Sunday, July 27, 2008

No sweep for you

A few weeks ago, the Rangers were allergic to the .500 line, but they quickly got over that. Their aversion to sweeps is hanging around though. Today, they fell two runs short of sweeping the A's in Oakland. It would have been a great way to get that first sweep -- being a division rival. But, alas, we still won two out of three, and the offense (which seemed to be missing in Minnesota and Chicago) returned.

During this series, the Rangers marched out three very different pitchers -- the fiery veteran Vicente Padilla, the freshfaced rookie Matt Harrison and the slightly more seasoned rookie Eric Hurley. Padilla put up zeroes in his first two innings of work on Friday, but then was mugged for five runs in the third. But, the 5-0 mystical score (and a feral cat which made its way onto the field) sparked a five-run fourth for the Rangers. The Texas bats added one more run in the 7th and then, for good measure, tacked on eight in the top of the ninth en route to a 14-6 win. On Saturday, Matt Harrison did not have his best stuff. He was a bit shaky, but he held his own out there and just kept plowing through it. He was spotted a 3-0 lead in the second, and he gave up three runs of his own before exiting the game three innings later. When he left, the score was 6-3, and he was on track for his second win. Rupe and Madrigal made sure he got it. Today, Eric Hurley returned from DL and looked sharp in the first two batters. Then, it got a bit rough, and Hurley left the game just two innings in, having given up six runs on four hits (including two homers) and two walks. Thank goodness for Dustin Nippert, Jamey Wright and CJ Wilson, who held the A's scoreless for the next seven frames. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done, and, despite a four-run 5th inning, they could not overtake the lead.

The following are my awards for the series, not just today's game...

KISS: Josh Rupe and Dustin Nippert. These two have been workhorses in the bullpen, stepping in when the starter was maxed out and keeping the game in check or within reach. The long relief guy is probably the most thankless job in the bullpen, but I'm sure glad these two are willing to take it.

MISS: It's gotta be poor Eric Hurley. I really wanted him to bounce back from the DL and have a quality outing, if nothing else. Hopefully he will get it together in time for his next start.

This week is my least favorite of the whole season -- trade deadline week. I know baseball is a business, and I know deals that are made are in the best interest of the team, but I am always a bit sad when a player leaves. I have enjoyed watching all of the players currently on the roster and honestly don't want any of them to leave. It will be interesting to see who is still wearing a Rangers uniform a week from now.

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