This was a particularly annoying loss, mostly because John Thomson was cruising. Going into the 8th inning, we were up 5-3, and Thomson was pitching well. Then the wheels fell off. We gave up a total of 6 runs in the last two innings, we couldn’t shut anything down they tried to do. Ugly, Ugly, UGLY!
On the positive side, Laynce Nix had a monster home run, something that looked really good, and quite honestly looks more “impressive” than most of Raffy’s home runs.
Game notes are here.

This is a game that I felt we were going to lose all along. We were lifeless and pretty much not doing much of anything until the rain delay. When we came back, Arod had this absolute monster of a home run that got us jazzed, and we tied up the game 4-4 with a 4 spot. However, we gave it right back to them in the 8th, to which Arod hit another jack, tying Barry Bonds for the major league lead in home runs.
But then we dropped it in extra innings, which we’re prone to do. Oh well. So much for the good streak, it was more or less wiped out by the bad games in Chicago & Kansas City.
Game notes are here.

Colby Lewis walked the first two batters of the game. That’s about as good as I can get with this one, as it went downhill much faster from that point onwards. Bleargh.

(Skipped a few games, needed a short break).
Well, R.A. Dickey looked good for the first couple of innings, and then was pulled, to which the bullpen surrendered an ugly 6 spot in the 6th, which pretty much was the whole game, other than a Raffy two run home run earlier in the game.
Not much nice to talk about here. Game notes are here.

Well, I don’t think anyone expected us to beat up on Bartolo Colon two starts in a row, and it didn’t happen. Colon was his usual self against us this time, and we couldn’t get much going except some fun midway through the game when Arod & Raffy went yard back to back. Not much else to cheer about except that, really.
If Arod gets another home run on Friday, he’ll set a new record for number of games in a row with a HR as a Ranger – that record is currently held by Carl Everett, set earlier this year.
Game notes are here.

Not much else can be said about this game except RA Dickey was brilliant. A complete game shutout – what more needs be said? It was on my 38th birthday, though. That count for anything?
Oh yeah, Arod got another home run, has taken back the AL lead in HR’s, and we’re tied with the Angels for 3rd after extending our win streak to 8.
Game notes are here.

N/A – Took a break for my birthday which was the 20th. I will say this, though. After several years of trying to enter, my wife finally got picked for the Sonic Slam Inning contest on TV. It was a major shock, I even had to wake her up so she could come out and see. And, being the computer geek I am, I had to take a picture of it. :) No home runs, though – in fact our only baserunner got picked off. :(

Game notes are here.

When this game got into the 9th inning, I was going to write about Detroit pitcher Nate Robertson. He was a kid called up to pitch, and he was spectacular. He looked like he’d been pitching for a dozen years, and was a veteran. He was spectacular, and other than the one pitch to Shane Spencer in the fourth which was a home run, this kid was someone that should have gotten everyone’s attention.
Speaking of home runs.. For a park that is well known for not giving up home runs, all 6 of the runs tonight were the result of a longball. The two runs for Detroit were solo shots, and our 4 runs were two two run home runs. Kind of a surprise that. Anyway, pitching was the name of the game here. Our pitching was superb, only giving up two runs on solo home runs on a total of 10 hits over 16 innings. This was definitely a pitcher’s duel – no doubt about it. Kudos to our pitching staff for this game.
Oh yeah, for anyone who watched the game, thanks kid! I appreciate the help in keeping Detroit from scoring a run. :)
Anaheim also lost, so our 6 game winning streak now has us just two games behind the Angels for third place in the division, and we’re now 9 games under .500.
Game notes are here.

Yeah, not the best pun for a sweep socks title, but its’ the best I could come up with right now. When this game started, I didn’t think we really had a chance of sweeping Chicago. I figured they were too good to lose all three against the Rangers. I guess that’s the kind of mentality one gets after watching their team be in the basement for almost 3 years in a row.
However, we got out to a 3-0 lead after two innings, and it felt good, because there were several doubles in there, not just a 3 run home run. However, Juan “What’s my name this start” Dominguez gave back the three plus one in the 3rd & 4th. So we’re behind. Then nothing much happens in the middle innings there until the bottom of the 6th when Arod jacks a ball onto Greene’s Hill to tie the game again. Actually, something did happen. Jay Powell came out of the bullpen and pitched like the guy we thought we were signing when we picked him up. Three innings, no runs, one hit. That was the longest outing of his career, too.
Arod came up again in the bottom of the 7th with two men on base, and tripled to right field, scoring both runners to take the lead back, and cap the scoring.
One nice moment in the 9th – Carl Everett got a hit, the 1,000th of his career. Too bad he wasn’t still a Ranger, or they would have announced that over the PA. Game notes are here.

This game was destined to be a blowout from the start. While the usual south winds weren’t going as much as normal, killing most of the jet stream (there were three other balls that could have been home runs, but died at the fence), the teams did manage to pile up twenty runs all told. We jumped out to a 5 run lead in the first inning, but coughed it up by giving the Sox a 6 spot in the 3rd. Fortunately, we took that right back, and never gave up the lead again, getting out to a 12-6 lead after the fourth. We never scored again, but did allow the Sox to get two more in the 7th.
Was definitely a night with something for everyone. Lots of offense early, and a bunch of pitching as well (after the fourth that is). I’m kind of surprised we’re beating up on the Sox like this – I expected them to win the series, not us.
Tonight we go for a sweep. Game notes are here.