Wednesday, May 31, 2006
GAME 54: RANGERS 6, MARINERS 4
[initial partial post]
In 25 words or less: Noooooowwwww we get a tweak in the lineup? Also, Meche didn't turn the corner and world-class human beings can get ejected.
This one featured Gil Meche going up against Kevin Millwood. Ichiro came in 5-for-12 against Millwood. This game also marked the one-third point of the season. It doesn't seem like that long, but I guess it has been. Richie Sexson did not start today on account of a bad heel bruise. Meche came in with a 7.88 ERA in Texas and had given up 11 homers in the confines of the Ballpark. Hank Blalock came in hitting 11-for-27 with three homers against Meche.
TOP 1ST
Ichiro looped a 2-0 pitch into center for a single. Adrian Beltre drilled the second pitch through the left side for a single, moving Ichiro to second. Jose Lopez tapped an 0-2 pitch to the right of the mound, and Millwood threw to first as Ichiro and Beltre moved to third and second. Raul Ibañez was ahead 3-0 and ended up taking a full-count pitch that was below the front knee for strike three, and he threw his helmet down at the plate, jawed at home plate umpire Paul Nauert for a few seconds, and walked to the dugout. Carl Everett fouled off the first pitch and Ibañez came out of the dugout and was fiercely angry and was tossed from the game by Nauert. Ibañez came to get his money's worth and was held back by others and Hargrove. Hargrove came out for probably just a formality to have some words with Nauert and wasn't tossed. Everett took the next pitch and it went off of Laird's glove behind the plate (passed ball) and got away as Ichiro scored standing up, and Lopez went to third.
»» MARINERS 1, RANGERS 0
Everett singled the next pitch through the right side for a single, plating Lopez.
»» MARINERS 2, RANGERS 0
Roberto Petagine took an 0-2 pitch down over the inside corner for strike three, though not quite as low as the Ibañez pitch. Millwood threw 22 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Willie Bloomquist came in to play leftfield. Gary Matthews, Jr. popped a 1-2 pitch to Betancourt in shallow left. Michael Young drove a 2-0 pitch deep to centerfield where Reed had a beat and leaped backward, but had the ball go off his glove behind him near the wall as Young got to second with the double. Mark Teixeira fell behind 0-2 and wound up whiffing on a 2-2 change down and away. Hank Blalock walked on four pitches. Mark DeRosa lined the second pitch right to Ichiro. Meche threw 18 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Kenji Johjima lined the second pitch into right for a single. Jeremy Reed chopped the first pitch off the plate and high over the mound, and Reed beat out the nice throw by Young as Johjima moved to second. Yuniesky Betancourt, a .277 hitter after the game, air-bunted on the first pitch, though it got down foul. After his next pitch was wasted on a bunt attempt as well, Betancourt ended up flying out to Matthews in rightcenter on a 1-2 pitch. The relay throw back to the infield on the Betancourt play got past Blalock at third but Millwood backed up like any good pitcher should, and the runners held. Ichiro was ahead 2-0 and ended up walking on a full-count breaking ball away to load the bases. Beltre ripped the second pitch and grounded hard to second to start a 4-6-3 double play. Clockwork, I tell ya! Millwood threw 17 pitches and had 39 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Brad Wilkerson fell behind 0-2 and whiffed on a 1-2 letter-high fastball. Gerald Laird popped the first pitch to Petagine in foul ground near the stands on the right side. Jason Botts fell behind 0-2 and ended up taking a 1-2 pitch over the outside corner. Meche threw nine pitches and had 27 through two.
TOP 3RD
Lopez popped the first pitch to fairly deep center. Bloomquist fell behind 0-2 and lined a 1-2 pitch into the leftfield corner for a double. Everett took the first pitch that got away from Laird (wild pitch) enabling Bloomquist to move to third, then Laird's throw to third instead went off the top of Everett's helmet and into leftfield, enabling Bloomquist to score.
»» MARINERS 3, RANGERS 0
Everett had the hitters' counts before lining a full-count pitch into centerfield, and the ball one-hopped Matthews and got past him as Everett got to second. It went for a single and an error. Petagine couldn't check his swing on a 1-2 breaking ball in the dirt, but Petagine at this point was probably leery of the Ibañez pitch and the strike three he took earlier in the game. Johjima took a 2-2 pitch in the dirt that got away from Laird again, and Everett scooted to third. Johjima fouled off three pitches with a full count (nearly doubling down the leftfield line on one pitch) before flying out to left. Millwood threw 25 pitches and had 64 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Ian Kinsler ripped a ball off of the inside of a diving Beltre's glove at third, and it deadened the speed enough as the ball rolled into left and Kinsler got to second with a double as Bloomquist had to run in and get the ball. Matthews grounded an 0-2 pitch right to first (3-1 putout). Young lined a thigh-high second pitch on the outer half into the Ranger bullpen in rightcenter.
»» MARINERS 3, RANGERS 2
Teixeira singled a 2-0 pitch over a sidesaddling and backpedaling Petagine's glove at first and into right for a single (fundamentally, yeah, he should have squared that up). Blalock singled a full-count pitch through the right side for a single, moving Teixeira to second. DeRosa worked a 1-2 count for a walk (Meche might have been squeezed on the 2-2 pitch, and the full-count pitch was very much outside) to load the bases. Wilkerson fell behind 0-2 before golfing a 2-2 hanger into the second row in rightfield. Slamma-lamma ding-dong!
»» RANGERS 6, MARINERS 3
Johjima had a word with Meche at the mound. Laird was down 0-2 before drilling a 1-2 pitch into right for a single. Botts took the first pitch, which Johjima dropped as he was preparing to throw to second to get Laird, who stole second easily. Botts had the hitters' counts and flew out to center on a 3-1 pitch, and Laird tagged and went to third. Kinsler was ahead 3-0 before walking on a 3-1 pitch. Matthews got ahead 2-0 before grounded to short to finally end the inning. Meche threw 49 pitches and had 75 through three.
TOP 4TH
Reed was ahead 2-0 before grounding the 2-2 pitch to short. Betancourt rolled the second pitch to a charging Young at short, who released a very quick throw to first in time. Ichiro rolled a 2-2 pitch to short. Millwood threw 12 pitches and had 76 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Young popped to Reed on the track in leftcenter. Teixeira grounded the second pitch to Petagine behind the bag at first. Blalock fell behind 0-2 before grounding a 2-2 pitch into Betancourt on the shift once again. Meche threw 12 pitches and had 87 through four.
TOP 5TH
Beltre fouled an 0-2 pitch barely foul of the rightfield foul pole before bouncing out to second on the next pitch. Lopez flew out to left. Bloomquist fell behind 0-2 before whiffing on a 1-2 breaking ball. Millwood threw 12 pitches and had 88 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
DeRosa singled the second pitch into center. Wilkerson rolled to first for a 3-6 double play (tag on the back end). Laird walked on four pitches. Johjima visited the mound. Botts was ahead 2-0 but ended up whiffing on a 2-2 pitch. Meche threw 16 pitches and had 103 through five.
TOP 6TH
Everett fisted a single into leftfield. Petagine fell behind 0-2 and ended up flying to a running DeRosa in rightcenter. Johjima looped the second pitch for a 'tweener single in shallow left between Wilkerson and Young. Reed fell behind 0-2 before flying out to right on a 2-2 pitch. Betancourt rolled a 2-2 pitch to second, where Kinsler turned to throw to second, but threw wide of Young into leftfield, allowing Everett to score. Johjima moved to third and Betancourt got to second on the play.
»» RANGERS 6, MARINERS 4
Ichiro fell behind 0-2 and chopped a 1-2 pitch along the right side to Millwood, who quickly dished off to first.
Millwood's line: 6 innings, 4 runs (3 earned), 9 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, 116 pitches (80 strikes)
BOTTOM 6TH
Kinsler popped the second pitch to Lopez along the rightfield line. Matthews walked on a 3-1 pitch way up and away. Young was down 0-2 before nubbing a 1-2 pitch along the left side where Beltre had to charge, barehand, and throw, and he threw wide of the bag as everyone was safe.
George Sherrill came in for Meche. Teixeira grounded hard to third to start a 5-4-3 double play. Sherrill threw four pitches.
Meche's line: 5 1/3 innings, 6 runs, 9 hits, 5 walks, 4 strikeouts, 114 pitches (63 strikes)
TOP 7TH
Scott Feldman came in for Millwood. Beltre was up 3-1 before walking on a full-count pitch down and in. Lopez was ahead 2-0 before tapping a 2-2 pitch in front of the mound, where Feldman muffed the play and everyone was safe. Bloomquist lined the first pitch right to an almost-leaping Matthews in center as the runners held.
Ron Mahay came in for Feldman. Everett popped to Kinsler in shallow right on what was listed in MLB.com Gameday as an infield fly rule call, though that wasn't mentioned on the FSNNW telecast.
Francisco Cordero came in for Mahay. Richie Sexson, hitting for Petagine, took the first pitch for strike and whiffed at the next two. Cordero threw three pitches.
Feldman's line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 12 pitches (6 strikes)
Mahay's line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 5 pitches (2 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Richie Sexson stayed in to play first. Blalock grounded to Betancourt, stationed on the other side of second base on the shift. DeRosa whiffed on a 1-2 pitch up and away. Wilkerson was behind 0-2 and took a 1-2 pitch for strike three. Sherrill had 13 total.
Sherrill's line: 1 2/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 13 pitches (9 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Johjima bounced the first pitch left of the mound to Blalock. Reed slapped a high 1-2 change into center for a single. Betancourt took a 1-1 pitch for a strike and Reed was gunned down on an absolutely perfect throw to second by Laird. Betancourt bounced the next pitch (1-2) to short. Cordero threw nine pitches and had 12 total.
Cordero's line: 1 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 12 pitches (10 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Rafael Soriano came in for Sherrill. Laird flew out to Lopez in shallow right on the second pitch. Botts split his bat on the second pitch but looped a single into shallow center nonetheless. Kinsler flew out high to left on a full count. Matthews lined the second pitch to center. Soriano threw 14 pitches.
Soriano's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 14 pitches (10 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Akinori Otsuka came in for Cordero. Ichiro slapped a 2-2 pitch into leftcenter for a single. Beltre ripped a 1-1 pitch barely foul down the leftfield line and tapped the next pitch near the mound, where Otsuka threw wide to first and Nevin dove to the side for it and first-base umpire Charlie Reliford thought Nevin kept the right foot on the bag, which he did. Hargrove came out to argue and did not get tossed. Lopez fell behind 0-2 and whiffed on a 1-2 slider down and away. Bloomquist had the hitters' counts and walked on a full-count pitch away. Everett took a 2-2 backdoor slider over the outside corner.
Otsuka's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, 24 pitches (14 strikes)
---
Gameball: George Sherrill.
Goat: Gil Meche.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 42-12 .778 -- W10
2003 36-18 .667 6 W5
2002 34-20 .630 8 L2
2000 29-25 .537 13 W2
2005 23-31 .426 19 W1
2006 22-32 .407 20 L6
2004 20-34 .370 22 W1
Hernandez. Koronka. Tonight.
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