No time to write an update.

Josh Lewin kept calling this game a game of inches, and from what I saw, it was.
In the first inning, Mark Teixeira was called out at the plate on a really close call that looked safe.
In the ninth inning, Mark Teixeira almost had a home run to tie the game, missing clearning by inches
In the ninth inning, there was a wild pitch with Tex on third that didn’t get away quite far enough.
In the ninth inning, there was a fly to right that just missed being far enough to score Tex by inches.
In the ninth inning, Kevin Mench checked his swing, and it was a close call – by inches.
And then there was that catch by Grady Sizemore that if the ball was just a couple of inches further, we would have scored at least one more run.
We lost the game, and while it never felt in our control, it did “feel” like it was something we’d pull out. John Koronka started, and went 5.2IP, giving up 6 hits, and four walks. Amazingly with all that, only four runs. Could have been a lot worse there. Rick Bauer, who was tagged for the loss, gave up two unearned runs in his 0.2 IP. Ron Mahay followed, and din’t give up anything. Francisco Cordero finished up, not in the ninth, but in the 8th, in his new role as a setup man. However, he gave up a run on two hits. Additionally, combined Rangers pitching gave up seven walks. Far too many.
On the other side, Cleveland starter Jason Johnson went 6 innings, and gave up twelve hits (!) and walked two, giving up just four. In fact, the overall line was odd. The Rangers had 15 hits and the Tribe had just 8, but we lost the game 7-6.
Kevin Mench extended his home run streak to seven. He’s now the only righthander in baseball history to hit home runs in seven straight games. I would love for him to get home runs on Sat & Sunday and set a new major league record. I’m sure most Rangers fans would. :)

I was really feeling high on this game. I did something I never do – I did an update during the game. Kevin Mench had another grand slam, giving him a home run in six straight games, setting a Ranger record.
However, we went into the ninth with the lead, 4-3, and Buck Showalter decided to let Cordero get back on the horse after yesterday’s disappointing loss. Then Cordero gave up another home run, to let the game get tied. We couldn’t pull off any more runs, yet gave up two more in the 10th, and we lost the game 6-4.
As high as I was over Mench’s record setting grand slam, the loss at the back end was extremely disheartening. It reminds me of when we were in Cincinnatti a couple of years ago and Coco blew a few saves, a few to keep Rogers from winning 20, if I remember right. So shortly after the game, it was announced that Cordero was being “relieved” of his closer duties for the time being, and Otsuka would get that job. It’s probably not the end of the world, but when you change your closer, it’s never really a good thing.

Well, we won in the bottom of the ninth. That was exciting and all, but it doens’t feel as good to me because Coco Cordero blew another lead in the ninth. It’s odd on my fantasy teams where I have him, as I’m not getting saves, but I’m getting stupid high ERA’s and wins from him. Not the way I wanted my closer to behave.
We seemed to have this game pretty well in hand all along. We got out early on an uncharacteristically (sp?) wild Barry Zito (75 pitches through first three innings). Zito gave up 6 hits and 5 runs overall in his 5 innings pitched. He also walked 4 and struck out five, a bunch of numbers that just don’t say Zito. Even his trademark curveball wasn’t as good as it was – one of them Hank Blalock nailed off the right field foul pole for a home run.
Speaking of home runs, Kevin Mench tied the Ranger record with five straight games with a home run. The second was right after Blalock’s home run. Phil Nevin had a shot later in the game, too. It was all feeling good, as Vicente Padilla was going well, allowing just one run through five. He did give up a couple in the sixth, but still had good numbers, going 5.2IP, allowing 3 runs (only 2 earned). He did walk four which isn’t good. But we blew getting him the win, which he probably deserved.
Cordero stunk up the joint again, and when he came off the field after blowing the lead, he got booed, which is a new experience for him, I’d imagine. The TV coverage showed Akinori Otsuka a bit in the pen when Cordero was knee deep in it. I wonder how long it would take before that switch was made?

Well, what was good? Kevin Milwood pitched shutout ball.
Well, what was bad? Kevin Millwood only pitched five innings. The Stars also lost a game late tonight. :(
Said it before, will say it again. You can’t walk 7 batters in a game and expect to win. Although, as I recall, most of the guys who walked didn’t score. Millwood walked 6 batters in five innings, and none of them scored. The other one was by CJ Wilson, who did give up all three runs, although I can’t recall at the moment if his walk scored. Probably did.
Take out Wilson’s inning, and we did not all that bad. But we didn’t get enough offense, even though Kevin Mench tried, going 3-4 with a home run, and getting both our RBI’s. A frustrating game. Sigh.

I’m going to have to take a pass on commentiung on the Devil Rays series. I was going to do all three of them in one update on Monday, but I got stupid busy at work again, and this is about all I can say about it.