Rangers Gameday: 6/16 Vs. HOU
Tuesday, June 16th Game Preview
Houston Astros (29-32) vs. Texas Rangers (35-27)
Wandy Rodriguez (5-5, 2.82 ERA) vs. Kevin Millwood (6-4, 2.72 ERA)
7:05 p.m. CST in Arlington, Texas (Rangers Ballpark in Arlington)
TV: KDFI-HD | Radio: KRLD 105.3 FM, XM 180
| Astros |
Rangers |
||
| Position | Player | Position | Player |
| CF |
Michael Bourn |
2B |
Ian Kinsler |
| SS |
Miguel Tejada |
3B |
Michael Young |
| RF |
Hunter Pence |
DH |
Andruw Jones |
| DH |
Carlos Lee |
RF |
Nelson Cruz |
| 1B |
Lance Berkman |
LF |
David Murphy |
| C |
Ivan Rodriguez |
CF |
Marlon Byrd |
| 2B |
Kaz Matsui |
1B |
Chris Davis |
| LF |
Darin Erstad |
C |
Jarrod Saltalamacchia |
| 3B |
Edwin Maysonet |
SS |
Elvis Andrus |
Pre-Game Notes: Center fielder Josh Hamilton (abdominal surgery) played catch from approximately 70 feet on Tuesday and experienced no discomfort ... Closer Frank Francisco (strained right shoulder) threw a pain-free bullpen session on Tuesday and is slated to begin an abbreviated minor league rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco beginning Thursday, after which he'll probably join the Rangers in San Francisco over the weekend ... Right-handers Willie Eyre (strained right groin muscle) and Dustin Nippert (strained right rhomboid muscle) will begin minor league rehab assignments on Wednesday and Friday, respectively ... Toby Harrah and Ruben Sierra will be inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 1st ... Astros catcher Ivan Rodriguez will tie Carlton Fisk for the most career games caught (2,226) with his start behind the plate tonight.
Minor League Games: Iowa vs. Oklahoma City (Neftali Feliz), Frisco vs. Midland (Michael Ballard), Bakersfield vs. Lake Elsinore (Kennil Gomez), Hickory vs. Greensboro (Jake Brigham)
15 Comments | in Gameday, The Season
Reader Comments (15)
So, yeah, about that whole "let's move Kinsler out of the lead-off spot" notion...I think what Ian just did was the basic equivalent of saying "Screw that."
Nice two-out RBI single from Marlon Byrd to stake Millwood to a 2-0 lead after Murphy got eaten alive by an up-and-in power curve from Wandy...
Stream: http://tinyurl.com/oyuj4a (pw: rangers)
Ian Kinsler is a beast. That is all.
Millwood yet again attempts to bare-hand a grounder, albeit without disastrous results. He can't keep doing that, because sooner or later he'll attempt to snag a scorched grounder and end up being very sorry for it...
Oh man I've been waiting for this offense to pick up, and playing Houston does help I guess.
Texas vaults ahead 6-0 on the strength of Michael Young's RBI double into the left-center field gap...the Rangers have caught onto Wandy's curveball, it seems (which grades out as a really good pitch according to FanGraphs' pitch type run values), and he's already at 100 pitches without being out of the fourth inning...
Pudge smashes an opposite-field homer and is greeted by a raucous standing ovation...very nice gesture by the home contingent...
Looks like a good game by Feliz tonight. That's encouraging.
If we make playoffs, does Feliz become the hard throwing reliever called up like Price was last year?
Dont have time to stick around, but it sure was nice to see the Rangers offense do what we've been wanting.
Take a lot of pitches, make the pitcher throw strikes, and be aggressive.
And this was not a cheesepuff of a pitcher right?
Well, Feliz HAD been rolling along -- three earned runs were tacked onto his ledger by Iowa in the top of the seventh, ending his night at 6.1 IP/8 H/4 ER/0 BB/3 K, although the dearth of walks is obviously a really good sign...as far as calling him up to serve in a Price-type role, I imagine Texas would want to test-drive Feliz in August/September before employing him in those sorts of high-leverage relief situations, but it seems plausible that they'll do exactly that...
Regarding Wandy: Among all National League pitchers with at least 50 innings logged in 2009, his K/BB ratio was 13th at 3.00 (8.47 K/9 to 2.82 K/9) and his ERA was eighth-best (2.82), which was good enough for fringe Cy Young Award consideration, or at least maybe a voter point or two, so you could say that this is a pretty significant victory...
And the Rangers turn yet another double play to quash a potential ninth-inning rally...the coveted Silver Boot is but an out away from being with the Rangers' grasp...
Quick review from gameday
Inning/Batters/Less than 4 pitch AB
1st-7-2
2nd-5-1
3rd-4-1
4th-7-1
Now THAT is some nice AB's to run the starter out of there.