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I didn’t see this game, as I was busy doing daddy stuff, and when I did tune in towards the end of the game, it was already 9-3, so I was’t as inclined to start watching it. :)
We were pretty much shut down by Anaheim’s pitching, getting only 5 hits in all during the game. Two of them were by Gary Matthews, one was a double by Carlos Lee, and one was a triple by Hank Blalock. One of the runs the Angels gave up was unearned, too.
John Koronka’s line wasn’t good – going only 4 innings and giving up 7 earned runs on 7 hits with FIVE walks. Ugh. No wonder we got beat.

Mark DeRosa did it all. Well, OK he didn’t, but don’t people always seem to say that when a player has a really great game? Mark (I can’t stand the nickname DeRoll) DeRosa went 2 for 3 with a walk, which doesn’t sound that impressive.
However, the two were a single, and a grand slam. That was DeRosa’s first grand slam of his career, which was nice to see, as it came against John Lackey, who has pretty much confounded the Rangers since he made his major league debut against us a few years back (which I was at). Mark also made a great defensive catch in the seventh. It ended up being a sac fly, but it saved a second run from scoring. Mark’s other RBI was on a based loaded walk.
I still dispute the batter getting an RBI on a bases loaded walk. The stat is runs batted in. Those aren’t batted in.
Anyway, it was a big night for DeRosa. Vicente Padilla (who seems to be getting no coverage around these parts on his recent arrest) pitched well, if not completely dominating. He had a few parts where it was a little wobbly, and a lot of other parts to this game where he did look dominating. Still, you can’t argue with the line; 7IP, 7H, 3R, 5K, 0BB. Josh Rupe followed up with two innings of scoreless relief.
Overall a nice win, one fueled by Mark DeRosa. We’re now back in second place in our rather bunched up division, only 2.5 games out. The Angels now have likely lost Bartolo Colon for the season (time to hit the drop button on a few fantasy leagues), which can only help us going down the stretch.

This game went 12 innings, and it’s quarter after 1 in the morning. I’ll write about it tomorrow.
In the meantime, here are some raw notes I took while watching the game, I’ll make this more cohesive tomorrow. :)
I ended up getting really busy at work and didn’t have time to expand on this. In a way my raw notes are a different kind of report, I guess. :)
Great throw by Matthews in the 6th to nail Cabrera at the plate in the 6th. Millwood stop on a ball hit baack to him in 6th to end inning.
Millwood had some great curveballs going in this game, he looked really sharp.
Three hits by Matthews
Guerrero keeps his streak alive, 43 games. Home Run. What a shock.
Mike Young – league leading 38th double.
Hector Carrasco in 7th. Three pitches, three hits – single, double, single, run in. Tex followed with a double, then Carrasco is out with 0.0 IP. JC Romero, comes in to pitch, then Blalock bounced it into the ground and way up for another single and an RBI, and then he’s out. In comes Brendan Donnelly, and gets a double play and a grounder to end the inning.
Bottom of the 8th. Awwwwww SHIT!
Extra innings. Tired.
Figure out who it was earlier in the game who swung at a pitch at his head to end the inning, promtping much laughter from Josh & Tom. — Juan Rivera, also HR guy in 8th.
Millwood deserved better, the way he pitched.

Here comes the calvary.
In an afternoon game on Wednesday, the Rangers opened up the offense again and beat the Twins to win the series with a score of 10-2. The calvary arrived in the form of Kip Wells from the Pittsburgh Pirates. OK, it was more than him, but when a guy you trade for makes a start and gets a win, it’s always a good feeling.
Wells, who I sort of knew as I pay attention to the Pirates somewhat due to my wife being from there, wasn’t someone that terribly excited me. Yes, it’s help. Yes, it’s major league help – but Kip Wells spent time on the DL this year, and was 1-5 before coming over from Pittsburgh this year. Last year, he was 8-18 with a 5.09 ERA. Year before that was 5-7 4.55. So he’s not exactly a true saviour. However, he’s probably good for now.
He only went 5 innings today, giving up seven hits and just one run, but got the win. Our four relievers combined for 5 hits and one run, so that was good work there.
Rick Bauer is looking more like a guy who can keep the job he’s been handed with Cordero out of town now.
Mark Teixeira led the offence with two home runs. We also got our mlb leading lead in doubles extended with a total of 4 more in that department. Mark DeRosa seems to be heating up again, and Gerald Laird is getting a lot more playing time. My gut feeling says that Barajas is not here next year, and Laird finally gets his chance to be the #1 starter in 2007.
And I couldn’t end this without snickering at the name of the starting pitcher for the Twins. Boof Bonser. I know he legally changed his name to that some time ago, but it’s stll worth a snicker even at age 40. Buahahaha. :)

This was shaping up to be a nice pitcher’s duel. Through the first three innings, not much happened. The score was 0-0 at that point. Adam Eaton was going against Scott Baker of the Twins.
Both had things pretty much in check, although Eaton was helped out a bunch in the bottom of the third after he walked two consecutive batters, and each of them was thrown out by Rod Barajas when they attempted to steal second.
However, in the fourth, I had visions of that inning against the Orioles a decade ago when we got 16 runs in one inning (a club record still). We unloaded on the Twins for 8 runs in the top of the fourth. It was a massacre. Carlos Lee started things off with a double. Blalock singled, scoring Lee. Matt Stairs reached on a throwing error, allowing Blalock to score and Kinsler to move up. Rod Barajas got plunked, then Wilkerson (hitting 9th!) singled, scoring Ian Kinsler.
Then Gary Matthews stepped up, and on a 3-2 count, absolutely destroyed a ball into the upper deck for a grand slam, his career second. This home run was an absolute no doubter off the bat – the kind that just looks like it would never come down. I’ve never actually been to the Metrodome, but I’ve seen a bunch of games on TV there, and I can’t recall ever seeing a home run hit that far up there. Quite impressive – and to follow it up, Mike Young hit a solo home run right after that to finish off the scoring. Mark Teixeira followed up with an RBI single in the 9th to add another one, but this game was all over when Matthews hit his slam.
Following that, the Twins pen didn’t do too bad at all. In relief of Baker, the four Twins pitchers combined for 5.2 IP, allowing just two hits and one run – all of that on the fourth reliever (Juan Rincon).
Adam Eaton did a bit better than most people were expecting. His stamina still needs a little work, but he went 6 innings – helped out by the Barajas caught stealings I mentioned before. He gave up just four hits, although he did walk four, which didn’t help, but none of them scored. CJ Wilson & Scott Feldman pitched 3 innings of scoreless relief, for the first shutout thrown by the Rangers in a bit.
I’m getting a little worried about all these lopsided wins. 15-2 one way, 15-2 the other way, and then 9-0. I’d prefer a little more consistancy in our offense and pitching. One way or the other, please. Preferably wins.