Ogando Dominates, Borbon Exits with Injury

The Texas Rangers won Friday night over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4-1. In a night where Jered Weaver took the mound for the Angels, Alexi Ogando squared up for the Rangers. Of the three games this weekend, this was one I felt would probably fall to the Angels. Weaver has always played the Rangers well and generally doesn’t give them much breathing room.

Alexi Ogando put this game on his blistered finger and battled. Going 6.1 innings and allowing only five hits and one run he picked up his fourth win of the season. The only run that the Rangers gave up all game was a solo home-run from the unlikely shortstop Erick Aybar. Cody Eppley and Darren Oliver were both worked in the game between them going 1.2 innings and allowing no hits and no runs. Neftali Feliz came in to close out the game with some drama. Feliz allowed a hit and a walk, and with the tying man on the plate Mark Trumbo, Nefty forces him to pop out.

For the Rangers the four runs were spread out throughout the game. Another unlikely shortstop Elvis Andrus, had a solo home-run in the first inning. In the fourth inning, Ian Kinsler doubles to lead off the inning and Michael Young hit a double to drive in the run. With Mike Napoli on second base in the bottom of the fifth Andrus picks up another RBI with a single. In the sixth inning Adrian Beltre hits a solo home run to centerfield.

Nothing too fancy here for the Rangers offense, but they were able to get enough runs against a pitcher that doesn’t give many away. Julio Borbon did leave the game in the seventh inning with a strained hamstring. Jamey Newberg had a good analysis of what happened in his daily Newberg Report-

"The facts are that Julio Borbon strained his left hamstring tracking down a fly ball in the seventh inning and came out of the game, and that Endy Chavez was lifted from Round Rock’s game almost immediately after that, and that Borbon’s scheduled for an MRI today to determine the extent of the damage.  Nothing has been announced but it’s a very solid bet that Borbon will be on the disabled list before game time this afternoon and that Chavez’s contract will be purchased – and that Chavez might even be in the lineup in center field (not just because he hits left-handed but also because he’s 2 for 5 with a walk against Dan Haren lifetime)."

So this afternoon we see Derek Holland take on Dan Haren, and hopefully the Rangers can take care of the series win in this one.

-Jonathan