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Sheffield, Granderson spark rally as Tigers hold on vs. Rangers

Aug 19, 2008 - 5:26 AM By John Tranchina PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- There's no question the Texas Rangers could have used Ian Kinsler.

On the day they learned that their sparkplug second baseman could be lost for the season, Texas saw a late rally fall just short as the Detroit Tigers escaped with an 8-7 victory Monday.

Tigers starter Kenny Rogers (9-10) threw six strong innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while walking four - one intentional - and striking out seven.

Gary Sheffield backed Rogers with a two-run home run, the 493rd of his 19-year career, pulling him into a tie for 25th on the all-time list with Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff.

"It feels good, but it's hard to explain," said Sheffield of his milestone blast. "It's more about McGriff than anybody else. I know I always looked at and admired him most."

Kinsler suffered a sports hernia Sunday and was placed on the 15-day disabled list just before game time. Kinsler, who entered the day leading the major leagues with 102 runs and 165 hits and ranked fourth in AL batting average (.319), will visit a specialist Tuesday and might require season-ending surgery.

"I hope I can avoid surgery, but the way it is right now, it's pretty bad, pretty sore and I can't play," Kinsler said. "If it's surgery, then I'm out eight weeks and I'm done for the season. But until the doctor tells me, I'm going to hope for the best.

"There are a lot of things I want to accomplish. You prepare to play a full season and when it's cut short, that's disappointing."

But even with their season beginning to unravel, the injury-depleted Rangers did not give up, almost erasing a five-run deficit in the eighth inning. But Texas could not quite complete the comeback and lost for the 10th time in its last 12 games.

"We don't ever think we're out of the ballgame; we always think we have a shot," said rookie first baseman Chris Davis, who had three hits. "Things just haven't been working out our way; we haven't been able to push quite a few runs across to get the win."

Trailing 8-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Texas tagged relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth for four runs, highlighted by pinch hitter Frank Catalanotto's two-run double, and Kinsler's replacement on the roster, Joaquin Arias, belting a pinch-hit RBI double to make it 8-7.

With Arias representing the tying run at second, Fernando Rodney came on to strike out Josh Hamilton, the major league's RBI leader.

After Joaquin Benoit pitched a scoreless ninth for Texas, the Rangers threatened again in the bottom half of the inning, but were unable to put a run across.

Rodney hit Marlon Byrd with a pitch and a wild pitch advanced Byrd to second, but he got no further as Rodney struck out Gerald Laird and then induced Davis to fly out to center field to earn his fifth save.

"He (Rodney) got Hamilton out in the eighth; that was a big out," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "I wish he didn't hit the second batter in the ninth, but he got out of it."

"I was looking for a ball over the plate," Davis said. "I swung at a ball that I could have hit well, but it probably would have been a little bit better to see a few pitches, maybe try to work the at-bat, but things happen the way they happen. I thought I could get a hold of it, but it just got in on me a little bit."

Carrying a 3-0 lead into the inning, Texas starter Scott Feldman allowed a leadoff infield single to Carlos Guillen before Sheffield belted his 13th home run of the season.

"(Feldman's gotten) me out with that pitch before," Sheffield said. "It was a hard sinker in. It looks like a pitch down the middle of the plate. He's a big guy and he hides it well. Basically, I just made an adjustment, so I was able to get out in front of it."

The Tigers then took the lead when Curtis Granderson laced a triple into the gap in right-center, scoring Brandon Inge and putting Detroit up, 4-3.

Detroit followed with a two-out rally off Jamey Wright in the eighth in which they piled on four more runs. Sheffield scored when Edgar Renteria's grounder to third rolled under third baseman Travis Metcalf's glove, then Wright loaded the bases when he hit Inge in the back with a pitch.

"We make that play (on the error) and it's a different game," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Granderson's second triple of the contest cleared the bases and made it 8-3.

"When you've got speed, that's always an asset," said Sheffield of Granderson. "Curtis has the knack to hit balls to the gap. When he hits balls to the gap, he's running right out of the box."

Former Ranger Rogers added to his all-time lead in victories at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, improving to 54-27 here.