Game 66: June 18, 1999 (W: 3-1)
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Commentary (by me)

I didn't see much of this game, as my wife and went out and did some shopping before we headed out on our trip to Houston this weekend to see the Astros in Houston.    I saw the first three innings, and when I left, it was 1-0 Red Sox. 

When I came home, it was a much nicer game.  Looking at the box score, we had some great pitching again - I'm surprised they didn't give Wetteland a shot at another save, but I guess he needed a break in these situations.

Didn't get to see much, but it's nice to win 3 in a row again.  I hope we can pull out at least 3 of 4 in Boston.   Not going to update again until Monday afternoon, so I won't have commentary for the next two days when I do get back to updating, as I'll be out of touch and won't be able to see any of the games.

Commentary (by Jim Meeks)

Not available.

Game Recap

BOSTON (TICKER) -- After bouncing around with 11 teams in a major league career dating back to 1978, Mike Morgan finally beat the Boston Red Sox.

Morgan and Jeff Zimmerman combined on a three-hitter and Lee Stevens hit a tie-breaking solo homer and drove in two runs to lead the Texas Rangers to a 4-1 victory over the Red Sox.

Morgan (7-5) had earned a win against every American and National League team, discounting recent expansion teams Arizona and Tampa Bay, with the exception of the Red Sox, against whom he was 0-6 with a 5.68 ERA in his career before tonight.

But the 39-year-old righthander finally ended the jinx. He pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed just one run -- a solo homer to Troy O'Leary in the second inning -- and three hits.

Meanwhile, Zimmerman continued his dominance and earned his first major league save with 2 2/3 hitless innings. He lowered his ERA to 1.03 and has yielded just five runs and 15 hits in 43 2/3 innings this season.

Stevens hit a 435-foot homer to right-center to snap a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning and added an RBI single in the eighth for the Rangers, who extended their winning streak to three games.

Mark Portugal (3-6) suffered the loss despite yielding two runs and four hits in seven innings.

Photos
(Click on any of them for a larger image

Ranger starter Mike Morgan	Nomar doesn't like being called out at first	Ruben climbs the green monster to make an out	Darren Lewis gets back to first

Box Score

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

BATTERIES:  TEX - MIKE MORGAN, JEFF ZIMMERMAN (7TH) AND GREGG
                  ZAUN
            BOS - MARK PORTUGAL, RHEAL CORMIER (8TH), DEREK LOWE
                  (8TH) AND JASON VARITEK

             WP - MIKE MORGAN (7-5)
             LP - MARK PORTUGAL (3-6)
           SAVE - JEFF ZIMMERMAN (1)

HOME RUNS:  TEX - LEE STEVENS (12) OFF PORTUGAL IN THE 6TH, 0 ON
            BOS - TROY OLEARY (13) OFF MORGAN IN THE 2ND, 0 ON

     TIME:  2:25     ATT:  31,427

PROBABLES:  TEX - MARK CLARK (3-6, 8.38)
            BOS - JIN HO CHO (0-0, 3.00)

Box Score
TEXAS (4) AT BOSTON (1) - FINAL

TEXAS                  ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
Mclemore 2b             3  0  0  0   2  0   0  .288
Greer lf                5  1  3  0   0  0   0  .285
R Palmeiro dh           4  0  0  0   1  0   5  .349
J Gonzalez rf           4  2  2  0   0  0   1  .306
L Stevens 1b            4  1  2  2   0  0   1  .308
Zeile 3b                3  0  0  1   1  0   1  .254
Mateo cf                4  0  0  0   0  1   3  .179
Zaun c                  4  0  1  1   0  0   0  .226
Clayton ss              4  0  0  0   0  1   2  .235

Totals                 35  4  8  4   4  2  13

BATTING: 2B - Greer (23, D Lowe). HR - L Stevens (12, 6th inning
off Portugal 0 on, 1 out). RBI - Zaun (5), L Stevens 2 (36),
Zeile (34). 2-out RBI - Zaun. Runners left in scoring position,
2 out - R Palmeiro 3, Clayton 1, Mateo 1. Team LOB - 8.

BASERUNNING: SB - Greer (2, 3rd base off R Cormier/Varitek).

FIELDING: DP: 1 (Clayton-Mclemore-L Stevens).

BOSTON                 ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
Offerman 2b             4  0  0  0   0  1   1  .300
John Valentin 3b        4  0  0  0   0  0   0  .250
Daubach dh              4  0  1  0   0  2   0  .311
N Garciaparra ss        4  0  1  0   0  0   1  .323
Oleary lf               3  1  1  1   1  0   1  .302
Stanley 1b              3  0  0  0   0  1   2  .271
Varitek c               2  0  0  0   1  0   0  .242
D Lewis cf              2  0  0  0   1  0   1  .247
T Nixon rf              3  0  0  0   0  0   0  .228

Totals                 29  1  3  1   3  4   6

BATTING: 2B - Daubach (14, Morgan); N Garciaparra (17, Morgan).
HR - Oleary (13, 2nd inning off Morgan 0 on, 1 out). RBI -
Oleary (40). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - Stanley 1,
Offerman 1, Oleary 1. GIDP - D Lewis. Team LOB - 4.

FIELDING: E - Offerman (9, throw).

TEXAS                        ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
Morgan (W, 7-5)               6 1/3   3   1   1   3   2   1   5.88
Je Zimmerman (S, 1)           2 2/3   0   0   0   0   2   0   1.03

BOSTON                       ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
Portugal (L, 3-6)             7       4   2   2   3   2   1   5.56
R Cormier                       1/3   3   2   2   0   0   0   4.80
D Lowe                        1 2/3   1   0   0   1   0   0   3.92

Pitches-strikes: Portugal 93-57; R Cormier 14-9; D Lowe 33-21;
Morgan 93-52; Je Zimmerman 23-17.  Ground balls-fly balls:
Portugal 7-12; R Cormier 0-1; D Lowe 4-1; Morgan 13-4; Je Zimmerman
3-3.  Batters faced: Portugal 28; R Cormier 4; D Lowe 7; Morgan 25;
Je Zimmerman 7.

UMPIRES: HP--Greg Kosc. 1B--Dan Morrison. 2B--Ed Hickox.
3B--Larry Barnett.
T--2:25.  Att--31,427.   Weather: 68 degrees, clear.   Wind: 10 mph,
right to left.

Game Log

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

Boston Starting Lineups -- Jose Offerman 2B, John Valentin 3B, Brian Daubach DH, Nomar Garciaparra SS, Troy Oleary LF, Mike Stanley 1B, Jason Varitek C, Darren Lewis CF, Trot Nixon RF, Mark Portugal RHP.

Umpires -- Kosc (HP), Morrison (1B), Hickox (2B), L Barnett (3B).

Gametime Weather: 68 degrees, Clear, wind right to left at 10 mph.

TEXAS 1ST: Mclemore flied out to right. Greer grounded out to second. R Palmeiro walked. J Gonzalez popped out to shallow left. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, BOSTON 0.

BOSTON 1ST: Offerman grounded out to third. John Valentin grounded out to shortstop. Daubach struck out looking. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, BOSTON 0.

TEXAS 2ND: L Stevens flied out to shallow center. Zeile flied out to right. Mateo flied out to left. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, BOSTON 0.

BOSTON 2ND: N Garciaparra grounded out to shortstop. Oleary homered to left center. Stanley struck out swinging. Varitek grounded out to second. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, BOSTON 1.

TEXAS 3RD: Zaun flied out to right. Clayton grounded out to first. Mclemore walked. Greer singled to right, Mclemore to second. R Palmeiro grounded out to pitcher. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, BOSTON 1.

BOSTON 3RD: D Lewis lined out to first. T Nixon grounded out to shortstop. Offerman flied out to deep left center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, BOSTON 1.

TEXAS 4TH: J Gonzalez singled to left. L Stevens fouled out to third. Zeile walked, J Gonzalez to second. Mateo flied out to deep left. Zaun singled to center, J Gonzalez scored, Zeile to second. Clayton struck out looking. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 1, BOSTON 1.

BOSTON 4TH: John Valentin grounded out to third. Daubach doubled to left. N Garciaparra lined out to second. Oleary walked. Stanley grounded out to second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 1, BOSTON 1.

TEXAS 5TH: Mclemore grounded out to first. Greer grounded out to second. R Palmeiro flied out to shallow center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 1, BOSTON 1.

BOSTON 5TH: Varitek grounded out to pitcher. D Lewis walked. T Nixon grounded out to second, D Lewis to second. Offerman grounded out to pitcher. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 1, BOSTON 1.

TEXAS 6TH: J Gonzalez popped out to shallow right. L Stevens homered to right center. Zeile grounded out to third. Mateo struck out looking. (1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 2, BOSTON 1.

BOSTON 6TH: John Valentin grounded out to third. Daubach flied out to shallow left. N Garciaparra doubled to left. Oleary grounded out to second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 2, BOSTON 1.

TEXAS 7TH: Zaun flied out to left. Clayton grounded out to shortstop. Mclemore flied out to deep left. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 2, BOSTON 1.

BOSTON 7TH: Stanley grounded out to third. Varitek walked. Jeff Zimmerman relieved Mike Morgan. D Lewis grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, Varitek out at second. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 2, BOSTON 1.

TEXAS 8TH: Rheal Cormier relieved Mark Portugal. Greer singled to left. R Palmeiro flied out to deep center. J Gonzalez singled to center, Greer to second. Greer stole third. L Stevens singled to right, Greer scored, J Gonzalez to third. Derek Lowe relieved Rheal Cormier. Zeile grounded into fielder's choice to third, J Gonzalez scored, L Stevens out at second. Zeile to second on 2nd baseman Offerman's throwing error. Mateo flied out to deep center. (2 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Error) TEXAS 4, BOSTON 1.

BOSTON 8TH: T Nixon flied out to right center. Offerman struck out looking. John Valentin flied out to right. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 4, BOSTON 1.

TEXAS 9TH: Zaun grounded out to third. Clayton grounded out to shortstop. Mclemore walked. Greer doubled to right, Mclemore to third. R Palmeiro grounded into fielder's choice to third, Greer out at third. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 4, BOSTON 1.

BOSTON 9TH: Daubach struck out looking. N Garciaparra grounded out to third. Oleary fouled out to first. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 4, BOSTON 1.