ST10: Rangers lose to M’s Sunday 4-2

Since Saturday’s game was rained out, I was looking forward to this one, because it was on the radio with Eric & Vic. However, after I came home from church, I passed out on the couch, and all I got to hear of the game was the final out. Oh joy. :) If this were TV, it wouldn’t have mattered, as I would have TiVo’ed the game. :)
It appears that the big star of this game is Seattle pitcher Felix Hernandez. I don’t think anyone who follows baseball well doubts this kid’s ability, so I won’t go into that here (getting tired of hearing the word phenom). Anyway, he did a great job against us, something I expect to be saying a few more times this season. He went three innings, gave up no runs on three hits and three strikeouts (with one walk). Overall, a really good performance, although the box score can’t tell you about his “stuff”, which when he’s on is pretty much impossible.
Josh Rupe was our starter and went 3.1 innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and no walks, while striking out three. Not a great performance numbers wise, but not horrible, either. Juan Dominguez, who by all acounts is falling out of favor with the team, gave up the other two runs in his 2.2 IP. Scott Feldman & Kevin Walker combined for two innings of shutout ball to finish up the game.
Offensively, we were led by Kevin Mench, who went 2 for 3 with a run scored. Phil Nevin continued his offensive barrage, going just 1 for 2, but he did drive in 2 RBI on a double, giving him about 5,000 RBI this spring so far. :)
Funny, my report sounds pretty positive, but we lost the game. :(

ST10: Mar 12, 2006 vs. Mariners (L: 4-2)
5-4-1 (.575) – 5th – 2.5 Dn – Streak L1
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Game Recap
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — The Felix Hernandez that the Mariners have already grown accustomed to returned from a brief hiatus.
The 19-year-old phenom came back from a rocky spring training debut to throw three shutout innings in Seattle’s 4-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
Hernandez allowed Milwaukee three runs — including a two-run home run — in his spring debut last week. But on Sunday, he struck out three Rangers and often fooled others with changeups and breaking pitches in the dirt instead of his usual, 95 mph-plus fastballs. Hernandez threw 44 pitches, allowing a Kevin Mench double and two Rangers singles.
He also benefited from center fielder Jeremy Reed. Reed, continuing to fulfill the Mariners’ expectations as a defensive whiz, ran far to his right to catch Brad Wilkerson’s sinking line drive in the third inning and save a run — or more.
“He saved my life,” Hernandez joked.
He added that he had a better sinking fastball and focused between starts on pitching more to the corners of home plate.
“I felt great,” Hernandez said.
Manager Mike Hargrove was generally pleased with Hernandez being “a lot more crisp.” But Hargrove said Hernandez was sloppy with some curve balls — including one Wilkerson smacked on Reed’s great play.
“Hopefully, Felix understands if he throws that pitch, he can’t just spin it up there,” Hargrove said.
Texas starter Josh Rupe pitched 3 1-3 innings and allowed four hits, including Reed’s home run in the bottom of the first.
Mench was 2-for-3 to raise his spring average to .500 in six games.
Seattle left fielder Raul Ibanez was 3-for-3 with his third home run of the month, off Texas’ Juan Dominguez leading off the sixth inning. Roberto Petagine, subbing for Richie Sexson at first base as a precaution for Sexson’s tight right quadriceps muscle, followed Ibanez’s homer with his first home run of the spring on the next pitch.
Ibanez is batting .526 this month. Petagine, a non-roster invitee, is hitting .529.
Rangers manager Buck Showalter was more concerned with his American League West rivals having relievers J.J. Putz and Rafael Soriano pitch scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Each had a strikeout, and Soriano retired the Rangers in order to end the game.
“It’s not good news to see Soriano and Putz healthy and throwing well,” Showalter said.
Notes
Seattle’s Gil Meche is scheduled to pitch on Monday for the first time since straining a left oblique muscle on Feb. 28. He will start against the Los Angeles Angels. Jamie Moyer is to start Monday morning’s “B” game against Texas in nearby Surprise … Texas designated hitter Lance Nix had a forgettable day. Nix was 1-for-4 with a strikeout — his spring batting average is .143. He also had to wear uniform number 18. He left his usual 17 back in Rangers camp in Surprise … Kevin Appier, attempting a comeback with Seattle at 38, pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. He hasn’t allowed a run in two spring outings spanning five innings.

Box Score

CAC  FINAL
1  2  3   4  5  6   7  8  9   R  H  E
-  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -
TEXAS                0  0  0   0  2  0   0  0  0   2  9  0
SEATTLE              2  0  0   0  0  2   0  0  x   4  9  0   FINAL

WP - KEVIN APPIER (2-0)
LP - JUAN DOMINGUEZ (1-1)
SAVE - RAFAEL SORIANO (1)

HOME RUNS:  SEA - JEREMY REED (1) OFF JOSH RUPE IN THE 1ST
RAUL IBANEZ (3) OFF JUAN DOMINGUEZ IN THE 6TH
ROBERTO PETAGINE (2) OFF JUAN DOMINGUEZ IN THE 6TH

TIME: 2:32                   ATT: 6,824

TEXAS (2) AT SEATTLE (4)

TEXAS            AB  R  H BI  SEATTLE          AB  R  H BI
B Wilkerson cf    2  1  0  0  J Reed cf         2  1  1  1
K Mahar rf        1  0  0  0  A Jones cf        1  0  0  0
K Mench rf        3  1  2  0  Y Betancourt ss   3  0  0  0
J Tingler cf      1  0  0  0  A Cabrera ss      1  0  0  0
H Blalock 3b      3  0  1  0  R Ibanez lf       3  2  3  1
T Olson 3b        1  0  1  0  W Balentien lf    1  0  1  0
P Nevin 1b        2  0  1  2  R Petagine 1b     4  1  2  1
N Trzesniak c     1  0  0  0  C Everett dh      3  0  1  1
D Dellucci lf     3  0  0  0  J Clement dh      0  0  0  0
R Eldridge lf     1  0  1  0  M Morse rf        3  0  0  0
M Derosa 2b       3  0  1  0  M Tuiasosopo 3b   3  0  0  0
D Meyer ss        1  0  0  0  C Ransom 3b       1  0  0  0
L Nix dh          4  0  1  0  C Miller c        3  0  0  0
R Barajas c       3  0  0  0  R Rivera c        0  0  0  0
N Gold 1b         1  0  0  0  J Lopez 2b        3  0  1  0
D Jimenez ss      3  0  1  0  O Navarro 2b      0  0  0  0
J Brewer 2b       1  0  0  0
TOTALS           34  2  9  2  TOTALS           31  4  9  4

TEXAS                     000 020 000 --  2
SEATTLE                   200 002 00x --  4

DP--TEXAS 1. LOB--TEXAS 7, SEATTLE 6. 2B--R
Ibanez, C Everett, J Lopez, M Derosa, P Nevin, K
Mench. HR--R Ibanez 1 (3) (off J Dominguez), J
Reed 1 (1) (off J Rupe), R Petagine 1 (2) (off J
Dominguez). CS--T Olson.

IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
TEXAS
J Rupe                         3 1-3   4   2   2   0   3   1
J Dominguez (L,1-1)            2 2-3   4   2   2   2   0   2
S Feldman                          1   1   0   0   0   0   0
K Walker                           1   0   0   0   1   1   0
SEATTLE
F Hernandez                        3   3   0   0   1   3   0
S Green                            2   3   2   2   1   1   0
K Appier (W,2-0)                   2   2   0   0   0   2   0
J Putz                             1   1   0   0   0   1   0
R Soriano (S,1)                    1   0   0   0   0   1   0

WP--J Dominguez, J Rupe. SO--TEX: D Dellucci 2, L
Nix 2, B Wilkerson, D Jimenez, K Mahar, D Meyer.
SEA: C Everett, M Morse, M Tuiasosopo, R Petagine.
BB--TEX: P Nevin, B Wilkerson. SEA: M Morse, J
Reed, J Clement. T--2:32. A--6,824.

Game Log
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