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Vicente Padilla started this game, and for the first six innings, looked like the good Padilla we’ve seen for the majority of 2008. Then the seventh inning showed up, which was the same place the Rangers fell apart last night, too.
Vicente Padilla & Warner Madrigal gave up a big time stinky pile of… in the seventh. The Tigers scored nine times. Was one of those stupid ugly moments, so I’ll post the play by play..

Tigers 7th (Tigers 10, Rangers 3) — C. Guillen walks. G. Sheffield singles to shallow center field, C. Guillen to 3rd. M. Joyce hits a home run to right field on a 1-2 pitch, C. Guillen scores; G. Sheffield scores. E. Renteria hits a home run to right-center field on a 2-1 pitch. Pitcher Change: W. Madrigal replaces V. Padilla. B. Inge strikes out swinging. C. Granderson walks. R. Santiago singles to center field, C. Granderson to 3rd. M. Ordonez singles to left field, C. Granderson scores; R. Santiago to 3rd. M. Cabrera grounds into a force out, M. Young to J. Arias, R. Santiago scores; M. Ordonez out at 2nd. C. Guillen singles to center field, M. Cabrera to 3rd. G. Sheffield walks, C. Guillen to 2nd. M. Joyce reaches on fielding error by J. Hamilton, M. Cabrera scores; C. Guillen scores; G. Sheffield scores; M. Joyce to 2nd. Pitcher Change: J. Rupe replaces W. Madrigal. E. Renteria lines out to J. Hamilton. (9 Runs, 6 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)

The only real good moment of the game was a three run home run by Chris Davis, who accounted for all the Rangers offense with that swing of the bat. We ran into our old (brief) friend Armando Galarraga. Take away Davis’ home run, and Armando gave up no other runs, just those three, and looked pretty darned good.
I missed most of this game, fortunately I did not see the carnage in the 7th, but I did see Davis’ home run.
Again. Meh.

The Rangers had 12 hits in all. Six of them were doubles. That’s one of the few completely consistent stats we have this year. We’re leading the universe in doubles. Wasn’t enough.
Scott Feldman started, and technically thew a quality start (6IP, 5H, 3ER, 4BB), but it didn’t feel like it. At least I don’t remember it going that way as I write about the game three days later. Scott only had 94 pitches when he was taken out, but was apparently out of gas. His line shows six innings pitched, but he did give up three earned runs. Those were all in the seventh. That was the start of a couple of ugly innings, as the Rangers game up four spots in two consecutive innings. The second four were all unearned on the card of Jamey Wright. Those were due to a big ol’ ugly error by Travis Metcalf leading to four unearned runs.
Offensively, there were the aforementioned six doubles, and the other six hits were all singles. The four we got in the bottom of the eighth was a morale booster, but the game just find of felt “gone” after we went down 8-3 in the top of the eighth.
Meh.

No time to write this one.

First off, I didn’t see any of this game, so I can’t tell you how Matt Harrison’s pitches were looking. Didn’t listen, either. I was out at a Grand Prairie AirHogs game. Was the first one of those I attended. Was a nice little place, but given that I didn’t get home till about 11PM, I wasn’t about to START watching the Rangers game, so I just checked out the score.
What’s funny is on the ride out to the AirHogs game, I was discussing the Rangers pitching staff with the other guys in the car. I found myself preaching the line of “Well, you can’t just throw any old kid out thre and expect them to go 13-4 with a 3.16 ERA. They’re going to have 3-4 outings where their ERA is 18+, then one absolute gem. We got one of the gems tonight from Matt Harrison. Eight innings, three hits, NO WALKS, and eight strikeouts. Was a very spectacular outing. Which was needed, because our offense wasn’t terribly special, although we led from the first pitch of the game, a big home run ball by Ian Kinsler.
Random note. If Michael Young wants another 200 hit season, he has to go on a tear. He needs 55 hits in the 38 remaining games. Not impossible mind you, but he needs more 3-4 games than 1-4’s the way out. A lot of them.
To wrap it up.. Tom Hicks could learn a lesson from the AirHogs. FREE PARKING!

After our playoff hopes effectively died in Boston, we limped home, hoping that Kevin Millwood’s return from the DL would make a change, coupled with being at home.
Nope.
They were just as bad as they were on the road. Well… It’s not totally our fault. Matt Garza pitched a whale of a game. A complete game, 119 pitch, two hit shutout of Texas. It probably should have been just one hit, there was a play by the centerfielder that I thought should have been an error. At the minimum it was a rather rough call for the official scorer. Yeah, we have a few guys who can hit, but anyone knows you can be totally shut down by a pitching performance like that.
This makes two consecutive games we were shut out. 7-0 this game, and 10-0 in Boston. To add extra flavor that thought, the last home game before this one was a 3-0 loss to the Yankees, as well. :(
It feels like April again.

Anyone who has been watching my site for awhile has seen this graphic before. However, I think it’s time to update it for the 2008 season. I would like to think this applies. While you’re at it, take a listen to this wav file from the Simpsons. It too applies.

No time to write about this game, got too busy with other projects.