Post-Game Show: Orioles 7, Rangers 0

Posted on September 6th, 2009 4:32pm by Evan Grant
Filed under Uncategorized

D-tails
• Boxscore, AL West Standings, AL Wild Card Standings

Story of the Game
With both OF Josh Hamilton and 3B Michael Young out of the lineup due to injuries, the Rangers bats have fallen silent. After scoring three runs in the first inning Saturday, the Rangers managed one run – on a triple that was lost in the sun – over the final 17 innings of the three-game series at Baltimore. The result was a pair of losses that negated the momentum the Rangers had gained over a four-game winning streak. The Rangers fell three games back of Boston in the wild card and 5.5 games behind Los Angeles in the AL West with 26 games remaining.

LHP Derek Holland had his second consecutive rough outing. After retiring the first four batters successively, Holland retired just six of the next 16 batters and was removed with one out and the bases full in the fourth. He was charged with six runs, the third consecutive start in which he’s allowed at least six runs.

The news was not optimistic for a quick offensive recovery. Hamilton returned to Dallas to have a second epidural injection for the pinched nerve in his back. Young remains about 10 days away – at the earliest – from returning from a significant hamstring strain.

Three Up
• SS Elvis Andrus extended his hitting streak to nine games and has raised his batting average to .274, the highest it has been since June 8.
• 2B Ian Kinsler broke from an o-for-11 stretch with a pair of hits in three at-bats. Kinsler is hitting .305 since returning from the DL.
• Though he did allow one of the three runners he inherited to score, RHP Dustin Nippert was otherwise strong in 1.2 innings of relief. He lowered his relief ERA to 0.90 for the season.

Three Down
• LHP Derek Holland may have been squeezed a bit by umpires, but he’s allowed nine walks and hit two batters in his last three starts totaling 12.1 Opponents are hitting .364 against him in that time, while allowing 22 runs in that time.
• The Rangers were hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position and are hitting .222 (10-for-45) with three double plays since Sept. 1.
• OF David Murphy had a pair of hits, including a homer on Saturday and was 7-for-19 (.358) with a pair of walks this week, but didn’t play in favor of Hank Blalock.

Stat o’ the Game
.560: 1B-DH Hank Blalock’s on-base-plus-slugging percentage since the All-Star break. Blalock, who was 0-for-3 with a walk on Sunday, ranks 119th of 125 AL players with at least 100 plate appearances in that time.

Player of the Game
Here are your candidates:  SS Elvis Andrus (1-for-4, 9-game hitting streak);  2B Ian Kinsler (2-for-3); Baltimore RHP Jeremy Guthrie (7 IP, 0 R, 6 H); 2B Brian Roberts (2-for-5, 2 RBIs). Vote here.

Saturday’s Player of the Game: Baltimore 3B Melvin Mora (58% of votes)

Flying Saucer/Flying Fish Depot Double Dip
Flying Saucer: Rangers lose, no winners. (Friday’s coupon, however, remains valid)
Flying Fish: 3 walks, you win. (Print coupon here)

Home Run Pool
No winners.

Bookmark and Share
25 Comments to “Post-Game Show: Orioles 7, Rangers 0”
  • Josey Wales @ September 6th, 2009 at 4:49 pm

    David Murphy has DH’d in 7 games this year and played LF in 84 games.

    It would appear that David Murphy didn’t play in favor of Julio Borbon (in a 5 for 29 streak) who played LF today.

  • JustSaying @ September 6th, 2009 at 4:51 pm

    i think player of the game has to be a tie between wash, blalock and holland……..

  • Josey Wales @ September 6th, 2009 at 4:52 pm

    While we’re busy cherry-picking random dates like the AS Break, let’s also remember that the June Swoon ended the exact moment Hank F started playing every day and team went on a 28-19 streak (and did so with DL stints from both Kinsler & Cruz and Hamilton stinking it up in July).

    Since CDavis started playing every day again (with Blalock moving to part-time duty)the Rangers have gone 7-6.

    That’s the stat of the day, Evan.

  • Tom B @ September 6th, 2009 at 4:54 pm

    I’ve spent a few “Lost Weekends” in Baltimore. So, I do empathize with the Rangers. Somebody has to do something to wake these bats up. There are always things to complain about. It’s been a good year but this is a .500 team. W/O MY and Ham it isn’t even that. I just don’t buy into Wash’s imagination. He exposes too many vulnerablities on hunches that don’t pan out.

  • 1st Time Caller @ September 6th, 2009 at 4:57 pm

    The batting lineup and order was anemic. You can’t always hope to get good calls. This lineup is not good enough to overcome bad calls. Murphy? Pudge? Need more pop until Hamilton and Young return.

  • Josey Wales @ September 6th, 2009 at 5:23 pm

    While we’re talking about Blalock, let’s review what he has done since July 1 because isolating his stats from the AS Break don’t really tell the story.

    47 for 196 (.240 batting average with an .272 obp).

    Neither number is particularly good but both numbers are better than what Chris Davis has done this year.

    Then you have their numbers v LH pitching. Blalock has a .683 OPS while Davis sits at a puny .535.

    It is very easy to pick on Hank this year because he has had a disappointing season on the whole but the dirty little secret that nobody in the DFW media wants to discuss is that Chris Davis has been markedly worse than Hank Blalock and one of, if not the most disappointing player in the major leagues this season.

  • pirate @ September 6th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

    biggest disappointment this season has to be Hamilton. i wonder if all the drugs, alcohol, and fast lifestyle have broken him down for good but emotionally and physically. poor guy… i really wish the best for him but i dont see any real glimmers of him turning his game around anytime soon.

    it might be worth considering not re-signing him – he’s speculative at best. not sure the rangers will need him in upcoming seasons with the kid of youth we have around here.

    besides, i suspect he will demand a monster contract but not sure its warranted.

  • David in Cleburne @ September 6th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

    Elvis Andrus at .274? Who saw that coming at the start of the season?

    And Josey, Blalock is trending down over the past several years, not to mention lately. Davis has upside offensive potential and much better defense RIGHT NOW. Blalock, the guy I used to root for, is outta’ here. I hope.

  • bib @ September 6th, 2009 at 7:02 pm

    Fork-stick-now

  • Word Up @ September 6th, 2009 at 7:04 pm

    Rangers every day players are broken down physical, and are relying on two fading pitchers (Millwood and Holland) to make key starts down the stretch.

    Playoffs highly unlikely.

  • Lamar in PA @ September 6th, 2009 at 7:07 pm

    Just got back from Baltimore, Friday night’s game was great fun, the rest of the weekend… well, Baltimore’s a lovely city and Camden Yards is a really great place to see a game. Today’s game, sadly, looked a lot more like a last-place team playing out the string than a pennant contender.

  • mike @ September 6th, 2009 at 7:50 pm

    evan, i’m a fan but, to list the murphy v. blalock issue in the “three down” category in disengenious and thus without placing the blame on wash is silly – hat’s what you meant- say it. i’ll admit i’m a wash fan – i think he’s getting the best out of this team — AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. what you did was mask criticism of wash in an obtuse way.

    there are a whole lotta haters out there, are you hiding your true feelings?

  • JustSaying @ September 6th, 2009 at 9:03 pm

    @mike evan was pretty clear blalock for davis is a downer and that’s not rocket science….well if you have any respect for defense……

    @david and the door can’t hit him fast enough

    @pirate no need to rush on a contract with hamilton…..he enters his arbitration years after this season which means he has 3 more years under rangers control without a long term contract…….granted they have to offer arbitration but after the season he’s had he’s not going to demand high dollar…..he’s essentially got to show he’s more durable than a blalock to get any interest……….

  • Tom B @ September 6th, 2009 at 9:44 pm

    Is there reason to fear the treatments Ham is getting as a guy who has had substance abuse problems? I really don’t know but it did occur to me that a pain killer must have some residual effect. Just a Red Flag, I guess.

  • JustSaying @ September 6th, 2009 at 9:57 pm

    @tom b i think we should be more concerned with him away from the team during an injury…..that was the situation when the first spiral started……..and it does seem that all the abuse has effected everyday nicks and bruises and the ability to heal quickly……………geez he’s got more red flags than a french soccer match……

  • al @ September 6th, 2009 at 10:25 pm

    The fat lady is warming up and Dandy Don is singing “turn out the lights, the party’s over”. The Rangers “manager of the year” candidate (NOT!) is not even playing to win. Josh and Michael are out. The pitching has pretty much disappeared. The home run hitters are popping up and striking out at a record pace. It’s over, folks. 2010? Maybe, if Wash is fired; otherwise, no!! Now, to see if coach cupcake has really done anything to straighten out the cowboys.

  • ruffian @ September 6th, 2009 at 11:20 pm

    Just me, but with or without the hot bats in the lineup this team looked completely disinterested in this game from the moment the news came out that Hamilton was returning to Dallas for another injection. If they can’t rebound tomorrow against a pretty awful Cleveland team then I’m out until 2010.

  • JustSaying @ September 7th, 2009 at 1:02 am

    i’m hanging around until the last plasma injection is made………it does look a bit bleak from here but if elvis is out there and murphy and hunter and borbon then i’m just going to have to stick it out……..plus this my last year to watch as i’ve promised my wife there will no mlb package in 2010……….cost cutting measure that probably won’t reverse itself any time soon…….

  • Inkara1 @ September 7th, 2009 at 1:14 am

    Hey, Josey -

    The Rangers are 7-6 in the 13 games since Davis took over the starting 1B job. Know what the Rangers’ record was in the last 13 games with Blalock the starting first baseman? Would you believe 7-6? That’s right, the team is playing at exactly the same pace in 13 games with Davis on the MLB team as it was in the final 13 games with Hank at 1B. Sounds to me like the team is no better and no worse whether Davis is on the team.

  • JustSaying @ September 7th, 2009 at 1:15 am

    @d magazine just to let you know i just used my wife’s computer to vote for charity beaver a SECOND TIME today…….you’re really stepping on my legal rights not allowing me to vote more than once a day for charity beaver……..you know if i was in duval county i could sure vote a lot more than you allow………just saying…….

  • JustSaying @ September 7th, 2009 at 1:23 am

    @evan i can’t wait until december for charity beaver…….that’s just unreasonable to ask………..

  • B. Money @ September 7th, 2009 at 1:35 am

    Davis has had some clutch hits since he came back. Blalock has started striking out and hitting into double plays. I’d give up a little offense for the better defense of Davis, but they’re not giving up anything.

    Also, the AS break isn’t arbitrary – it’s used to measure the second half. Some guys are significantly better/worse after the break. Davis has gotten better. Blalock has gotten worse. I like Hank and appreciate the years he’s given to the club, but I don’t want to see him on the lineup card any more.

  • venezuelanfan @ September 7th, 2009 at 9:10 am

    WRITING IS ON THE WALL……With 22 games letf this team needs to go at least 17-5 to have a legit chance, that means not losing a series from here on and with series against LA and TAMPA thatseems very hard to do.

  • Tom B @ September 7th, 2009 at 10:19 am

    I’m not throwing in the last chip before LAA plays NYY and BoSox on the road and then stops by BPiA. If they win four out of those nine then I’ll listen intently as the fat lady yodels. Until then Fannin might still be coming. Somebody is going to have to get a stick and stroke that rock. Memo to self: Have Borbon and Andrus practice bunting for hits this Winter. This is a Wash day so I celebrate his effort. That only goes until game time or his lineup is posted.

  • Josey Wales @ September 7th, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    Last I checked, there are 162 games in a season.

    I think the Rangers need to win 94 games to make the post-season which means they need to go 18-8 down the stretch.