Game 26: May 3, 1999 (L: 10-4)
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Commentary (by me)

Very sloppy game, and our offense did the "get it all at once" theory which seems to be the norm so far this year.  However, when the "all at once" is only 4, and you give up double digits, you can see what happened.

We committed four errors, and this was generally a rather bad played game overall.  The Rangers historically always seem to be a rather bad team on a day game after a night game.  Don't know how much else to talk about this.  To quote one of Jim's earlier commentaries..  "Ugly, ugly, ugly!".    I had a more interesting time seeing "The Matrix" yesterday than I did listening to this game!

Commentary (by Jim Meeks)

The Rangers played sloppily Monday in all stages and lost to the Cleveland Indians 10-4.

Kenny Lofton was the big stars for the Indians, gathering 4 hits and 4 RBI, including a homer.

The Rangers had only 6 hits, none for extra bases. Rafael Palmeiro had 2 of the hits, raising his average to .329. Lee Stevens bounced into 2 double plays, effectively stymying whatever chance the Rangers had. At one point in the 3rd inning, the Rangers rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie the game, but that was all the runs they would get.

The Red Shoes also committed 4 errors, leading to 2 unearned runs.

Starter Mike Morgan was unusually bad, perhaps bothered with the flu or perhaps he just a bad outing. His 5 runs in 3 innings was by far his worst outing of the year, raising his ERA to 4.05.

Game Recap

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER) -- Kenny Lofton had four hits, four RBI and scored twice to pace a 16-hit attack as the Cleveland Indians completed an 11-game road trip with a 10-4 pounding of the Texas Rangers.

Every hitter in the Indians lineup had a hit, except Jim Thome -- who walked four times, and everyone scored at least once.

Manny Ramirez had two RBI and Lofton's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning put the Indians on top for good, 5-4, after they blew an early four-run advantage.

Jaret Wright (3-0) settled down after allowing four runs -- three earned -- in the third inning. He did not give up a run over the next three innings and finished with four strikeouts and two walks while surrendering six hits.

"Wright had a solid start, I'll take that anytime," Indians manager Mike Hargrove said. "He had one tough inning but he kept his composure. In past starts when that would happen, Jaret would try to throw harder. But today he took a step back and pitched through it."

"I've said this before, I can give up three or four runs in five or six innings because I know my guys can score," said Wright. "It takes a little pressure off because I know this team can hit and score some runs."

The Indians, who completed a 7-4 trip, begin an eight-game homestand on Wednesday against Seattle.

"It was a good road trip for us," Hargrove said. "Anytime you have a long trip and play the teams we've played, and to come out 7-4, you have to feel good about it."

Mike Morgan (4-2) lasted only three innings, his shortest stint in five starts this season. He yielded five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits, striking out three and walking one for the Rangers, who did not record a hit after the fourth.

"I don't make excuses," said Morgan, who pitched with a touch of the flu. "Once I take the ball, I'm ready to go. We win together as a team and we lose as a team. We split the series with them. It's just one game in the books and I know we have to go out on a road trip.

Richie Sexson led off the fourth inning with a single to center and Sandy Alomar followed with a single to right. Esteban Loaiza relieved Morgan, but both runners advanced on catcher Gregg Zaun's errant attempt to pick Sexson off second.

Lofton followed with the sacrifice fly that gave the Indians the lead.

Cleveland added a run in the fifth on Travis Fryman's RBI single and Ramirez's two-run single in the sixth made it 8-4. Lofton delivered an RBI single in the seventh and an error by third baseman Todd Zeile in the eighth allowed Ramirez to scamper home with the Indians' final run.

Cleveland apparently took control in the second, getting to Morgan for four quick runs. Alomar opened the scoring with an RBI groundout, Einar Diaz drove in a run with single to center and Lofton followed with a two-run homer, his third of the season.

"(Morgan) wasn't on his deathbed," said Rangers manager Johnny Oates. "He had the flu just like I have. It's called throwing a curveball right down the middle to Lofton."

But Texas took advantage on Wright's wildness to tie the game in the third. Zaun led off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch by Wright, who walked rookie Kelly Dransfeldt and Tom Goodwin. Mark McLemore's single to left plated two runs.

Rusty Greer bounced back to Wright, who tried to turn a double play but threw the ball into center field, allowing Goodwin to score and sending McLemore to third. Juan Gonzalez tied it with a sacrifice fly.

Photos
(Click on any of them for a larger image

Kenny Lofton watches his 2nd inning HR sail	Jim Thome gets to second on a misplay by Dransfeldt	"This sucks!"	Kelly Dransfeldt breaks up a double play in the 4th	Mac makes the tag at second

Box Score

Line Score
AL  FINAL
                    1  2  3   4  5  6   7  8  9     R  H  E
                    -  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -     -  -  -
CLEVELAND           0  4  0   1  1  2   1  1  0    10 16  2
TEXAS               0  0  4   0  0  0   0  0  0     4  6  4   (FINAL)

BATTERIES:  CLE - JARET WRIGHT, MARK LANGSTON (7TH), STEVE
                  KARSAY (9TH) AND EINAR DIAZ
            TEX - MIKE MORGAN, ESTEBAN LOAIZA (4TH), ERIC
                  GUNDERSON (6TH), DANNY PATTERSON (6TH), MIKE
                  MUNOZ (7TH), TIM CRABTREE (9TH) AND GREGG ZAUN

             WP - JARET WRIGHT (3-0)
             LP - MIKE MORGAN (4-2)
           SAVE - NONE

HOME RUNS:  CLE - KENNY LOFTON (3) OFF MORGAN IN THE 2ND, 1 ON
            TEX - NONE

     TIME:  3:01     ATT:  31,181

PROBABLES:  SEA - JEFF FASSERO (0-3, 6.87)
            CLE - DAVE BURBA (2-0, 3.03)

            TEX - RICK HELLING (2-3, 7.18)
            BOS - PAT RAPP (1-1, 5.85)



Box Score
CLEVELAND (10) AT TEXAS (4) - FINAL

CLEVELAND              ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
Lofton cf               5  2  4  4   0  0   2  .369
E Wilson ss             6  1  2  0   0  1   3  .239
R Alomar 2b             5  1  2  0   1  1   2  .327
M Ramirez rf            5  1  2  2   0  2   2  .327
Thome 1b                1  1  0  0   4  1   0  .287
Fryman 3b               5  1  2  1   0  0   5  .281
Sexson lf               5  1  1  0   0  2   4  .236
S Alomar dh             5  1  2  1   0  1   4  .322
E Diaz c                5  1  1  1   0  0   3  .261

Totals                 42 10 16  9   5  8  25

BATTING: 2B - E Wilson (2, Morgan); R Alomar (9, Loaiza);
S Alomar (6, D Patterson). HR - Lofton (3, 2nd inning off Morgan
1 on, 2 out). SF - Lofton. RBI - S Alomar (12), E Diaz (8), Lofton 4 (13),
Fryman (14), M Ramirez 2 (34). 2-out RBI - E Diaz, Lofton 3. Runners
left in scoring position, 2 out - R Alomar 1, E Wilson 2, S Alomar 2.
GIDP - Fryman.  Team LOB - 11.

BASERUNNING: SB - E Diaz (2, 2nd base off Morgan/Zaun).
CS - Lofton (1, 2nd base by Morgan/Zaun).

FIELDING: E - Wright (1, throw); E Wilson (2, throw).
DP: 2 (R Alomar-E Wilson-Thome, E Wilson-R Alomar-Thome).

TEXAS                  ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
T Goodwin cf            3  1  1  0   1  0   1  .214
Mclemore 2b             3  1  1  2   1  0   1  .279
Greer lf                4  0  0  0   0  0   4  .303
J Gonzalez rf           3  0  0  1   0  1   3  .297
R Palmeiro dh           4  0  2  0   0  1   1  .329
Zeile 3b                4  0  0  0   0  1   4  .242
L Stevens 1b            4  0  0  0   0  2   4  .337
Zaun c                  4  1  1  0   0  0   0  .200
Dransfeldt ss           2  1  1  0   1  0   0  .300

Totals                 31  4  6  3   3  5  18

BATTING: SF - J Gonzalez. RBI - Mclemore 2 (6), J Gonzalez (21).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - J Gonzalez 1,
L Stevens 1. GIDP - L Stevens 2.  Team LOB - 4.

BASERUNNING: SB - T Goodwin (13, 2nd base off Wright/E Diaz).
CS - T Goodwin (3, 2nd base by Wright/E Diaz).

FIELDING: E - Zaun (2, throw); Greer (1, bobble); Zeile (3,
ground ball); Dransfeldt (1, ground ball).
DP: 1 (Mclemore-Dransfeldt-L Stevens).

CLEVELAND                    ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
Wright (W, 3-0)               6       6   4   3   2   4   0   5.66
Langston                      2       0   0   0   1   1   0   2.89
Karsay                        1       0   0   0   0   0   0   3.26

TEXAS                        ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
Morgan (L, 4-2)               3       8   5   4   1   3   1   4.05
Loaiza                        2 1/3   5   3   3   2   3   0   6.86
Gunderson                     0       0   0   0   1   0   0   7.71
D Patterson                   1 1/3   1   1   1   0   1   0   7.56
M Munoz                       1 1/3   2   1   0   1   1   0   3.97
Crabtree                      1       0   0   0   0   0   0   5.63

Morgan pitched to 2 batters in the 4th.
Gunderson pitched to 1 batter in the 6th.

WP - Wright. IBB - Thome (by Loaiza).  Pitches-strikes: Morgan 68-38;
Loaiza 50-32; Gunderson 4-0; D Patterson 12-10; M Munoz 31-19;
Crabtree 14-9; Wright 92-54; Langston 27-14; Karsay 6-5.  Ground
balls-fly balls: Morgan 4-1; Loaiza 1-3; Gunderson 0-0; D Patterson 3-0;
M Munoz 2-1; Crabtree 2-1; Wright 6-7; Langston 3-2; Karsay 3-0.
Batters faced: Morgan 17; Loaiza 14; Gunderson 1; D Patterson 4;
M Munoz 8; Crabtree 4; Wright 25; Langston 7; Karsay 3.

UMPIRES: HP--Larry Young. 1B--Gary Cederstrom. 2B--Drew Coble.
3B--Brian Onora.
T--3:01.  Att--31,181.   Weather: 77 degrees, cloudy.   Wind: 17 mph,
in from right.

Game Log

Cleveland Starting Lineups -- Kenny Lofton CF, Enrique Wilson SS, Roberto Alomar 2B, Manny Ramirez RF, Jim Thome 1B, Travis Fryman 3B, Richie Sexson LF, Sandy Alomar Jr DH, Einar Diaz C, Jaret Wright RHP.

Texas Starting Lineups -- Tom Goodwin CF, Mark Mclemore 2B, Rusty Greer LF, Juan Gonzalez RF, Rafael Palmeiro DH, Todd Zeile 3B, Lee Stevens 1B, Gregg Zaun C, Kelly Dransfeldt SS, Mike Morgan RHP.

Umpires -- Young (HP), Cederstrom (1B), Coble (2B), Onora (3B).

Gametime Weather: 77 degrees, Cloudy, wind in from right at 17 mph.

CLEVELAND 1ST: Lofton singled to right. Lofton caught stealing, catcher to second. E Wilson grounded out to second. R Alomar singled to center. M Ramirez struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 0, TEXAS 0.

TEXAS 1ST: T Goodwin singled to center. Mclemore grounded out to first. Greer flied out to right. T Goodwin stole second. J Gonzalez struck out looking. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 0, TEXAS 0.

CLEVELAND 2ND: Thome walked. Fryman singled to shallow right, Thome to second. Sexson flied out to deep center, Thome to third, Fryman to second. S Alomar grounded out to second, Thome scored, Fryman to third. E Diaz singled to center, Fryman scored. E Diaz stole second. Lofton homered to right, E Diaz scored. E Wilson doubled to deep right center. R Alomar struck out swinging. (4 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 4, TEXAS 0.

TEXAS 2ND: R Palmeiro singled to center. Zeile flied out to center. L Stevens grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, R Palmeiro out at second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 4, TEXAS 0.

CLEVELAND 3RD: M Ramirez grounded out to shortstop. Thome struck out swinging. Fryman grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 4, TEXAS 0.

TEXAS 3RD: Zaun singled to right. Zaun to second on Wright wild pitch. Dransfeldt walked. T Goodwin walked, Zaun to third, Dransfeldt to second. Mclemore singled to left, Zaun and Dransfeldt scored, T Goodwin to second. Greer grounded into fielder's choice to pitcher, T Goodwin scored, Mclemore safe at third pitcher Wright's throwing error. J Gonzalez hit sacrifice fly to deep center, Mclemore scored. R Palmeiro singled to right, Greer to third. Zeile struck out swinging. L Stevens struck out swinging. (4 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Error) CLEVELAND 4, TEXAS 4.

CLEVELAND 4TH: Sexson singled to center. S Alomar singled to right, Sexson to second. Esteban Loaiza relieved Mike Morgan. Sexson to third, S Alomar to second on catcher Zaun's throwing error. E Diaz grounded out to third. Lofton hit sacrifice fly to right, Sexson scored. E Wilson flied out to left. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 1 Error) CLEVELAND 5, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 4TH: Zaun popped out to second. Dransfeldt singled to center. T Goodwin grounded into fielder's choice to first, Dransfeldt out at second. T Goodwin caught stealing, catcher to shortstop. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 5, TEXAS 4.

CLEVELAND 5TH: R Alomar doubled to left center. M Ramirez struck out swinging. Thome intentionally walked. Fryman singled to left, R Alomar scored, Thome to second. Sexson struck out swinging. S Alomar struck out swinging. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 6, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 5TH: Mclemore grounded out to pitcher. Greer popped out to shortstop. J Gonzalez flied out to shallow right. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 6, TEXAS 4.

CLEVELAND 6TH: E Diaz lined out to shortstop. Lofton singled to center. E Wilson singled to left, Lofton to third. R Alomar walked, E Wilson to second. M Ramirez singled to center, Lofton and E Wilson scored, R Alomar to second. Eric Gunderson relieved Esteban Loaiza. Thome walked, R Alomar to third, M Ramirez to second. Danny Patterson relieved Eric Gunderson. Fryman grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Thome out at second. (2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 8, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 6TH: R Palmeiro grounded out to first. Zeile flied out to left center. L Stevens struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 8, TEXAS 4.

CLEVELAND 7TH: Sexson struck out swinging. S Alomar doubled to deep left. E Diaz grounded out to third. Mike Munoz relieved Danny Patterson. Lofton singled to left, S Alomar scored. Lofton to second on left fielder Greer's fielding error. E Wilson struck out looking. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 1 Error) CLEVELAND 9, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 7TH: Mark Langston relieved Jaret Wright. Zaun grounded out to third. Dransfeldt grounded out to shortstop. T Goodwin grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 9, TEXAS 4.

CLEVELAND 8TH: R Alomar grounded out to third. M Ramirez singled to left center. Thome walked, M Ramirez to second. Fryman safe at first on 3rd baseman Zeile's fielding error, M Ramirez scored, Thome to second. Sexson flied out to left. S Alomar grounded out to catcher. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 1 Error) CLEVELAND 10, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 8TH: Mclemore walked. Greer flied out to center. J Gonzalez flied out to right. R Palmeiro struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) CLEVELAND 10, TEXAS 4.

CLEVELAND 9TH: Tim Crabtree relieved Mike Munoz. E Diaz grounded out to shortstop. Lofton safe at first on shortstop Dransfeldt's fielding error. E Wilson flied out to center. R Alomar grounded out to first. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 Error) CLEVELAND 10, TEXAS 4.

TEXAS 9TH: Steve Karsay relieved Mark Langston. Zeile safe at first on shortstop E Wilson's throwing error. L Stevens grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, Zeile out at second. Zaun grounded out to second. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 Error) CLEVELAND 10, TEXAS 4.