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Jonesing: Respect For Andruw Jones Opens Door To Big Inning, Big Win As Texas Rangers Throttle Baltimore

D-tails: Boxscore; MLB standings; The Depot live game blog; Post-Game Show comment thread; Kinsler’s big night; Benson survives

ARLINGTON – Sprawled about the Rangers clubhouse Wednesday night, a handful of players dissected the career nights they all just contributed to a 19-6 thrashing of Baltimore.

Ian Kinsler, his uniform smeared from collar to knee with infield dirt, held court on hitting for the cycle and setting the franchise record for hits (six) in a nine-inning game. A few lockers over, Nelson Cruz answered questions about his grand slam, his six RBIs and the near-miss he had for a second grand slam. Against another wall, both knees wrapped in ice, Marlon Byrd discussed his five-hit, which would have matched the Rangers nine-inning record had Kinsler not broken it.

They were all amazing single-game performances, but they were just that: Single-game performances. If there was potential long-lasting impact to the Rangers ending their five-game losing streak the way they did Wednesday, it was to be found in, of all things, an intentional walk.

The recipient was Andruw Jones, who took the walk in the fourth inning two batters before Cruz delivered his game-breaking grand slam. The message that came with it was clear: Teams once again respect Jones’ bat enough to decide they’d rather mess around with other hitters.

“The league is realizing he’s not the same guy he was last year or the year before,” Kinsler said. “As that happens, he gets more confident. And he gets more dangerous. The dude is extremely talented. He’s 31 and he’s accomplished incredible things in his career. Having him – the real him – in the middle of our lineup, there’s no telling what we can do.”

Over the last two seasons, no one feared Jones’ once-mighty bat. He hit .222 with Atlanta in 2007 and followed it up with a .158 injury-plagued season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  He had not received an intentional walk since Sept. 11, 2007. Opposing pitchers lined up for the chance to challenge him with runners on base.

They may be starting to rethink that strategy. Jones’ rebuilt swing, courtesy of hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo, helped get Jones off to a 5-for-8 eight start in which he hit the ball with authority.

On Monday, after Jones doubled and homered, Baltimore closer George Sherrill wanted no part of him with the game on the line and issued an unintentional intentional walk. It brought up Byrd, who struck out to end a 10-9 loss.

On Wednesday, he worked his way to a third inning walk before getting the intentional pass. In the ninth inning, he took a pitch – perhaps delivered as a message to back off the plate – high up on the back.

The intentional walk, though, was confirmation Baltimore preferred to throw fastballs to Hank Blalock, Byrd and Cruz with the game on the line than to try and get Jones to chase stuff off the plate. He wasn’t buying what they were selling.

“They know how dangerous he is,” manager Ron Washington said. “It’s clearly getting out that he’s gotten his act together. He is a dangerous hitter right now.”

Jones is currently splitting time with Hank Blalock as the DH/cleanup hitter, though both were in the lineup Wednesday. He has been playing against left-handed pitching. But with left fielder David Murphy struggling (he’s 0-for-13), Jones could find himself in the middle of the order more regularly. He would present potential protection for Josh Hamilton ahead of him, and the younger power hitters, such as Chris Davis and Nelson Cruz, behind him.

“It’s pretty cool to get an intentional walk again,” said Jones, who has reached base 11 times in 16 plate appearances this season. “I think pitchers are seeing my approach at the plate and it bothers them a little. They may be second-guessing what to throw, what to do. Last year, the year before, they didn’t think like that.”

On Wednesday, the Orioles thought better of pitching to Jones in a key situation. And the Rangers responded by pounding them into submission. It’s the kind of situation the Rangers could get used to.