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This was a game I didn’t think we’d win. R.A. Dickey was “OK”, he wasn’t awful, but he wasn’t great, and we were behind. It’s odd, though as I look at the summary of the game writing this, we had a great offensive day in many categories, the only problem was that we also gave up 10 runs, otherwise it’d be a great game.
Played mostly in the rain (especially late), we were led by Alex Rodriguez (playing DH), who went 3-3 with his 40th HR (as well as 100th RBI) and had two walks. Hank Blalock was 4 for 5 with a home run. We had a lot of power today (HRs by Arod, Raffy, Blalock, Teixeira, & Jones), and in fact were up 10-7 after a 4 spot in the 7th inning, however, we gave it away, letting the Twins get back in it late. Arod’s HR gives him 6 straight years of 40+ home runs. Only one other player has ever done that before, Babe Ruth.
Einar Diaz was the hero, though. In the bottom of the 9th in a big rain, he had a 12 pitch at bat which finally scored Layne Nix on a single to the left field wall over a drawn in Minnesota team. It was a mob scene at home in the rain, and was a great win to a game that the last three years has told me we should have lost.
Game notes are here and here.

We had yet another starter this night – Mickey Calloway who we picked up off the scrap heap recently. However, he didn’t pitch like he belonged there, he kept the Twins to just two runs over 6 innings, and looked quite good. However, Johan Santana was much better, giving up donut until he had to leave the game with an injury. Hopefully Calloway can continue to pitch well.
I was at this game, and sat through the 1.5 hour rain delay. It was nice, because I talked to a father & son who were visiting the ballpark on one of those “See all the ballparks” tours (not a packaged one, they were doing it themselves). It was nice to talk to some folks who really knew baseball, and didn’t just know “Arod”.
Game notes are here.

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.