Final
Kinsler, Rangers break out of offensive slump vs. Tampa Bay
Apr 10, 2007 - 5:22 AM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Ian Kinsler and the Texas Rangers broke out of their offensive slump in a big way.Kinsler went 4-for-4 with two RBI and the Rangers scored six runs in the sixth inning en route to an 8-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the first game of a three-game series.
Nelson Cruz was 3-for-3 for Texas, which had a season-high 15 hits in the contest.
"I was definitely happy about that last one, that's for sure," said Kinsler, who had three hits eight different times during his rookie year last season. "I knew I was getting one more at-bat. You always want to get as many as you can on nights like this."
Brandon McCarthy (1-1), who had been 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA against the Devil Rays, pitched six strong innings for Texas, which had been averaging just over three runs a game.
"He was great," said Michael Young, who epitomized the Rangers' struggles by going 3-for-26 to start the season before recording a pair of hits in this one. "Early in the game, we weren't really getting much going and (McCarthy) kept throwing zeroes, and that allowed us to keep being patient to keep waiting for our big inning to kick in, and fortunately it happened.
"We'll say it until we're blue in the face, we're going to feed off our pitching, they're going to set the tone."
The Rangers broke open a 2-2 tie by scoring all of their sixth-inning runs with two outs against Devil Rays starter Edwin Jackson and three relievers.
"We have a lot of guys that can hit, it's a matter of we want to make sure we have a versatile offense, we want to score in different ways," Young said.
"We know we're capable of big innings, but we also want to make sure we're doing the small things, and things fundamentally right that will be difference-makers."
Kinsler provided a two-run single in the frame, as eight batters reached after two outs. They had six runs in the frame after managing just eight in their previous six games. Young's two-run double to center capped the rally.
"You've got to get your two-out hits if you want to be a winning club, and everyone in this room knows it," Kinsler said. "It's something we definitely need to do."
Chris Stewart had an RBI single and scored when Frank Catalanatto hit a two-run single to center.
"When you treat the game right, it comes back and rewards you," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We knew all the while that we were capable of doing the things that we are starting to do. It's starting to come together, we're starting to really be a team."
Tampa relievers Shawn Camp and Ruddy Lugo faced a combined six batters in the sixth and did not record an out, surrendering four runs.
"I just need to keep talking to these guys, keep them in the right frame of mind and keep throwing them out there," Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon said of his bullpen. "That's who we got, that's who we'll work with. I have a lot of confidence in these people."
McCarthy, who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a December trade, allowed just two runs and five hits with five strikeouts.
In his first start, the righthander was tagged for five runs and 10 hits in six innings in a 10-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Wednesday.
"Just to get a win, kind of get on the board, it's a good feeling, especially my first start here as a Ranger," McCarthy said. "I'm definitely pretty excited about it."
"I'm glad we scored some runs, because he deserved a W," Washington said.
Jackson (0-1) pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed four runs and eight hits while striking out four. He left after surrendering two-out singles to Hank Blalock and Nelson Cruz in the sixth.
"He pitched really well," Maddon said of Jackson. "He threw the ball great, he had his velocity, had his breaking ball, his composure was great. A nice first outing here against this very good club, and I'm very pleased with it. He was spectacular in a lot of ways."
Carl Crawford hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning for Tampa Bay, which has lost nine of 10 in Texas. The run was the 401st of his career, breaking the franchise record of 400 held by Aubrey Huff.
Rookie Akinori Iwamura drove in two runs with a single in the first to stake Tampa Bay to a 2-0 lead. Iwamura is on a tear, hitting safely in every game, and has three mult-hit games thus far.
- AL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TAMPA BAY 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 8 0
TEXAS 0 0 0 2 0 6 0 0 x 8 15 1 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: TAM - EDWIN JACKSON, SHAWN CAMP (6TH), RUDDY LUGO (6TH), GARY GLOVER
(6TH), AL REYES (8TH) AND JOSH PAUL
TEX - BRANDON MCCARTHY, KAMERON LOE (7TH), SCOTT
FELDMAN (
Apr 9 10:57 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TAMPA BAY 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 4 8 0
TEXAS 0 0 0 2 0 6 8 12 1 (BOT 7)
CURRENT PITCHERS: TAM - GARY GLOVER
TEX - KAMERON LOE
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: H BLALOCK (.360, 2-FOR-3, RBI)
N CRUZ (.313, 2-FOR-2, BB)
I KINSLER (.294, 3-FOR-3, 2 RBI)
Apr 9 10:28 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY CARL CRAWFORD (2) TO RIGHT WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 7TH OFF KAMERON LOE SCORED B.J. UPTON.
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 4, TEXAS 8
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B ZOBRIST (.100, 1-FOR-3)
Rays vs. RangersApr 9 10:22 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY MICHAEL YOUNG SCORED KENNY LOFTON AND FRANK
CATALANOTTO.
SITUATION: 6 RUNS IN, M YOUNG ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2
TEXAS 8 BOTTOM, 6TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: M TEIXEIRA (.227, 1-FOR-3)
Rays vs. RangersApr 9 10:07 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY CHRIS STEWART SCORED NELSON CRUZ.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, C STEWART ON FIRST, I KINSLER ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2
TEXAS 4 BOTTOM, 6TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: K LOFTON (.115, 0-FOR-3)
Rays vs. RangersApr 9 10:00 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY IAN KINSLER SCORED HANK BLALOCK.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, I KINSLER ON FIRST, N CRUZ ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2
TEXAS 3 BOTTOM, 6TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: C STEWART (.000, 0-FOR-1, SAC)
Rays vs. RangersApr 9 9:59 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TAMPA BAY 0 2 0 0 2 4 0
TEXAS 0 0 0 2 2 6 1 (TOP 5)
CURRENT PITCHERS: TAM - EDWIN JACKSON
TEX - BRANDON MCCARTHY
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: B UPTON (.400, 0-FOR-0, BB)
C CRAWFORD (.261, 0-FOR-2)
B ZOBRIST (.053, 0-FOR-2)
Apr 9 9:20 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY IAN KINSLER SCORED HANK BLALOCK.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, I KINSLER ON SECOND, N CRUZ ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2
TEXAS 2 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: C STEWART (.000, 0-FOR-0, SAC)
Rays vs. RangersApr 9 9:18 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY HANK BLALOCK SCORED MICHAEL YOUNG.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, H BLALOCK ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2
TEXAS 1 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: N CRUZ (.267, 1-FOR-1)
Rays vs. RangersApr 9 9:14 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TAMPA BAY 0 2 2 3 0
TEXAS 0 0 0 1 (BOT 2)
CURRENT PITCHERS: TAM - EDWIN JACKSON
TEX - BRANDON MCCARTHY
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: M TEIXEIRA (.211, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
S SOSA (.211, 1 HR, 3 RBI)
H BLALOCK (.318, 0 HR, 0 R
Apr 9 8:33 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY AKINORI IWAMURA SCORED TY WIGGINTON AND DELMON
YOUNG.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, A IWAMURA ON FIRST, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TAMPA BAY 2
TEXAS 0 TOP, 2ND
DUE UP FOR TAMPA BAY: E DUKES (.286, 2 HR, 2 RBI)
Rays vs. RangersApr 9 8:25 PM
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