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Post-Game(s) Show: Rangers 5-5, Blue Jays 2-2

Posted on September 1st, 2009 11:22pm by Evan Grant
Filed under Baseball, Post-Game Wrap up, Texas Rangers

D-tails
Game 1 Box; Game 2 Box, AL West Standings, AL Wild Card Standings

Story of the Day
RHPs Dustin Nippert and Brandon McCarthy, both fighting for the final spot in the Rangers rotation, each gave the club an impressive quality start to allow the Rangers to sweep a doubleheader from Toronto and gain ground in both the AL West and wild card races. The Rangers won both games against left-handed starters after going 4-8 against lefties since the first of August.

Nippert kept the Blue Jays off balance for six innings in Game 1 while the Rangers built a slim lead. In Game 2, McCarthy unveiled new smoother mechanics after missing most of the last three months while recovering from a stress fracture in his right scapula. He lasted 6.1 innings and got the benefit of a pair of homers from CF Josh Hamilton to stake him to a 5-0 lead. In both games, RHP Frank Francisco came on to close out the game.

Three Up
• OF Josh Hamilton broke from a three-week power outage with homers in consecutive at-bats in the fourth and fifth innings of the second game Tuesday. Hamilton had not homered since August 7 and had just two homers in his previous 57 games.
• RHP Frank Francisco closed both ends of the doubleheader, needing only 22 pitches total to pick up both saves.
• You know this kid, Feliz, I think it is; he might just have a future. Has a current strike0ut-to-walk ratio of 26-to-1. For his career.

Three Down
• The hamstring injury to team leader 3B Michael Young was disheartening and could have significant impact on the club.
• OF Marlon Byrd was 0-for-7 in the doubleheader and is now in a 2-for-28 (.071) stretch that has dropped his batting average from .286 to .273.
• The Rangers were unsuccessful on all three of their stolen base attempts, dropping their percentage for the season to 82.7 percent. It remains, however, on pace to be the best stolen base success rate ever by an AL club.

Stat o’ the Day
3.06: RHP Brandon McCarthy’s ERA over his last five starts, dating back to May 19.

Player of the Day
Here are your candidates: 1B Chris Davis ( 5-for-7, HR, 4 RBIs); CF Josh Hamilton (2-for-7, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs); 2B Ian Kinsler (4-for-7, HR, RBI); RHP Brandon McCarthy (6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R); RHP Dustin Nippert (6 IP, 5 H, 2 R). Vote here.

Monday’s Player of the Game: Rangers RHP Doug Mathis (65% of vote)

Flying Saucer/Flying Fish Depot Double Dip
Flying Saucer: You win (Print $5 coupon here)
Flying Fish: You win (Print $5 coupon here)

Home Run Pool
Daily Double Winner: Mike in Reno (Kinsler-Hamilton)
Game 2 stand alone winner: Part Time Ranger Fan (Hamilton in the fourth).

8 Comments to “Post-Game(s) Show: Rangers 5-5, Blue Jays 2-2”

Tom in Cali @ September 1st, 2009 at 11:37 pm

FINAL: Halos lose 1-2 to the M’s.
Ryans Dad @ September 2nd, 2009 at 12:09 am

I thought I was going out on a limb voting Chris Davis for player of the night. I guess I wasn’t.
JustSaying @ September 2nd, 2009 at 12:10 am

all worthy candidates……..nice to see both kins and davis find their stroke…..and pitching and defense…….where to put all this pitching………..geez…………
JustSaying @ September 2nd, 2009 at 12:12 am

@ryans dad lot of pent up luv waiting on and pulling for davis………

and the scoop on vizquel’s play at third…..just ordinary for davis…….
KJ @ September 2nd, 2009 at 12:17 am

Anyone else think it was coincidence that Hamilton homered right after Young went down? To me, it was almost like a light switch got flipped on that at bat.

Certainly hate Mike being injured, but maybe its the catalyst for Josh focusing in and starting to rake again?
MonkeyRay @ September 2nd, 2009 at 6:09 am

Kinsler had good game, but how can you be the star-of-game with that base running?
badspellr @ September 2nd, 2009 at 7:13 am

What does Frankie Frank have to do to get a Player of the Day nomination? He was awesome. Two efficient saves in one day is getting it done. Consider this a write-in vote for Frankie.
southwick @ September 2nd, 2009 at 9:09 am

Favorite moment: Texting, “should I be concerned that Neftali has lost speed,” only to have him (Neftali) answer my question.

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