Rangerfans.com

No commentary from me available – I’ve been way too busy with moving my web sites, and other work related issues.

Not available.

Well, what can you say about a game like this?
We played chicken with the Orioles, and it was us who blinked in the bottom of the ninth. From the sounds of it we just gave it to them at the end. That’s too bad, as it wasted a totally awesome pitching performance by our staff. Once again, we pitched like a real baseball team, not that mess we had in 2000. Pat Mahomes (who is expected to make the staff, it would seem) took the loss in the ninth inning. Doug Davis was awesome, going 6 innings, and scattering 5 hits, and no walks, giving up donut.
Mahomes really wasn’t that bad – he went 2 1/3 innings, giving up just three hits and a run (which was actually unearned), but when you don’t get anything of your own, that 1 is pretty massive.
Not a whole lot to say about 1-0 losses, except that it wasn’t 10-0. :)

Eww.. A big stinker of a game.
Rick Helling sounded horrible – although the radio guys on Sunday said that he was experimenting with more breaking pitches than usual. I realize spring is a time to try things, and take your lumps, but you never want to see this happen anytime. :) On the positive side for Helling, he finished out his outing by retiring the last 8 batters he faced – so he eventually figured it out, but in a real season game, he would have been long removed before that happened.
We only had 7 hits – only two by one player (Ruben Mateo, who scored our only run). Pretty lackluster effort all around.

A pretty well pitched game on both sides of the coin.
We didn’t give up anything until the ninth inning, when Mike Munoz gave up a home run and the only two runs the Blue Jays got all day. Glynn went four, Chris Haney went two, Jeff Zimmerman went two – all giving up no runs. Munoz gave up two, and got a save (!).
On the other side of the coin, Ruben Mateo had a two run home run in the fourth for two of the three runs we got. Not a lot to write about on this one. :)

Well, it’s two nights in a row we lost at the end of the game, although it’s not as annoying as the Yankee loss; but then again what’s as annoying as losing to the Yankees? :)
This game was looking good, being up 3-1 into the 8th inning. We were up on two home runs – one by ARod, and the other by the pleasant spring surprise, Bo Porter. I’m hoping we can move someone (Curtis, or Ledee) so we can add Porter as the 5th outfielder. That speed is something we just don’t have otherwise.
Our pitching was pretty good for the most part. Darren Oliver continues his good spring giving up just one run on four innings. Mark Petkovsek went 3 innings giving up nothing. Danny Kolb (who looks like he’ll start the season on the DL) had a bad outing giving up 3 earned runs in less than an inning – Tim Crabtree came in and stopped that, pitching 1 1/3 giving up nothing. Overall, some great pitching, except for Kolb.
Even though it’s a loss, the team’s lookin’ good!

The Yankee curse continues, damnit! We were down to the last strike in closing the game out in the bottom of the 9th, and then they come back. Crap – crap – crap! It’s too bad, as I thought Kenny Rogers pitched good at the start, as did everyone who followed him – except Pete Munro.
You know, in the couple of years I’ve been doing this site, I’m tired of writing about the Yankees beating us, so I’m not going to do it now, either.

The spring fun continues. Heard something at the start of the broadcast where we have the #1 pitching staff in baseball to this point, and the #1 defense in the AL. Quite impressive. I realize we’re less than a dozen games into spring training, but I’ll take that now, it’s always nice to hear.
Our offense got off to a steady start – with 1 run in each of the first three innings. First was a home run by Chad Curtis to lead off the game. Andres Galarraga came through with another solo home run in the next inning, and Doug Davis looked great. While his line showed that he gave up two runs, they didn’t really belong to him – it was one of those fielding gaffes that wasn’t technically an error; the most annoying kind to a pitcher, I’m sure.
After the fifth inning, I had to stop listening to the game, as my wife and I had a few things we needed to take care of, but by this time, we were already up 4 to 2. We’ve now won 4 in a row, and the test comes tomorrow night against the Yankees.