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The “home team” version of the official mlb.com recap for this game had the title “Rangers’ pain continues”. That’s certainly true. This game was mostly painful, except for the bottom of the fourth.
First off, it was against the Red Sox. Now if you go back and read my game recaps for the last several years, I used to enjoy going to Red Sox games. In fact, they were my favorite opponent to see come into town. The games were always good, I liked a lot of the other players. That’s not the case anymore, and it’s pretty much the same reason I don’t like going to Yankees games here. Stands are full of jerk visiting fans. Now I know I’m generalizing, and they’re not all that way, but since the Sox won a few years ago, they have become the Yankees. Both in spending habits of the team, and of their fans, who are quite proud (especially when filled with liquid libido) to inform you of such. And as to the general suckiness of your team, you yourself, and your grandmother. It’s turned me off of going to Sox games. I went to opening day, because, well, it was opening day. But I would have enjoyed that better if it was someone else. Even the Kansas City Royals or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Only satisfaction is that the jerk Sox fans out there last night got wet. On the other hand, one of the best moments I was ever at was that “SWEEP” the Homies started a few years ago when the Sox were in town. Now that my rant is out of the way…
This game started off like most did, with the Rangers playing from behind early. This time it was a 4-0 deficit after the top of the second. One of the worst things you can do as a pitcher happened this frame – McCarthy walked the bases loaded to start the inning. After a sac fly, McCarthy walked someone again, reloading the bases (twice) on walks. A couple more singles and a sac fly, and it was 4-0 quickly. The game felt over, given the general lack of well, spunk this team has showed this season. In fact, I was so disgusted, I switched over to some Pro Bowling stuff I had on my TiVo, and watched that for a bit. :(
Brandon McCarthy came out after two – which after the four run frame, I initially thought was due to his pitching, but I read later it was due to a blister. Those aren’t good, because they tend to flare up again the next start, I wonder if they’ll be able to keep him off the DL.
The Rangers did have some life in them briefly in the fourth – and I had just tuned back over from my bowling footage right before the fun started, so at least I got to see the best part of the game. The Rangers got to Matsuzaka with a cycle for the inning. Tex started off the inning with a triple that Manny Ramirez misplayed a bit in left. It was followed by a double from Sammy Sosa, and then a chip shot home run by Frank Catalanotto – so Dice-K was rocked pretty quickly. After a couple of outs, Gerald Laird squibbed a single, and he was followed by May sensation Ramon Vazquez, who homered to right, and put the Rangers up 5-4. It was at this moment that the picture I took off the TV screen happened. We’re having a great inning, and Josh & Tom are talking about the mushrooms that were growing at the park with all the rain we got. Now at the time it made me chuckle a bit; Vazquez’ HR prompted Lewin to say “The Rally Mushrooms are alive in Arlington”, but in retrospect it seemed a bit of an odd thing to say. I honestly can’t make up my mind whether I liked the mushroom shtick or I did not. Mushrooms aside, we were back in the lead, and it felt like we could win.
The Sox bullpen had other ideas. Of the remaining five innings, we scored just one run. The Rangers bullpen decided they weren’t going to pitch like that, and gave up six more runs in the fifth and sixth innings. A couple of singles and a double in the fifth gave the Sox the lead back, and then they stepped on our throats in the sixth with a walk, a triple, a couple of doubles and a single. It was 10-5 at that time, and I kind of tuned out. I finished watching my bowling footage, and then went and played some Uno on my Xbox 360. The final run we got we didn’t even “get”, it was a gift run on a wild pitch.
The most exciting talk at the moment seems to be what the Rangers would get for Mark Teixeira in a trade this July. Oh well.

I don’t feel like writing about this loss. I’m close to “I don’t care”.

The Rangers lost to the Twins, 7-1.
Sammy Sosa had a solo home run, his career 598th, accounting for all our offense. Ian Kinsler & Mike Young both had two hits. Kinsler a single and a double, and Young a single and a triple. Nothing happened with them. That was it for our offense.
Johan Santana was pretty masterful outside the Sosa home run. He went 7, for a total of 21 outs. 13 of those outs were strikeouts. In seven innings. We then struck out five more times for a franchise record 18 strikeouts in a nine inning game. We struck out so many times, you’d think Brad Wilkerson was up there every at bat. :)
There really wasn’t a lot to write about with this one.

Yeah, OK, you have to do math in my title for this entry. But if you’re reading my website, then you probably will already know the score of the game before you came here anyway.
Where do I start in talking about this? I was at the game, and sat through a 28 minute rain delay that started during player introductions. It wasn’t so bad since I was in the 200 level, and you’re pretty well protected there, plus the food is better than the regular food stands I think. Even if it’s not the place just looks better. :)
Padilla started off looking like the 1-63 record he had, tossing 31 pitches in the first inning, but surprisingly only allowing one run in the first. His overall line was pretty decent, going 5.2IP, giving up just two runs on 5 hits with two walks. He was one out away from a quality start, when his hand got grazed by a batted ball, and he was pulled from the game. Padilla did throw 99 pitches, so he was probably coming out of the game after the sixth anyway, but it would have been nice to see him get the “qs”. Willie Eyre followed Padilla to the mound, and did give up two runs, but both of them were unearned. Frank Francisco & Aki both pitched scoreless innings to finish up things. Overall, it was good pitching. 9 innings, just two earned runs, and no home runs.
Can’t say the same for the other side. Carlos Silva stunk up the joint going 4.1 innings, giving up 7 earned runs on 9 hits and one walk. As bad as that was, the guy who followed him used even less deodorant, as he stunk up the place even worse! DePaula went just one inning, and gave up 7 runs of his own (6 earned) and two home runs. One was a grand slam to
Fortunately, the grand slam came when Victor Rojas was doing play by play, so we got to hear Vic’s grand slam call, which really does sound like he’s about to jump out of his booth and flail around while on fire or something. Either that, or scream so hard, his lungs will come out of his mouth. Vic gets very excited about his home run calls. :)
We had a few other home runs, too. Frank Catalanotto had solo shot in the second in his first at bat off the DL. Nelson Cruz also had a solo shot. Sammy Sosa almost had one, and had it been July or August, he would have. Sosa did have two doubles. Lofton, Cruz, & Laird also had doubles. Like last night, with 14 runs on the board, there’s plenty of offensive stats to share. Every starter had at least one hit, but nobody had more than two, so it was well scattered. Somewhat amusing that the three subs (Diaz, Kata, & Mahar) all were hitless, so the 15 hits we did get were all starters.
I did sit through the entire game, as I have only been to three games so far this year, which is very unusual for me. By the time the game was over, I had moved around to the area right under the radio booth, and said Hi to Vic. As I was listening to the game on the radio, it was quite weird to watch him talk, and see the voice come through my radio just a split second later. They’re not truly live, although it’s much better than the 7 second or so delay they had last year. The delay seems like one second, although Vic said at the start of the season it was two.
Speaking of Vic, I know he reads my site, so here’s a link for ya big guy :)

Eighteen hits. Fourteen runs. Six walks. Three doubles. Six home runs. There was offense all over the place for the Rangers this game. Kind of reminds me a game a couple years ago where we scored a boatload of runs in the final game down in Houston. If I remember right, Hank Blalock had a grand slam and a three run home run in that game.
Mark Teixeira had two home runs in this game, which is nice, he looks like he’s getting on track, which might help increase his trade value should we choose to go that route. Victor Diaz also had two home runs, both of them to right field, which was nice to see.
We had several guys with great days. Mark Teixeira was 4-6 with 2 home runs, 3 RBI’s. Victor Diaz was 4-5 with two home runs and 3 RBI’s. Gerald Laird was 3-4 with a walk, and Ramon Vazquez was 3-3 with 5 RBI’s. Nice bunches of offense there, plus there was enough to go around. Of the starters, only Brandon McCarthy had no hits, but he’s a pitcher. :)
Speaking of McCarthy, he had a good outing. He went 6, giving up just four hits and one run. This is probably the guy we traded for. Not the launching pad who was wearing #20 on his back in April. Brandon also struck out two, and walked two. His ERA is finally under 6, and I think has made what three, maybe four good starts in a row? That’s good to see.
Hopefully this kind of stuff can translate and stick on the road, as we need a LOT more road wins to get back to respectability.
I was hoping Sammy Sosa would have gotten a couple of home runs in Houston, so he would come back home with 599. I’m going to the game Monday night, so I was hoping he’d go into the game needing just one, as I doubt he’s hitting three of ’em on Monday night when I’ll be there to witness it. :)

John Koronka came up on Saturday for a spot start, and wasn’t terribly good, going 5 innings, giving up 6 hits, 3 walks, and 3 earned runs. Not exactly horrible, but not a great line, either. Wandy Rodriguez was already here, and threw a good game against the Rangers, going 6 innings, 4 hits, two walks, and just one earned run.
Once again, that’s the story of the game, our offense couldn’t get anything going. In all, we had just six hits. Two were by Ian Kinsler, who seems to have come out of his uber slump a bit. The other hits were scattered amongst four other players (Young; a double, Cruz, Laird, Mahar). Cruz’ single was responsible for the lone Rangers run.
I also have to admit to not having the patience to watch entire games all the way through now considering how generally crappy the team is. I don’t think I watched more than a few minutes of this, I just skipped forward on my TiVo to see the end score.