Post-Game Show: Astros 5, Rangers 3

Three Up and Three Down from Rangers Ballpark in Arlington where the Rangers lost a 3-0 lead and failed to sweep Houston for the season Thursday.

Three Up
• RHP Vicente Padilla made his third consecutive gutty start since clearing waivers. In oppressive heat and with less than best stuff, he went six solid innings and left with the game tied.
• OF David Murphy reached base three times and is now hitting .317 since beginning the season with an 0-for-23 stretch. He took a walk and had a pair of singles.
• President George W. Bush’s suite sure looked nice. At least that’s how it looked from the outside and through the crowd of Secret Service agents.

Three Down
• Rangers offense consisted of a pair of solo homers and a run allowed via a throwing error on C Humberto Quintero; they didn’t have a hit with a runner in scoring position.
• Even with the Los Angeles Angels off, the margin in the AL West shrunk. Rangers now lead the division by just 1½ games; it’s their smallest lead since May 14.
• The Rangers finish the longest homestand of the season with a losing record, 4-5.

The Depot: Rangers-Astros Live Game Blog, News And Notes

Coming up right away. …

7:13: Wow, Presidential traffic put us way behind at The Depot. We will try to catch you up as quickly as possible. But let’s just say the Presidential Suite gathering was very nice and very hot and if you see anybody wandering around town in a red Rangers jersey with the No. 43 and “Bush” on the back, you’ll know who it is.

7:18: Taylor Teagarden allows passed ball to advance runners to second and third. First passed ball he’s allowed this year and only second by Rangers catchers.

7:19: It took Frank Francisco just nine pitches to get through his inning of work for Double-A Frisco against Corpus Christi. Nine pitches, seven strikes.

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Rangers Reliever Eddie Guardado: “I’ve Been Here Before”

ARLINGTON - Once again Eddie Guardado finds himself on the bubble. He is a struggling 38-year-old reliever, with subpar velocity and a shoulder held together by sheer will.

On Wednesday, he surrendered a game-tying eighth-inning homer to Hunter Pence on a hanging split-finger fastball. It was the fourth straight outing in which he’s allowed a run. He gave up a homer to Toronto’s Aaron Hill at the start of the homestand. He lost a 1-0 lead against Los Angeles four days later and the day after that, he let a one-run deficit become three.

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Omar Vizquel Can Celebrate Tying Venezuelan Hit Record And His Hero’s Birthday All On Same Day

Although the deity of all Venezuelan players was Luis Aparicio, Texas Rangers shortstop Omar Vizquel grew up idolizing Dave Concepcion.

And now the three of them have June 17 in common.

On Wednesday against Houston, Concepcion’s 61st birthday, Vizquel lined a single up the middle in the fifth inning for the 2,677th hit of his career. It ties Vizquel with Aparicio for the all-time hits lead for a player born in Venezuela.

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The Presidential Home Run Pool

We are all awaiting the arrival of my neighbor and soon-to-be pal President George W. Bush for the dedication of the new Presidential Suite at Rangers Ballpark. He’ll apparently be making brief remarks, but taking no questions. Though if I do get a chance, I’ll ask him to enter the home run pool. I’ll also ask him to follow me on Twitter.

In the meantime, though, you can start filling up the pool with picks for tonight. Here’s the Rangers lineup against Houston RHP Brandon Backe:

2B Ian Kinsler, 3B Michael Young (who is 10-for-13 in his career against Backe), DH Hank Blalock, RF Nelson Cruz, LF David Murphy, CF Marlon Byrd, 1B Chris Davis, C Taylor Teagarden, SS Elvis Andrus and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Vicente “El Presidente” Padilla.

Don’t let W beat you to the best selections.

About Last Night: A Brain Full Of Thoughts On Rangers-Astros Game

I’ve spent the last 12 hours chewing on the Rangers’ 5-4 win over the Astros last night, fully intending to write some comprehensive, flowing account of the game. It’s just not in me. Perhaps that’s because my brain is full of so many snippets from the game, that I’ve just got to spit them out in little bits and chunks (now that’s a fine image to conjure up).

In short, I think the Rangers got very fortunate. The win, I think summarizes, why Ron Washington has job security for next yeart. It’s because his team constantly plays hard for him and, ultimately, that is more important than a manager’s ability to move pieces around. Because in my mind, Washington went 1-for-2 on managerial moves Wednesday. He used his bullpen just as it should be – even if he didn’t get the results he wanted in the eighth inning. But the handling of the bottom of the ninth is an area that must be improved. We are now talking about the Rangers as serious pennant contenders. And they will face the same situations they faced in the ninth in the playoff race later this year or, if they are so fortunate, in the playoffs. The players must improve their execution. And Washington must improve his decision making.

And with that, away we go:

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Tiger’s Quest Continues

If you are like me, you are quite interested in the US Open this weekend. And if you are like me, you are particularly intrigued by the 7:06 am Thursday tee time and the 12:36 pm Friday tee time of the one and only Tiger Woods.

Odds are, he will not win this weekend. After all, he has played in 14 of these US Opens, and only won 3 of them (and 2 2nd places). Heck, the one time in his 47 major tournaments where he actually missed the cut was the 2006 US Open.

But with all of these realities, we know that Tiger delivers. He has delivered 14 majors overall (30% win rate in majors), and is now within striking distance of a guy who most thought would be safe forever: Jack.

Jack Nicklaus, of course, has 18 majors. Comparing the two is really an amazing trip to greatness. I think it is too easy to suggest that either is a clear cut winner of the “Greatest of All-Time” title at this point. But, I also admit that Tiger has a chance to claim that title in the years to come.

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Salty Performance In Ninth Inning Helped Texas Rangers To 10-Inning Win Over Houston Astros

ARLINGTON - The Ballpark fans stood and cheered as the tribute to Pudge Rodriguez played on the Jumbotron before the Houston Astros took the field in the bottom of the third inning on Wednesday night. The other catcher, first up for the Rangers, backed away and left the dirt area around the batter’s box to allow Mr. 2,227 Games Played his due.

“I wanted to let him enjoy every moment,” Jarrod Saltalamacchia said.

Salty at this point can only claim the all-time major league record for letters in a surname at 14. But he was instrumental in the Rangers’ 5-4 win with a third-inning home run and two critical throws to second base in the top of the ninth to keep the Astros scoreless after they got the leadoff man aboard. Maybe it’s coincidence his performance came a day after putting in some extra work on throws to second in the early afternoon heat. Maybe not.

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