My wife and I were at the game, and watching it, I didn’t think Kenny Rogers pitched well at all. However, it was extremely windy, and I’m convinced that the two HR’s that Detroit got were both wind assisted. Neither looked well hit at all, they looked like bloops to right, but they kept going. Kenny’s line was 7.2 innings pitched with 5 runs given up. One was an inherited runner that Jeff Nelson allowed to score, but other than that, if you take away the two home runs, that would make Kenny’s line, that would be only three runs, and one of those three was unearned. I’m convinced the Ballpark cost us this game, and not Kenny’s pitching. Although I’m sure the quotes out there won’t show that.
Detroit hurler Nate Robertson looked great. I was expecting us to stomp on Detroit, and it didn’t happen. I knew they were improved, but they have a much improved team – far better than I think anyone here in Dallas realized. Plus Pudge is hitting as well as he ever has. He got a nice ovation every time up to bat on Sunday’s game.
We hit the road now, going to Tampa Bay and Detroit. We’re not back home again until the 18th. This isn’t a bad road trip, but the really heavy duty road trip from June 28th through July 11th, and then the All-Star game will probably kill us. If we are still in contention after THAT grueling road trip (the last home game is June 27th. The next one after that isn’t until July 16th) then I might start to believe in playoffs. That schedule is death. Whoever allowed that to happen should be shot.
Brett Carre: Damn. That is the one word that comes to mind. Just like in the 1st game of this series, we had a lead in the late innings but couldn’t hold it. A 5-3 loss puts us now at 19-12. That is great, but Anaheim won again today. We are now 2.5 games back. I know it is only May 9 and being down 2.5 games is nothing, but will these guys ever lose? Good news is they play the Yanks and Orioles all next week so we should be able to jump back ahead if we play good on the road. We head to Tampa and Detroit for 3 each. I hope we can manage to win at least 4 out of 6 on this trip. Anything less would be very disappointing. That is just what I think.
Line Score AL FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E - - - - - - - - - - - - DETROIT 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 5 6 1 TEXAS 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 (FINAL) BATTERIES: DET - NATE ROBERTSON, GARY KNOTTS (8TH), UGUETH URBINA (9TH) AND BRANDON INGE TEX - KENNY ROGERS, JEFF NELSON (8TH) AND ROD BARAJAS WP - NATE ROBERTSON (2-2) LP - KENNY ROGERS (4-2) SAVE - UGUETH URBINA (4) HOME RUNS: DET - GREG NORTON (2) OFF KENNY ROGERS IN THE 5TH, 0 ON ALEX SANCHEZ (2) OFF KENNY ROGERS IN THE 8TH, 0 ON TEX - NONE TIME: 2:34 ATT: 25,034 PROBABLES: OAK - BARRY ZITO (2-3, 6.17) DET - JASON JOHNSON (1-5, 6.43) PROBABLES: TEX - RYAN DRESE (2-0, 2.25) TAM - DOUG WAECHTER (1-2, 4.26) Box Score DETROIT (5) VS TEXAS (3) - FINAL DETROIT ab r h rbi bb so lob avg A Sanchez cf 3 2 1 1 1 0 0 .314 C Guillen ss 4 2 2 1 0 0 0 .321 I Rodriguez dh 2 0 0 0 2 2 1 .353 R White lf 4 0 2 2 0 0 1 .316 B Higginson rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .259 C Monroe rf-lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 .227 C Pena 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 .231 B Inge c 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 .303 G Norton 3b 4 1 1 1 0 1 0 .122 O Infante 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .276 Totals 32 5 6 5 3 8 4 BATTING: 2B - C Guillen 2 (8, K Rogers 2). HR - G Norton (2, 5th inning off K Rogers 0 on, 2 Out), A Sanchez (2, 8th inning off K Rogers 0 on, 2 Out). RBI - R White 2 (26), G Norton (2), C Guillen (22), A Sanchez (12). 2-out RBI - G Norton, A Sanchez, R White. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - C Monroe 1. Team LOB - 3. BASERUNNING: SB - A Sanchez (5, 2nd base off K Rogers/R Barajas). FIELDING: E - C Guillen (4, ground ball). TEXAS ab r h rbi bb so lob avg M Young ss 3 0 0 0 1 1 2 .368 H Blalock 3b 4 0 0 0 0 3 1 .321 A Soriano 2b 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .325 H Perry dh 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 .280 a-B Fullmer ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .237 M Teixeira 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .211 B Jordan rf 3 2 1 1 1 1 0 .115 E Young lf 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 .340 K Mench cf 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 .312 R Barajas c 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 .306 Totals 29 3 3 3 2 8 7 a-flied out to left for H Perry in the 9th. BATTING: 2B - B Jordan (2, N Robertson). SF - K Mench. RBI - B Jordan (2), R Barajas (8), K Mench (13). 2-out RBI - R Barajas. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - M Young 1. Team LOB - 3. BASERUNNING: CS - E Young (4, 2nd base by N Robertson/B Inge). FIELDING: E - M Teixeira (3, throw). Outfield assists - E Young (R White at 2nd base). ---------------------------------------------------- DETROIT - 000 111 020 -- 5 TEXAS - 020 100 000 -- 3 ---------------------------------------------------- DETROIT ip h r er bb so hr era N Robertson (W, 2-2) 7 2/3 3 3 1 2 7 0 5.40 G Knotts (H, 1) 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.32 U Urbina (S, 4) 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.61 TEXAS ip h r er bb so hr era K Rogers (L, 4-2) 7 2/3 5 5 4 2 7 2 3.54 J Nelson 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 4.26 WP - N Robertson. HBP - K Mench (by N Robertson). Pitches-strikes: N Robertson 98-65; G Knotts 8-5; U Urbina 9-6; K Rogers 110-70; J Nelson 21-13. Ground balls-fly balls: N Robertson 4-11; G Knotts 0-1; U Urbina 0-2; K Rogers 9-6; J Nelson 1-2. Batters faced: N Robertson 29; G Knotts 1; U Urbina 3; K Rogers 29; J Nelson 6. UMPIRES: HP--John Hirschbeck. 1B--Wally Bell. 2B--Laz Diaz. 3B--Matt Hollowell. T--2:34. Att--25,034. Weather: 76 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 18 mph, in from right.