This was an odd game for me. My adopted team (Rangers) vs my hometown team (Phillies). I’d always wanted this to happen. Finally did (outside of spring training in FL). So it was with much anticipation I drove to the Cheesesteak place not too far from my house to pick up a couple for my wife and I to eat during the game. I pulled up, and the place was gone. Out of business. That was an omen for the Rangers for the night, and sort of put me in a down mood, as I was really in the mood for that. I didn’t really know what to do with my baseball loyalties, as I didn’t really care who won the game.
When I got home, I was about an hour behind the live game on my TiVo, and my brother called me. Wanted to know if I was watching (dumb question). I said yeah, but I’m an hour behind, and while he didn’t tell me the score, he told me enough that the Rangers got torched. The way he told it, it seemed like we gave up 8 runs in the third inning. We did give up a bunch, but it wasn’t as all horriffic as my brother made it sound. Note to self. Don’t answer phone calls when watching games behind on the TiVo.
Ryan Drese, however, looked bad. It was his shortest outing this year, only 2.2IP. He gave up 5 runs on 8 hits. The other three were given up by Ron Mahay in his .1 IP. A scary thing is how well Benoit has been pitching out of the pen. I read where they’re thinking of trying him in the starting rotation again. Have we not learned our lesson with him? He’ll go there and stink up the joint. Leave him in relief where he’s finally doing good.
Offensively we were powered primarily by the longball again. In Philadelphia, that’s an easy thing to do in the new park. We had two run home runs by Hank Blalock and Rod Barajas for a four spot in the fourth. We tacked on another one in the 8th on a Mike Young solo home run. That gives Young a hitting streak of 16 games, and I believe 10 or 11 games where he’s also scored a run in a row. Soriano who was hurt somewhat came in and pinch hit, and extended his own hitting streak to 12 games.
When the Phanatic was in Philadelphia recently, Rangers Captain had let out that he was going to Philly. If he was there, he wasn’t on the TV coverage last night.
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