit right to him and it bounced off his glove...it just seemed to be one
of those days for the Rangers.
The lone bright spot today was the Rangers' achilles heel yesterday; the bullpen. Eric
Gunderson and Danny Patterson each pitched with the normal authority we expect.
Bobby Witt started and won the game for Tampa Bay and pitched extremely well. He's a
shoe-in for a spot on their rotation. Offensively, the Rangers were powerless
against him. The Rangers just managed 6 hits, one being a double in the 9th with two out
by Ruben Mateo (who collected a base hit earlier) for the Rangers' lone extra base hit.
Tom Goodwin also had 2 hits.
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| John Burkett in the middle of the 7 run inning | Quinton McCraken is safe with a double as Luis Alicea waits for the throw | Gregg Zaun tags out Bubba Trammell in a rundown | Twice-Ex Ranger Bobby Witt pitches |
Line Score
GPFT FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TEXAS 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 6 1
TAMPA BAY 1 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 x 8 9 1 FINAL
WP - BOBBY WITT (2-1)
LP - JOHN BURKETT (1-2)
HOME RUNS: TEX - NONE
TAM - NONE
TIME: 2:21 ATT: 3,645
Box Score
TEXAS (1) AT TAMPA BAY (8)
TEXAS AB R H BI TAMPA BAY AB R H BI
T GOODWIN DH 3 0 2 1 Q MCCRACKEN CF 4 1 1 0
SAGMOEN DH 1 0 0 0 WINN CF 1 0 1 0
ALICEA 2B 3 0 1 0 DA MARTINEZ RF 3 2 1 0
S GREEN CF 1 0 0 0 M KELLY RF 1 0 0 0
GREER LF 3 0 0 0 CANSECO DH 4 1 1 1
CUYLER LF 1 0 0 0 MCGRIFF 1B 4 1 2 2
J GONZALEZ RF 3 0 0 0 S MCCLAIN 1B 0 0 0 0
HUBBARD C 1 0 1 0 B SMITH 3B 3 0 0 1
L STEVENS 1B 3 0 0 0 TRAMMELL LF 2 1 0 0
DRANSFELDT 2B 1 0 0 0 LEDESMA 2B 4 1 1 1
MATEO CF 4 1 2 0 OLIVER C 4 1 1 1
ZAUN C 3 0 0 0 MOSQUERA C 0 0 0 0
ROMANO 2B 1 0 0 0 STOCKER SS 4 0 1 2
SHELDON SS 3 0 0 0
SHAVE 3B 3 0 0 0
TOTALS 34 1 6 1 TOTALS 34 8 9 8
TEXAS 000 010 000-- 1
TAMPA BAY 107 000 00x-- 8
E--J GONZALEZ, LEDESMA. LOB--TEXAS 6, TAMPA BAY 6. 2B--DA
MARTINEZ, Q MCCRACKEN, MCGRIFF, OLIVER, WINN, MATEO.
IP H R ER BB SO HR
TEXAS
BURKETT (L) 5 8 8 8 3 2 0
GUNDERSON 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
CRABTREE 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
D PATTERSON 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
TAMPA BAY
WITT (W) 5 4 1 0 0 5 0
A LOPEZ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
MECIR 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
R HERNANDEZ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
STRONG 1 2 0 0 0 1 0
SO--TEX: GREER, J GONZALEZ 2, ZAUN, ROMANO, SHELDON 2.
TAM: Q MCCRACKEN, M KELLY, B SMITH.
BB--TAM: DA MARTINEZ, B SMITH, TRAMMELL 2.
T--2:21. A--3,645.
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA (TICKER) -- Bobby Witt allowed an
unearned run over five innings and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays erupted for seven runs in the
bottom of the third en route to an 8-1 exhibition victory over the Texas Rangers.
Witt yielded four hits with no walks and blanked his former team until giving up an
unearned run in the top of the fifth on Tom Goodwin's RBI single. Four Texas relievers
combined to give up just two hits.
The Devil Rays took a 1-0 lead in the first on Fred McGriff's RBI single and broke it open
in the second, reaching loser John Burkett for all eight runs.
Jose Canseco and Aaron Ledesma had RBI singles and McGriff and Joe Oliver delivered
run-scoring doubles. Kevin Stocker completed the uprising with a two-run single.
Goodwin had two of the Rangers' six hits.