Post-Game Show: Texas Rangers 5, Tampa Bay 2

Posted on July 5th, 2009 10:10pm by Jeff Miller
Filed under Baseball, Post-Game Wrap up, Texas Rangers

• Box score • Standings

For all the drama of the last five weeks or so, Sunday’s sweep of Tampa Bay sends the Rangers into Game 81 at Anaheim tied for their division lead and tied the fourth-best record in the majors. After stumbling in last Monday’s series opener against the Angels, they took five straight from two of the better teams in the league.

Three up
• Back-to-back three-hit games for David Murphy, whose batting average is now .280. He also contributed one of the Rangers’ three sac flies.
• Glass-half-full half of Scott Feldman: He came into the game with the fourth-lowest opponents batting average in the American League at .221 and lowered it to .217.
• The bullpen followed a collectively shaky series against LAA by allowing only one hit against Tampa Bay.

Three Down
• Hank Blalock went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and looked bad doing it. He left six runners on.
• Glass-half-empty half of Scott Feldman: He danced in and out of trouble much of the night and gave up a season-high four walks plus a hit batter. He wants badly to pitch seven full innings but gave Ron Washington every reason to pull him after six again.
• Vicente Padilla, after pushing back his next start until Tuesday, won’t go then because of his shoulder problem. It’ll be Wednesday at the earliest, and that’s still iffy.

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7 Comments to “Post-Game Show: Texas Rangers 5, Tampa Bay 2”
  • Jeffrey @ July 5th, 2009 at 10:32 pm

    This just in to the news room: Hamilton called up, Chris Davis sent to minors

  • Ryans Dad @ July 5th, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    Is that legit Jeffrey? Where you get your info?

  • scooper @ July 5th, 2009 at 10:45 pm

    Evan and Jeff have it now, but T.R. Sullivan had it on his blog.

  • Jeffrey @ July 5th, 2009 at 10:52 pm

    i have a friend who is doing an internship with the media and the rangers, and he tweeted it a little before evan posted it here

  • becca @ July 5th, 2009 at 11:19 pm

    the game was great tonight. murphy is looking more and more clutch which is fun to see. besides blalock looking AON and some kid behind me kicking me in the head, i am very happy with the game! tied for first is fun. stinking angels..

  • JustSaying @ July 5th, 2009 at 11:29 pm

    @becca you have to just turn around and give that kid a nolan stare
    murphy is so clutch……a real gamer……
    blalcok is going to make everyone forget how weak davis swing has been when he trips over himself at first…….he’ll be a laugher at first, but then again he is a laugher in the field period………
    feldman now has pitched second most innings for a rangers pitcher……after he started in the bullpen……..
    now we need to continue thumping the angels on the sternum……….

  • Old Tom @ July 5th, 2009 at 11:34 pm

    I wouldn’t use a down on Scooter. How about giving up two runs without a hit?