Game
147: Sep 15, 1999 (W: 8-3)[ Previous Game | Next Game ]
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Game
147: Sep 15, 1999 (W: 8-3)
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My
Commentary
Although the Twins made it a little interesting in the 9th inning, the Rangers
finally managed to get out in front of a bad team and keep the lead through the
entire game.
For the second game in a row, Twin manager Tom Kelly gambled on one of his pitchers getting Rafael Palmeiro out, and he lost. Last night, it was a two run double to give us this win. Today it was a three run home run to give us a 6-1 lead. Roberto Kelly also chimed in with two home runs of his own - the first off of Minnesota starter Brad Radke, who used to be a teammate of Roberto's when Roberto played in Minnesota; Kelly had never faced him before.
Raffy's 43rd home run of the year gives him a personal best for home runs in a season. Matter of fact, quite a few things happened in today's ballgame:
Since I listened to this at work, I couldn't pay close attention to the game, unfortunately. It was nice to get a win, and head back to the 29 games over 500 mark. Our magic number is now 10, and could be 9 depending on what happens during tonight's play.
-- Joe Siegler
Game Recap
MINNEAPOLIS (TICKER) -- Eric Milton aside, the highlight of the Minnesota Twins' season may have come this afternoon, when they were able to say farewell to the Texas Rangers.
Robert Kelly belted a pair of two-run homers and Rafael Palmeiro established a career high with his 44th of the year as the Rangers completed a season sweep of the Twins with an 8-3 victory.
The Rangers, whose magic number to clinch the American League West was reduced to 10, have won 13 straight over Minnesota dating to last season. In 12 games this year, Texas outscored the Twins, 69-39.
Texas, which swept the season series from an opponent for the first time in franchise history, is 2 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Indians for the best record in the league.
Kelly, who spent 1996 and part of the 1997 season with Minnesota, cleared the plastic wall in right-field in the fourth inning and provided Texas with a five-run advantage by smacking his eighth homer to left in the eighth.
It was his fifth career multi-homer game and his first since August 16, 1998 against the New York Yankees, another of his former teams.
Palmeiro, whose previous career high of 43 homers was set last season with the Baltimore Orioles, drove a 1-0 pitch from Brad Radke (12-14) over the left-field wall with two outs in the seventh to make it 6-1.
A four-time All-Star who is enjoying the best season of his career, Palmeiro is just one homer behind Ken Griffey Jr. for the American League lead and his 139 RBI ranks second in the AL to Manny Ramirez's 144.
Radke, who has dropped two straight following a three-game winning streak, allowed six runs and nine hits over 6 2/3 innings for Minnesota, which is 0-4 since Milton tossed a no-hitter against the Anaheim Angels on Saturday.
Esteban Loaiza (8-4) snapped a personal three-game losing skid by allowing just three runs -- two earned -- and six hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out five while issuing only one walk.
Terry Steinbach hit his fourth homer of the season for the Twins.
Texas finished the season with a 35-17 (.673) record against the AL Central, its second best winning percentage ever against a division. The Rangers went 42-20 (.677) vs. the East in 1996, only to lose to division member New York in the playoffs.
The game, which started at 12:15 p.m. local time, attratced a sparse crowd of 9,706, the 10th time this season the Twins have failed to draw at least 10,000 to the
Metrodome.
Recap #2
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Roberto Kelly had a pair of two-run home runs and Rafael Palmeiro hit his career-high 44th homer to lead the Texas Rangers to a 8-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
The Rangers have won three straight and 13 consecutive games against the Twins. Minnesota won just one game on its nine-game homestand.
Esteban Loaiza (8-4) scattered six hits over 6 1-3 innings to snap a personal three-game losing streak. He allowed two earned runs, while striking out five and walking one.
Kelly, who played with the Twins for two seasons, blasted a 0-2 fastball off Twins starter Brad Radke over the fence in right-center in the fourth inning to give Texas a 3-0 lead.
Palmeiro hit his record-setting home run in the seventh, a three-run shot off Radke (12-14) that gave the Rangers a 6-1 lead. Palmeiro has 139 RBIs, second in the American League behind Cleveland's Manny Ramirez (144).
It was Palmeiro's sixth career home run off Radke.
After Terry Steinbach's two-run home run in the seventh cut the deficit to 6-3, Kelly hit his second homer off reliever Mark Redman.
Kelly went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. He also hit a double in the second. It was his fifth career two-homer game.
It was the second time this season that Loaiza kept the Twins off balance. He pitched six scoreless innings against Minnesota at home on Aug. 4.
Radke pitched 6 2-3 innings, giving up six runs on nine hits. He walked three and struck out two.
The Twins' got their first run in the sixth when Cristian Guzman led off with a single, advanced to third when Ivan Rodriguez's pick-off attempt at first sailed into right field and scored on a Jacque Jones grounder.
GAME NOTES: Texas second baseman Luis Alicea is expected to miss several games after pulling his right calf muscle in the fifth inning of Tuesday's game. ... Oates said he plans to change his starting rotation since the Rangers have three off days in the next nine days, beginning Thursday. ... The Rangers have been in sole possession of first place in the AL West for 120 straight days. ... Eric Milton's no-hitter Saturday was the Twins' only victory on their homestand. ... The Twins haven't beaten the Rangers since Sept. 6, 1998. ... Tom Goodwin stole three bases for the Rangers and has 35 steals this season. ... J.C. Romero made his major league debut for the Twins in the eighth.
Photos
(Click on any of them for
a larger image)
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| Ranger starter Esteban Loaiza | Lee Stevens slams his bat and heads to first, annoyed at having made an easy out | Minnesota third baseman Corey Koskie fields a ball | Roberto Kelly gets congrats from Todd Zeile on the first of his two home runs |
Line Score
AL FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TEXAS 0 1 0 2 0 0 3 2 0 8 12 1
MINNESOTA 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 9 1 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: TEX - ESTEBAN LOAIZA, MIKE VENAFRO (7TH), TIM CRABTREE (8TH)
AND IVAN RODRIGUEZ
MIN - BRAD RADKE, BOB WELLS (7TH), MARK REDMAN (8TH),
JC ROMERO (8TH) AND TERRY STEINBACH
WP - ESTEBAN LOAIZA (8-4)
LP - BRAD RADKE (12-14)
SAVE - NONE
HOME RUNS: TEX - ROBERTO KELLY (7) OFF B RADKE IN THE 4TH, 1 ON
RAFAEL PALMEIRO (44) OFF B RADKE IN THE 7TH, 2 ON
ROBERTO KELLY (8) OFF REDMAN IN THE 8TH, 1 ON
MIN - TERRY STEINBACH (4) OFF LOAIZA IN THE 7TH, 1 ON
TIME: 3:11 ATT: 9,706
PROBABLES: TAM - DAN WHEELER (0-2, 6.75)
TEX - RICK HELLING (13-8, 4.63)
MIN - ERIC MILTON (7-11, 4.64)
SEA - JOHN HALAMA (11-7, 4.10)
Box Score
TEXAS (8) AT MINNESOTA (3) - FINAL
TEXAS ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
Mclemore 2b 4 1 0 0 1 1 2 .277
I Rodriguez c 4 0 1 0 1 1 1 .327
R Palmeiro dh 4 1 1 3 1 0 3 .337
J Gonzalez rf 5 0 3 0 0 0 1 .314
Zeile 3b 5 1 1 0 0 0 3 .297
L Stevens 1b 4 2 1 0 1 0 3 .283
R Kelly lf 4 2 3 4 0 0 1 .317
Clayton ss 4 0 0 1 0 1 0 .274
T Goodwin cf 4 1 2 0 0 0 2 .247
Totals 38 8 12 8 4 3 16
BATTING: 2B - R Kelly (15, B Radke). HR - R Kelly 2 (8, 4th inning
off B Radke 1 on, 2 out, 8th inning off Redman 1 on, 0 out);
R Palmeiro (44, 7th inning off B Radke 2 on, 2 out). RBI - Clayton (43),
R Kelly 4 (36), R Palmeiro 3 (139). 2-out RBI - R Kelly 2, R Palmeiro 3.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - T Goodwin 1, R Palmeiro 2.
GIDP - L Stevens. Team LOB - 7.
BASERUNNING: SB - T Goodwin 3 (35, 2nd base off B Radke/Steinbach 2, 2nd
base off Redman/Steinbach). Picked off - I Rodriguez (1st base, B Radke).
FIELDING: E - I Rodriguez (6, throw). Outfield assists - T Goodwin
(Lawton at 2nd base). DP: 1 (Clayton-L Stevens).
MINNESOTA ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
J Jones cf 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 .288
c-M Cordova ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 .287
Gates 3b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .245
Allen lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 .277
Lawton rf 3 0 2 0 1 0 1 .254
Coomer dh-1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 4 .258
T Walker 2b 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 .286
Steinbach c 3 1 1 2 1 0 0 .291
Koskie 3b 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 .313
a-Hocking ph-3b-cf 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 .276
Mientkiewicz 1b 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 .236
b-T Hunter ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .259
Redman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Romero p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
d-D Ortiz ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000
C Guzman ss 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 .239
e-Cummings ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 .333
Totals 34 3 9 3 2 9 13
a-struck out for Koskie in the 7th; b-grounded to shortstop for
Mientkiewicz in the 7th; c-doubled for J Jones in the 8th;
d-struck out for Romero in the 9th; e-struck out for C Guzman in
the 9th.
BATTING: 2B - M Cordova (26, Venafro). HR - Steinbach (4, 7th inning
off Loaiza 1 on, 1 out). RBI - J Jones (38), Steinbach 2 (38). Runners
left in scoring position, 2 out - Coomer 1, Cummings 2. GIDP - Coomer.
Team LOB - 6.
FIELDING: E - T Walker (7, ground ball). DP: 1 (T Walker-C Guzman-Coomer).
TEXAS ip h r er bb so hr era
Loaiza (W, 8-4) 6 1/3 6 3 2 1 5 1 4.85
Venafro (H, 19) 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 3.25
Crabtree 1 2/3 2 0 0 1 3 0 3.20
MINNESOTA ip h r er bb so hr era
B Radke (L, 12-14) 6 2/3 9 6 6 3 2 2 3.96
B Wells 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.47
Redman 2/3 2 2 2 1 1 1 8.44
Romero 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
WP - Crabtree. Pitches-strikes: B Radke 110-76; B Wells 3-2;
Redman 31-18; Romero 15-10; Loaiza 94-59; Venafro 14-10; Crabtree 36-23.
Ground balls-fly balls: B Radke 13-4; B Wells 1-0; Redman 0-1; Romero 3-1;
Loaiza 8-5; Venafro 2-0; Crabtree 1-1. Batters faced: B Radke 31;
B Wells 1; Redman 6; Romero 4; Loaiza 24; Venafro 4; Crabtree 8.
UMPIRES: HP--Bill Miller. 1B--Al Clark. 2B--Brian Onora. 3B--Dale Scott.
T--3:11. Att--9,706. Indoors.
Texas Starting Lineups -- Mark Mclemore 2B, Ivan Rodriguez C, Rafael Palmeiro DH, Juan Gonzalez RF, Todd Zeile 3B, Lee Stevens 1B, Roberto Kelly LF, Royce Clayton SS, Tom Goodwin CF, Esteban Loaiza RHP.
Minnesota Starting Lineups -- Jacque Jones CF, Chad Allen LF, Matt Lawton RF, Ron Coomer DH, Todd Walker 2B, Terry Steinbach C, Corey Koskie 3B, Doug Mientkiewicz 1B, Cristian Guzman SS, Brad Radke RHP.
Umpires -- Miller (HP), Clark (1B), Onora (2B), Scott (3B).
Gametime Weather: Indoors
TEXAS 1ST: Mclemore grounded out to shortstop. I Rodriguez reached on infield single. I Rodriguez picked off at first, pitcher to first. R Palmeiro walked. J Gonzalez grounded out to first. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, MINNESOTA 0.
MINNESOTA 1ST: J Jones grounded out to first. Allen singled to center. Lawton grounded into fielder's choice to second, Allen out at second. Coomer struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, MINNESOTA 0.
TEXAS 2ND: Zeile singled to center. L Stevens grounded into fielder's choice to pitcher, Zeile out at second. R Kelly doubled to left, L Stevens to third. Clayton grounded out to shortstop, L Stevens scored, R Kelly to third. T Goodwin grounded out to first. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 1, MINNESOTA 0.
MINNESOTA 2ND: T Walker flied out to left. Steinbach flied out to right center. Koskie struck out looking. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 1, MINNESOTA 0.
TEXAS 3RD: Mclemore lined out to shortstop. I Rodriguez struck out swinging. R Palmeiro grounded out to first. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 1, MINNESOTA 0.
MINNESOTA 3RD: Mientkiewicz struck out swinging. C Guzman grounded out to shortstop. J Jones flied out to left. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 1, MINNESOTA 0.
TEXAS 4TH: J Gonzalez reached on infield single. Zeile grounded into fielder's choice to third, J Gonzalez out at second. L Stevens flied out to center. R Kelly homered to right, Zeile scored. Clayton grounded out to third. (2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 3, MINNESOTA 0.
MINNESOTA 4TH: Allen flied out to left center. Lawton walked. Coomer grounded into double play, shortstop to first, Lawton out at second. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 3, MINNESOTA 0.
TEXAS 5TH: T Goodwin singled to center. T Goodwin stole second. Mclemore grounded out to third. I Rodriguez lined out to right. R Palmeiro grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 3, MINNESOTA 0.
MINNESOTA 5TH: T Walker grounded out to pitcher. Steinbach grounded out to second. Koskie reached on infield single. Mientkiewicz struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 3, MINNESOTA 0.
TEXAS 6TH: J Gonzalez lined out to center. Zeile grounded out to second. L Stevens walked. R Kelly grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 3, MINNESOTA 0.
MINNESOTA 6TH: C Guzman singled to right. C Guzman to third on catcher I Rodriguez's throwing error. J Jones grounded out to shortstop, C Guzman scored. Allen fouled out to first. Lawton singled to left center, Lawton out stretching at second. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 1 Error) TEXAS 3, MINNESOTA 1.
TEXAS 7TH: Clayton struck out looking. T Goodwin singled to center. T Goodwin stole second. Mclemore walked. I Rodriguez grounded out to shortstop, T Goodwin to third, Mclemore to second. R Palmeiro homered to left, T Goodwin and Mclemore scored. J Gonzalez singled to left. Bob Wells relieved Brad Radke. Zeile grounded out to shortstop. (3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 6, MINNESOTA 1.
MINNESOTA 7TH: Coomer struck out swinging. T Walker singled to right center. Steinbach homered to left center, T Walker scored. Mike Venafro relieved Esteban Loaiza. Hocking hit for Koskie. Hocking struck out swinging. T Hunter hit for Mientkiewicz. T Hunter grounded out to shortstop. (2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 6, MINNESOTA 3.
TEXAS 8TH: Mark Redman relieved Bob Wells. Coomer at first. Hocking at third. L Stevens singled to right. R Kelly homered to center, L Stevens scored. Clayton popped out to shallow right. T Goodwin safe at first on 2nd baseman T Walker's fielding error. T Goodwin stole second. Mclemore struck out swinging. I Rodriguez walked. Jc Romero relieved Mark Redman. R Palmeiro grounded out to third. (2 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Error) TEXAS 8, MINNESOTA 3.
MINNESOTA 8TH: C Guzman grounded out to second. M Cordova hit for J Jones. M Cordova doubled to right center. Tim Crabtree relieved Mike Venafro. Allen struck out swinging. Lawton reached on infield single, M Cordova to third. Coomer grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 8, MINNESOTA 3.
TEXAS 9TH: Hocking in center. Gates at third. J Gonzalez singled to center. Zeile flied out to center. L Stevens grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, J Gonzalez out at second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 8, MINNESOTA 3.
MINNESOTA 9TH: T Walker reached on infield single. Steinbach walked, T Walker to second. Hocking flied out to center. D Ortiz hit for Romero. T Walker to third, Steinbach to second on Crabtree wild pitch. D Ortiz struck out swinging. Cummings hit for C Guzman. Cummings struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 8, MINNESOTA 3.