For the first four innings, this was a pretty decently pitched game. I was able to listen at work, and things were going well. Then karma stepped in and messed with that. I had to get up from my desk and go do work elsewhere in the office. When I came back, the Rangers were down 3-0. They did get one back, but then gave the Tigers two more. This wasn’t our game.
Kevin Millwood pitched “OK”. I was going to give him higher grades than that even though he technically had a quality start. But when you walk six guys in six innings (in addition to five hits), I’m not sure how you can really call that a great outing, or even a quality start for that matter. He did strike out six which was good, but man. Six walks.
Scott Feldman followed him up and walked three more. That’s nine walks in 7.1 innings. No way are you winning the game with that many free passes. Feldman actually only gave up one hit, but his two earned runs came on a Gary Sheffield home run, which immediately followed a pitch from Feldman that went behind Sheffield. Ron Mahay came on and stopped teh bleeding, but it was too late.
Kenny Rogers went against us, making his first home start of 2007. Hands up those of you who thought the two year contract Detroit gave Kenny would have worked out well, and that Kenny would be in line to probably get a similar style contract provided he pitches well the rest of the way out here? Is that a long enough runon sentence? Kenny went six innings, giving up just one run on four hits and a walk. Pretty nice outing. We did get a run against reliever Chad Durbin too, but just two runs was not cutting it this game. I again point out the 9 walks the Rangers gave up.
In all the Rangers had seven hits, but no player had more than one. We had three doubles (Kinsler, Lofton, Hairston), and the rest were singles. Not a bunch going on against Detroit this day.
We get out of there taking the series 2-1. Obviously we don’t know what would have happened had we played all four, but I’ll take a series win against the defending AL Champions any day. Especially when they’re still in first place, and that kind of win means something.

Wednesday’s game was rained out in Detroit. It’s going to be made up as a day-night doubleheader in Detroit on September 11th. Probably good for me at least today, as I was busy at my desk at work and likely would not have been able to listen to it.

I don’t have much time to write about this, in fact, not much at all.
I will say this, if Marlon Byrd continues to play out the rest of 2007 the way he’s playing now, I wonder if he’ll play himself into a contract and a starting position in 08?

Here’s another game like the Wright/Oswalt game from a few days ago. Who really thought the Rangers and Kameron Loe would be beating the Tigers and Jeremy Bonderman. Bonderman had a 17 game winning streak in his own starts. The cards were stacked against our little team from Texas.
But Kameron Loe pitched like the guy we expected him to be, not the one who was wearing #43 the first couple of months of the season. Kam went seven innings, giving up just two earned runs on seven hits and two walks. One of the runs he gave up was right about when he came out of the game, so he kept the Tigers in check pretty much the entire game. Aki went a scoreless eighth, and we were going to have Gagne, except we removed the save opportunity, so Frank Francisco came out for the ninth. He was a bit shaky, and did give up an unearned run, but got the job done in the end.
Our offense was almost all singles. We had 12 hits in all. 10 of them were singles. One was a double by Wilkerson in the seventh, and the other was a home run by Jerry Hairston in the ninth. Marlon Byrd continues to look good, going 2-5 with 3RBI. Overall a nicely balanced offense.
We’ve been playing great lately, and this is a real test. If we can take the series in Detroit and Boston (the best of the AL now), then we might have really turned things around. I’m not foolish enough to believe playoffs at all, but it’ll be much better than dragging out a lost season, that’s for sure.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!
There was a lot to talk about this game, but all I wanted to say was that above. We scored four in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game. We gave up two runs in the top of the 9th, and the retied the game in the bottom of the ninth with some really cool clutch hitting. But then we gave up three runs in the top of the 10th, and blew it.
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!

Well, I can’t say I was thrilled at seeing Jamey Wright back in the starting rotation. But I cannot argue with the results. He went 3.2 innings before allowing his first hit, and only allowed three overall in his 5.2 innings of work. He allowed two earned runs, the only runs the Astros got all game. He did walk six though, which is not very good, but managed to get around it.
Who would have guessed that when they saw Jamey Wright vs Roy Oswalt in the game previews? I mean honestly – who thought we were winning this? But it worked. I’m almost stunned.
Oswalt was beat up by his usual standards against the Rangers. While technically a quality start, Oswalt usually is much more stingier with the Rangers. He went 6.1 innings, giving up 8 hits and 4 walks, while striking out 2. Was a positively pedestrian performance by him.
The Houston bullpen gave up a bunch – In the 1.2 ip the three relivers went, they each gave up at least one run (total of 4). The Texas bullpen was darn near perfect. Of the four Texas relievers (Francisco, Wilson, Otsuka, Gagne), only one gave up any hits or walks. That was Francisco, who gave up one walk, and one hit, but NO runs. In fact, the other three WERE perfect. Was a nice performance by our bullpen.
Tomorrow we go for the sweep.

I was at this game. Ever since Interleague play started, I wanted the Astros to play here. And some years ago a regular series was added (although at the expense of a move to the AL Central – THANKS HICKS). I enjoy Interleague anyway, and I usually make at least one of the games each year. I like the Astros too, but I don’t follow them as closely as I do the Rangers, but I know enough to say I’m a casual fan of the Astros, so its’ a cool thing when they play. I don’t think it’s the “rivalry” that other natural rivals (Cubs/ChiSox, Yanks/Mets) are, but I don’t want it to go away, either.
I parked my backside in my seat, which was right up against the foul pole in right field – I was right up against the fence. Heck, you could see me on TV in the coverage of the Wilkerson & Sosa home runs in the fifth inning. :) I kind of like sitting there, it’s a cool spot, even if the bottom most part of the Jumbotron is not visible. Chatted with some guys I didn’t know – had a lot of fun with them.
The game itself started off with the Rangers behind, after a solo home run to Lance Berkman. No shame there, he hits a lot of them. We did however, pick it right up in the bottom of the first when Ian Kinsler doubled down the line, and Mike Young singled him home. We got another in the second when Lofton doubled down the right field line – it was cool because I could look over the rail and look straight down and see the play below me. Luke Scott had some troubles with the ball, and I thought that a younger Lofton would have had a triple easy on that when Scott slightly misplayed it. Still, it gave us the lead.
Houston took the lead back in the fifth when Biggio got hit #2,993, and was doubled home by Houston phenom Hunter Pence (who I have on several fantasy teams). Also saw a “Welcome home Hunter” sign in the outfield, that was nice. Pence himself scored when he was singled home by Lance Berkman which gave the Astros the lead again.
And then the floodgates opened. The Rangers put up an 8 spot in the bottom of the fifth. We sent 13 men to the plate that inning. The inning went like this: single, home run, home run, walk, strikeout, home run, double, single, walk, walk, single, fly out, strike out. The home run by Sosa was another thing that happened right below me. I had a fantastic view of the ball skipping on top of the wall in front of the wedgie and bouncing up into the seats. I missed #600 the other night, but did see #601. :) Then Marlon Byrd destroyed another ball way up into the bleachers in left center. Nice to see back to back jacks. Wilkkkkkkkkkerson also had a home run that passed me in right and went about 10 rows up in the seats, not too far away from where Raffy hit #500 if I remember that correctly. It was a great inning. In fact, Sosa had two hits and four RBI’s in this inning.
I have to say, while I’ve been screaming for Botts (as have most fans), Sosa’s production is hard to argue with. I’ve seen a few people suggest that he might stay here all season, and possibly beyond. While his average is not great (242 I think), he’s on a pace for 120RBI in a season, and I think around 25 home runs or so. If people had said that’s what Sosa would have after 2007 was over when we signed him, we’d all be jumping up and down happy. There’s no doubt he’s blocking Botts, but if Sosa ends up with a decent average and sustains the power numbers, it might be hard to argue against keeping him. Steroids talk be damned, as I sit here writing, I have to say the 600 thing was fun to see. Yeah, it seems to contradict my previous statements about Botts & Sosa, but this is how I feel right now.
Millwood had a decent outing. Not stellar, he went six innings on 102 pitches, giving up three earned runs. It earned him his fourth win of the year, and lowered his ERA to 7.31 – yikes. Far cry from the year he lead the league in ERA with Cleveland. Jack Benoit & Frank Francisco followed up with three innings of perfect relief. The coolest part about the Ranger pitching staff this night is that they gave up NO walks at all. That’s quite unusual. Zero walks. Houston on the other hand, gave up 9 walks. Including Houston reliever Stephen Randolph who gave up four walks in two innings (with 5ER).
All in all, it was quite a fun night to be out at the ballpark.