G86: Rangers win walkoff in 10 against O’s, 4-3

This was a great game, except for the top of the ninth.
Kameron Loe continues his resurgence this summer by putting in a very strong performance. He went 6+ innings, giving up five hits and three walks, but most importantly – NO RUNS. He wasn’t as dominating as the last few starts, but he got the job done. I was there in person, and it was great to watch this.
Loe was up against Baltimore pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, who is having a great season. He was bringing it, and aside from a small ball run we got in the third, he was pretty darn solid, retiring something like eight in a row at one point. He made a mistake to the currently hit Brad Wilkkkkerson in the sixth, a two run home run about 3 or 4 rows right above the wedgie down the right field line. Went right past me sitting in Sec 41 against the fence – it’s a reason I like sitting there, you get great views of home runs (bad view of the scoreboard, but that’s another discussion). So the Rangers were up 3-0.
After Loe gave up a leadoff double in the seventh, he was pulled – to a really nice standing ovation. CJ Wilson came in, and was surprisingly not good. Wilson walked two, loading the bases. Then came a play which I couldn’t tell live at the park much about. Wilson uncorked a wild pitch, and it came back to Melhuse who tagged out Chris Gomez at the plate. That was the call. I was listening on the radio, and Eric and Vic said that it looked like they got the call wrong, and the recap I read on the wire inclued a quote from the home plate umpire saying he got the call wrong. But it went our way, and that seriously helped. Francisco came in and cleaned up that mess, and also pitched a scoreless 8th.
Then in came Gagne. For the first time since 2004, he blew a save, his first of the season, and it broke a personal streak of save conversions by him of 30. We couldn’t score in the bottom of the ninth, although Brad Wilkerson almost ended it then. He hit a huge towering fly ball to right, up near the top of the foul pole, but it hooked foul at the last minute. Darnit. It looked good off the bat, and it definitely was foul by my eyes at the park, but wow were those few seconds exciting. :) Jack Benoit then came in and pitched a perfect 10th.
In the bottom of the tenth, Travis Metcalf singled, and was sac bunted over by Jerry Hairston. After a walk to Ramon Vazquez, Michael Young came up and hit the first pitch into left, scoring Metcalf for the win. It was nice to see that, and I was glad to see Gagne get picked up like that.
This is the way I believe everyone felt this team was supposed to be playing from the start of the season. I wonder if this is for naught, and the team is about to be split up. That would suck, as we’re playing our best ball of the year right now.
Oh, and I really loved hearing Victor Rojas’ call on the game winner on the replay. Couldn’t hear it in the park on my headphone radio, as the place was too loud. Did get to hear it on the replay in my truck driving home, though. This reminds me that there was a possibility that Vic could have gone to Arizona this past off season to do their TV coverage. I am so glad that did not happen. I want Vic to stay here for a really long time. I love his passion in his game calling, and if Josh Lewin ever moves on, I’d love for Vic to go up to the TV side of things.