First off, I want to come out and rag on ESPN’s announcers. Can’t these guys pronounce anything right? They really have trouble with the names on the Rangers team. It’s not GOHN-zalez, DAMMIT! Also, can you guys stop ragging on one specific fact? They do this for every team, but it really bugged me when they were picking on Rusty Greer late in the game. These guys have to be some of the lamest announcers I’ve ever seen. I didn’t think of it at the time, but I should have muted the TV, and put on KRLD.
Offense – Offense – Offense! The Rangers whacked out 20 hits, but all of them singles and doubles. No triples, and no home runs. These 20 hits got us 11 runs, but it should have been at least 15 or more – we left the bases loaded twice! Both times the bases were loaded with no one out, and we didn’t get anything! If we had a single in each of those, it would have been 15 runs easy. Still, we got 11 with 20 hits, and that’s nothing to sneeze about. Rusty Greer was the only Ranger without a hit. Lee Stevens had four hits, and
Danny Patterson got the win, but I don’t feel he deserved it. He gave up the three run homer that tied the game at 5-5 (even though the two baserunners belonged to Venafro). The linescore says that Patterson got credited with both the win and a blown save, although I find it odd that a blown save can be awarded to a pitcher that was out of the game in the seventh. Burkett went two batters into the fifth, and I didn’t think he pitched all that bad. He allowed one earned run in four innings. He dropped his ERA a couple of points, but when it’s up in the stratosphere like it was… :)
A nice game to watch, although it could have been better. We leave Toronto winning 2 of 3. On to Chicago, who has been surprisingly good so far this season – the AL’s lowest ERA.
Commentary by Jim Meeks:
The Red Shoes had on their hitting shoes Sunday.
The Rangers tied a club record with 8 doubles in a game, including 2 each by Juan Gonzalez, Pudge Rodriguez and Lee Stevens. They also banged out 20 hits, the most this year.
The #’s 4-8 hitters each had at least 3 hits each, with Stevens having 4. Every hitter had at least one hit except Rusty Greer, who went 0-5. Oddly enough the Rangers had no homers in the 11-6 win.
John Burkett, who has pitched rather poorly all year and fresh off being destroyed in the Minor Leagues in a rehab stint, pitched rather effectively, but only went 4 innings.
The Rangers won back-to-back games for the first time since the four game sweep against Minnesota two weeks ago.