1999 Results: Apr 2, 1999 (W: 6-5)[ Previous Game | Next Game ]
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1999 Results: Apr 2, 1999 (W: 6-5)
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Game
Commentary
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Box/Line Score
Game Recap
Rangers Media Notes
Commentary (by me)
Under a constant threat of rain, the Rangers won their first game in 1999 at the
Ballpark in Arlington. I was there - Section 225, row 1. It was cool being
close to the TV & radio guys. I even asked Eric & Vince if the kettle corn
thing they were talking about all the time in Spring Training was real. They said it
was. Eric said it was popcorn covered with something - couldn't hear them very well.
Mark McLemore pulled something in his hamstring in the first inning going after a foul ball, he was pinch hit for in the first inning (he was slated to lead off). Overall it was a good feel for the Rangers, even though they didn't win by a whole lot. Pudge had a triple, which was cool, and of course, when they announced Palmiero, the place went nuts. There did seem to be a bunch of people up from Houston in Astros garb. Ruben Mateo did play, but I didn't know it as it wasn't announced - he pinch ran for Raffy after a double Raffy had gotten.
I'm still on vacation, so I won't say much, but there is some new stuff at the Ballpark. Mainly advertising. There is a new third rotating sign in left field, and the TX lotto ad to the right of the manual scoreboard is gone. There are two new ads on the outfield wall, both for Dodge trucks, and the ad on the back wall of the Rangers bullpen is now a very noticeable white ad (I forget who it is at the moment). Also, the high outfield wall ads by the Coke scoreboard have changed slightly. There is one all the way to the right that I think is different, and the Radio Shack ad with the lighted ball for Home Runs is still there, but it has a Channel 39 logo on it instead of the Radio Shack ad.
But the one totally NEW thing that I liked was a new scoreboard that shows speed of pitch and type of pitch. It's located in left field to the right of the already existing dotpanel scoreboard (that shows out of town scores and updates during the game).
Well, I ended up writing more than I thought - sorry I didn't write much about teh game itself - check out Jim's commentary, as well as the game recap at the bottom of the page.
Commentary (by Jim Meeks)
The Rangers edged the Astros 6-5 Friday in Arlington, scoring 3 runs off Houston
pitcher Scott Elarton late in the game.
Rusty Greer and Jon Shave each had two runs batted in and Pudge Rodirguez and Royce
Clayton has two hits each.
Mark Clark had his final tune-up of the spring and while he wasn't overpowering, he was
effective (3 ER in 6 IP with 6 SO).
Texas plays their final exhibition Saturday versus the Mets.
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| Pudge stands on third after his triple. | Bill Spiers rounding third after his solo HR | Ranger fans Colleen Morgan & Stacy Parker | Raffy during the National Anthem |
Line Score
GPFT FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
HOUSTON 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 5 14 0
TEXAS 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 x 6 11 1 FINAL
WP - DANNY PATTERSON (1-0)
LP - SCOTT ELARTON (2-3)
SAVE - TIM CRABTREE (2)
HOME RUNS: HOU - GLEN BARKER (1) OFF M CLARK IN THE 5TH
BILL SPIERS (2) OFF M CLARK IN THE 5TH
TEX - NONE
TIME: 2:43 ATT: 29,474
Box Score
HOUSTON (5) AT TEXAS (6)
HOUSTON AB R H BI TEXAS AB R H BI
BIGGIO 2B 4 0 0 0 MCLEMORE 2B 0 0 0 0
RU JOHNSON 2B 1 0 0 0 ALICEA 2B 4 1 1 1
SPIERS 3B 4 2 3 1 CUYLER LF 1 0 0 0
BOGAR 3B 1 0 0 0 I RODRIGUEZ C 3 1 2 0
BAGWELL 1B 3 0 1 0 T GOODWIN CF 2 0 0 0
KNORR 1B 0 0 0 0 GREER LF 3 0 0 2
HOWELL 1B 1 0 0 0 S GREEN RF 0 1 0 0
DE BELL RF 5 0 1 1 J GONZALEZ RF 2 0 1 0
EVERETT DH 3 1 1 0 ZAUN C 1 1 1 0
HIDALGO LF 5 1 3 0 PALMEIRO DH 4 0 1 1
EUSEBIO C 3 0 0 0 MATEO PR 0 1 0 0
MELUSKEY C 2 0 1 1 ZEILE 3B 3 0 1 0
GUTIERREZ SS 4 0 2 1 SHAVE 3B 1 0 1 2
BARKER CF 3 1 2 1 R KELLY CF 2 0 1 0
A DIAZ LF 1 0 0 0 SHELDON 2B 1 0 0 0
L STEVENS 1B 4 0 0 0
CLAYTON SS 3 1 2 0
BOURNIGAL SS 1 0 0 0
TOTALS 40 5 14 5 TOTALS 35 6 11 6
HOUSTON 010 020 101-- 5
TEXAS 100 020 30x-- 6
E--SHAVE. LOB--HOUSTON 12, TEXAS 8. 2B--SPIERS 2, BAGWELL,
DE BELL, ZEILE, CLAYTON, PALMEIRO. 3B--I RODRIGUEZ.
HR--BARKER (OFF M CLARK), SPIERS (OFF M CLARK).
SF--GUTIERREZ.
IP H R ER BB SO HR
HOUSTON
HAMPTON 6 8 3 3 2 3 0
ELARTON (L) 1 3 3 3 1 3 0
B WAGNER 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
TEXAS
M CLARK 6 9 3 3 1 4 2
D PATTERSON (W) 1 2 1 1 2 2 0
GUNDERSON 2-3 1 0 0 0 0 0
CRABTREE (S) 1 1-3 2 1 1 0 1 0
SO--HOU: HOWELL, HIDALGO 2, EUSEBIO, MELUSKEY, GUTIERREZ,
BARKER. TEX: T GOODWIN 2, GREER, PALMEIRO, SHELDON, L
STEVENS 2.
BB--HOU: BAGWELL, EVERETT 2. TEX: S GREEN, J GONZALEZ, R
KELLY.
T--2:43. A--29,474.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER) -- Jon Shave's two-run single
capped a three-run seventh inning and the Texas Rangers held on for a 6-5 exhibition
victory over the Houston Astros before 29,474 at the Ballpark in Arlington.
Derek Bell's RBI double in the top of the seventh put Houston ahead, 4-3. But Rafael
Palmeiro tied it in the bottom half with a run-scoring double. With runners at second and
third, Shave singled up the middle to give Texas a 6-4 lead.
Tim Crabtree pitched the final 1 1/3 innings, getting two quick outs in the ninth. But
Richard Hidalgo singled, moved up on defensive indifference and scored on Mike Meluskey's
single to slice the margin to 6-5. With closer John Wetteland not slated to pitch until
Saturday, Crabtree preserved the win for Danny Patterson by retiring Ricky Gutierrez on a
groundout.
Royce Clayton and Ivan Rodriguez each had two hits and scored a run for Texas. Rangers
starter Mark Clark went six innings, giving up three runs and nine hits with a walk and
four strikeouts.
Billy Spiers doubled twice and homered and Glen Barker also had a solo shot for the
Astros. Scott Elarton got the loss after starter Mike Hampton yielded three runs and eight
hits in six innings.