Angels @ Rangers (May 11th-14th)

[Molina00]

I fell behind a little bit when the Yankee series came along, but there wasn't much to report anyway. At least not until the final game when Texas finally won one. Anyway, on to current events.

Game 1 Recap
Vicente Padilla started for Texas and actually pitched a decent game. He went 7 innings allowing 4 runs, only 3 of which were earned, to lower his season ERA to 4.78 but the Ranger offense couldn't get going and Padilla fell to 1-5 on the season. Angel's start John Lackey totally dominated the Ranger offense for the first 8 innings of the game. The Rangers did not get a single run on the board until the 9th when they put 3 runs across, all charged to Lackey. Sammy Sosa pitched in with a 2-run homerun but despite holding Ranger killer Vlad Guerrero hitless, the Angels took game 1 by the score of 6-3.

Michael Young's resurgence in May continues by going 2 for 4 with a double in the game to give him a .306 average with 2 homers and 8 RBI in 9 games so far this month. This is coming after he hit a dismal .215 in the month of April.

Game 2 Preview
Bartolo Colon (3-0, 3.46 ERA) vs. Kameron Loe (1-2, 5.76 ERA)

[Molina00]

Game 2 Recap
Another day, another 6-3 loss to the Angels. Kam Loe started for Texas this time. Like Padilla he last 7 innings, but allowed 5 runs on 8 hits and took the loss falling to 1-3 on the season. Bartolo Colon started for the Angels and pitched 6 solid innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and striking out 6. The Angels hit Loe hard early on for 5 runs over the first 2 innings, but he settled down to pitched 5 straight scoreless innings to finish. The Rangers started pecking away at the Angel lead scoring 2 runs in the 4th thanks to Mark Teixeira's 5th homerun of the year, and added 1 more run in the 6th to make it a 5-3 game. That was all Texas could muster against the Angel pitching staff as they went on to a 6-3 loss.

[Molina00]

I unfortunately didn't have time to get a recap done of yesterday's game, but it was an exciting with the Rangers winning 7-6 thanks to a Nellie Cruz walk-off homerun.

Now for today's game:

Top of the 1st
Pitching for Rangers: Kevin Millwood

1) Reggie Willits: Walks on a full count to leadoff the game.
2) Orlando Cabrera: Grounder to short, Young with the diving stop but Cabrera is safe at first. Runners on 1st and 2nd with nobodyo ut.
3) Vladimir Guerrero: Chopped to 2nd, Kinsler tags out Cabrera and drops the ball before he can throw to first to get Vlad. Runners on the corners with 1 out.
4) Gary Matthews Jr.: Walks on 4 pitches. Bases loaded, 1 out.
5) Casey Kotchman: Grand slam for Kotchman. Angels lead 4-0 with just 1 out in the inning.

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Top of the 1st (Continues)

6) Erick Aybar: Grounds out to shortstop on the first pitch. Nobody on with 2 outs.
7) Mike Napoli: Grounds out to third base to end the inning.

Inning over.
Angels lead 4-0.

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Bottom of the 1st
Pitching for Angels: Jered Weaver

1) Kenny Lofton: Pops out to second base.
2) Michael Young: Flies out to centerfield.
3) Mark Teixeira: Singles to rightfield (now has a 12 game hitting streak)
4) Sammy Sosa: Strikes out looking.

Inning over.
Angels lead 4-0 after 1.

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Top of the 2nd
Pitching for Rangers: Kevin Millwood

1) Tommy Murphy: Pops out in foul territory.
2) Chone Figgins: Pops out in foul territory.
3) Reggie Willits: Walks after being behind in the count 0-2. Runner on 1st with 2 out.
4) Orlando Cabrera: Singles to rightfield. Runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 out.

We've got a visit to the mound by manager Washington and the trainer. Looks like there is some problem with Millwood and Texas is going to the bullpen.

Willie Eyre coming on to face Vlad Guerrero with 2 on and 2 out.

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Top of the 2nd (Continued)
Pitching for Rangers: Willie Eyre

5) Vladimir Guerrero: Pops out to shortstop.

Inning over.
Angels lead 4-0.

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Bottom of the 2nd
Pitching for Angels: Jered Weaver

1) Hank Blalock: Singles to leftfield on a check swing.
2) Brad Wilkerson: Singles to rightfield. Runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out.
3) Gerald Laird: Flies out almost to the wall in leftfield. Runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out.
4) Nelson Cruz: Flies out to leftfield. Runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 out.

Orlando Cabrera, who made the catch, collided with Reggie Willits. The Angels trainer is out checking up on Willits now.

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Bottom of the 2nd (Continued)

9) Ian Kinsler: Grounds out to shortstop.

Inning over.
Angels lead 4-0 after 2.

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Top of the 3rd
Pitching for Rangers: Willie Eyre

1) Gary Matthews Jr.: Fly ball to centerfield, Lofton can't make the catch and Matthews is safe at first.
2) Casey Kotchman: Walks. Runners on 1st and 2nd, nobody out.
3) Erick Aybar: Sacrifice bunt moves both runners into scoring position. Now runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out.

Now going into a rain delay.

[Molina00]

After a half hour rain delay we are now back in business.

Top of the 3rd (Continued)
Pitching for Rangers: Willie Eyre

4) Mike Napoli: Fly ball to deep right-center field, runner scores and Napoli into 2nd with a double. Runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out.
5) Tommy Murphy: Singles into centerfield, two runs score. Angels lead 7-0. Runner on first with 1 out.

A wild pitch by Eyre and a throwing error by Laird and Murphy is now on 3rd with 1 out.

6) Chone Figgins: Ground to short, Murphy is caught in run-down heading for home and tagged out for the 2nd out.
7) Reggie Willits: Flies out to leftfield.

Inning over.
Angels lead 7-0.

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Bottom of the 3rd
Pitching for Angels: Jered Weaver

1) Kenny Lofton: Safe at first on an infield single.
2) Michael Young: Grounds into a double play.
3) Mark Teixeira: Grounds out down the first base line.

Inning over.
Angels lead 7-0 after 3.

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Top of the 4th
Pitching for Rangers: Willie Eyre

1) Orlando Cabrera: Strikes out swinging.
2) Vladimir Guerrero: Strikes out swinging.
3) Gary Matthews Jr.: Strikes out swinging.

1-2-3 strikeout inning for Eyre.

Inning over.
Angels lead 7-0.

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Bottom of the 4th
Pitching for Angels: Jered Weaver

1) Sammy Sosa strikes out swinging.
2) Hank Blalock homers off the right field pole. Rangers cut the lead to 6.
3) Brad Wilkerson grounds out to the mound.
4) Gerald Laird grounds out to shortstop.

Inning over. Rangers score 1.
Angels lead 7-1 after 4.

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Top of the 5th
Pitching for Rangers: Willie Eyre

1) Casey Kotchman walks on a full count.
2) Erick Aybar grounds into the fielder's choice, Kotchman is out at 2nd. Runner on 1st with 1 out.
3) Mike Napoli grounds out to secondbase, Eybar goes to 2nd. Runner on 2nd with 2 out.
4) Tommy Murphy grounds out to secondbase.

Inning over.
Angels lead 7-1.