It wasn't long ago I DREADED games in California. It was in Oakland that Laynce Nix injured his shoulder in 2005, which kept him out for most of the rest of the season. It was also in California that Kameron Loe was hit in the head with a line drive off the bat of Vlad Guerrero. Oh...and those teams always seemed to enjoy delivering a nice beating as well.
Not so much lately. The Rangers took two of three from the Angels during their first homestand early in April, and now they've taken two of three from Oakland. I might cry if they get a sweep tomorrow. (I can't wait to see the THROWBACK uniforms!!)
Maybe playing in California isn't so bad anymore.
A.J. Murray looked pretty good in his "spot" start. I always enjoy watching him pitch, and I was anxious to see tonight's game. He went through the first few innings with very little trouble, but lost a little bit in the 5th and 6th. I was hoping he could make it through a full six, but the As chased him with that little rally they had. Ah well ... shake it off, Pirate. You did fine.
Frankie Francisco got the final two outs in the 6th (with a play I'll talk about in a few moments), then surrendered a lead-off walk in the bottom of the 7th. Fortunately, that walk didn't come back to haunt him. Then, it was Jamey Wright time. He got the first two outs and then walked Jack Cust with Bobby Crosby coming to the plate. I won't lie ... I held my breath. It was scary. But I got to let out a sigh of relief when Wright struck him out.
That David Murphy three-run home run was a thing of beauty. I was happy to see Chris Shelton's homer too. The insurance gave me a little peace of mind with Joaquin Benoit loosening up in the bullpen. Benoit finished out the game with some GREAT stuff. It's nice to see him in this kind of shape. And it's REALLY nice to know we have two capable closers.
Everyone in the lineup got a hit tonight. But no one had two. It was a strange line in the box score.
KISS: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who delivered my FAVORITE play in baseball tonight -- a strike 'em out-throw 'em out combo -- in the bottom of the sixth to halt an As rally. And that smile on his face as he went into the dugout was priceless. Simply priceless. (Oh, and belated happy birthday, Salty!) I'll admit I was worried about Salty being able to flash some arm strength and accuracy , but I like what I saw tonight.
MISS: Milton Bradley getting caught between 1st and 2nd base. That was ugly.
Last, but not least ... CONGRATS to Josh Hamilton on being named AL Player of the Month for April. The honor is well-deserved, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was named POTM again sometime this season. We've seen some greatness from him, but I have a feeling his best is still yet to come.
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2 comments:
Heh-heh - you know I love seeing Salty get your "kiss". I loved that play he made, too - I think I may have been more pumped after that double play than when Murphy hit his home run in first (if that's at all possible).
I can't help but feel that there's a lot of Ranger fans who really underrate Salty's defense - I know he'll never win any gold gloves, but based on how much he's improved his defense just over the course of spring training and his short stint in OKC, I think there's potential there for him to become a very solid defender behind the plate. I partuclularly like the way he frames pitches for his pitchers - he's done a very good job with Sidney Ponson and now AJ Murray his last two starts.
I just wish Ron would play him more - but I think you already know that. ;)
Anyway, I'll quit my Salty rant now. Looking forward to tomorrow - Scott Feldman doesn't exactly fill me with confidence, but the offense has come up with the big hits lately. Hopefully they'll continue that tomorrow.
Josh Hamliton is the AL Player of the month on a team with one of the worst records in baseball (in spite of the 4 game win streak) - think about that - he is really, really, really, really good.
EMC
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