Final
Rangers-Diamondbacks Preview
Jun 22, 2009 - 8:54 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS WriterTexas (37-31) at Arizona (29-41), 9:40 p.m. EDT
The Texas Rangers are atop the AL West, but key mistakes have played a big part in why they're riding a losing streak.
A shocking error has the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks on one, too.
The struggling clubs open a three-game interleague series at Chase Field on Tuesday night.
The Rangers (37-31) saw a wild throwing error by shortstop Elvis Andrus lead to a run in the third inning Sunday and they went on to lose 3-2 at San Francisco, getting swept in the three-game set. That came a day after a wild pitch by Jason Jennings in the 11th inning scored the decisive run in a 2-1 defeat.
Texas hasn't been much better at the plate, getting just three hits in each of those two games and scoring more than four runs only twice in the last eight, losing six.
"We didn't do much offensively," Rangers manager Ron Washington said after Sunday's loss. "That being said, our defense let us down today."
Texas now tries to avoid matching a season high with a fifth straight loss. This four-game skid is also the team's worst in interleague play since dropping five in a row June 24-29, 2006.
The Rangers are 13-6 all-time against the Diamondbacks (29-41), winning seven of the last eight meetings.
Arizona is hoping a return home can help it rebound from suffering a three-game sweep at Seattle following Sunday's stunning 3-2 loss at Seattle. The Diamondbacks' Tony Clark dropped a routine throw to first base with two outs in the ninth, allowing the winning run to score.
"It's a miserable ending to a rough road trip," Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said of his club's 2-4 trip.
Max Scherzer (4-4, 3.58) will try to win a third consecutive start in his first game against Texas.
The right-hander has yielded two runs in his last 18 2-3 innings, and both came in his six-inning outing Wednesday when he outpitched Zack Greinke in a 12-5 win at Kansas City.
"He seemed to get into jams and then pitch out of it," Hinch told the team's official Web site. "He never really let the singles get to him. He gave up a few hits and really persevered through having guys on base. He did his part."
The Rangers will give Matt Harrison (4-4, 5.43 ERA) his second start since left shoulder inflammation landed him on the disabled list May 29.
The left-hander, who has never faced the Diamondbacks, was solid in his return Wednesday, allowing three runs and six hits over five innings in Wednesday's 5-4, 10-inning win over Houston. He allowed 12 runs and 20 hits in 10 innings to lose his last two outings before going on the DL.
"My arm felt really good," Harrison told the Rangers' official Web site after throwing 86 pitches. "It was frustrating falling behind a lot of hitters, but I made pitches when I had to. Overall, I felt pretty good, but I wish I could have gone out there at least another inning."
- ML
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TEXAS 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 1
ARIZONA 2 2 0 3 0 1 0 0 x 8 11 0 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: TEX - MATT HARRISON, JASON JENNINGS (4TH), DOUG MATHIS (7TH) AND
JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA
ARI - MAX SCHERZER, ESMERLING VASQUEZ (7TH), JUAN
GUTIERREZ (8TH), TONY PENA
Jun 24 12:18 AM - ML
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
ERROR BY JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA ALLOWED FELIPE LOPEZ TO
SCORE.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
ARIZONA 8 BOTTOM, 6TH
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: S DREW (.242, 2-FOR-3, RBI)
Rangers 2, Diamondbacks 8 Bot 6, 0 OutsJun 23 11:45 PM - ML
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JUSTIN UPTON SCORED STEPHEN DREW.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J UPTON ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
ARIZONA 7 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: M REYNOLDS (.270, 1-FOR-1, BB)
Rangers 2, Diamondbacks 7 Bot 4, 0 OutsJun 23 11:24 PM - ML
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY STEPHEN DREW SCORED FELIPE LOPEZ.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, S DREW ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
ARIZONA 6 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: J UPTON (.322, 1-FOR-2, HR, 2 RBI)
Rangers 2, Diamondbacks 6 Bot 4, 0 OutsJun 23 11:20 PM - ML
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY FELIPE LOPEZ SCORED RYAN ROBERTS.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, F LOPEZ ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
ARIZONA 5 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: S DREW (.238, 1-FOR-2)
Rangers 2, Diamondbacks 5 Bot 4, 0 OutsJun 23 11:18 PM - ML
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY IAN KINSLER SCORED JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, I KINSLER ON FIRST, C DAVIS ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 2
ARIZONA 4 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: D MURPHY (.262, 1-FOR-2)
Rangers 2, Diamondbacks 4 Top 4, 0 OutsJun 23 11:08 PM - ML
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY MARLON BYRD SCORED MATT HARRISON.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M BYRD ON SECOND, D MURPHY ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 1
ARIZONA 4 TOP, 3RD
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: N CRUZ (.267, 0-FOR-1)
Rangers 1, Diamondbacks 4 Top 3, 0 OutsJun 23 10:50 PM - ML
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY FELIPE LOPEZ SCORED ERIC BYRNES AND MIGUEL
MONTERO.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, F LOPEZ ON FIRST, R ROBERTS ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 0
ARIZONA 4 BOTTOM, 2ND
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: S DREW (.239, 1-FOR-1)
Rangers 0, Diamondbacks 4 Bot 2, 0 OutsJun 23 10:36 PM - ML
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY JUSTIN UPTON (14) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 1ST OFF MATT HARRISON SCORED STEPHEN DREW.
CURRENT SCORE: TEXAS 0, ARIZONA 2
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: M REYNOLDS (.267, 19 HR, 49 RBI)
Rangers 0, Diamondbacks 2 Bot 1, 0 OutsJun 23 10:12 PM
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