Game 73: A Few Moments

Due to some personal circumstances, I wasn’t able to devote 100% of my attention to tonight’s game. As such, I wouldn’t feel right trying to fake my way through one of my typical Moments that Mattered recaps.

Instead I’ll quickly run down some of the high points, some of the low points, and a few of the in-between points from tonight’s 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies.

• Matt Harrison continued his consistent play, throwing 5 innings of shutout ball before being removed with lower back stiffness. He only threw 74 pitches, struck out 3, walked 2, and gave up 5 hits. He also induced 3 ground ball double plays. He is expected to make his next scheduled start.
• Leonys Martin started in center field and made his presence known at the plate. He went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, drove in 3, and scored a run. This may have been just a taste of what we’ll see from Martin once he establishes himself in Arlington.
• Elvis Andrus also had a good day on offense. He was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, a bunt single, and a walk. He also went 1st-to-3rd on a pick-off attempt that got away from the 1st baseman.
• Alex White, the Rockies starter, did not have much of a game. He threw 78 pitches in 2.2 innings, gave up 6 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs. Colorado came into the season not really knowing what their rotation would look like and….well, they still don’t seem to know what they’re doing with it.
  Really makes you appreciate the depth of quality arms that Jon Daniels has stock piled over the years.
• Robbie Ross pitched the 6th inning and worked out of a bases loaded jam after giving up 2 hits and a walk. Tanner Scheppers gave up a hit in a scoreless 7th. Mike Adams gave up a hit in a scoreless 8th.
• Joe Nathan came into the 9th with a 4 run lead and didn’t look at all like the Nathan of late. He gave up a single to lead off the inning, then he surrendered just his third walk of the year.
  He hit Eric Young Jr. to load the bases with no out, then gave up a single to Marco Scutaro, which scored a run. A sac fly at the base of the wall scored another and Jason Giambi stepped to the plate as the go-ahead run.
  Two pitches into Giambi’s at-bat, Scutaro broke for 2nd on what he thought was a wild pitch. Mike Napoli recovered quickly and Scutaro was caught in a rundown after the lead runner failed to advance. Napoli charged and threw the ball to Michael Young, who chased Scutaro back to 2nd and threw to Elvis Andrus.
  Scutaro slid below the tag. He was safe on a botched rundown, though the person who didn’t seem to know it was Scutaro. He stood up and took a few steps away as if he were out. Realizing his mistake, he tried to scramble back, but was tagged by Andrus for a much needed second out.
  Nathan would strike out Giambi to finally end the game.
• Somehow I always forget that Jason Giambi still plays baseball. Every time I see him in a uniform, I have to do six or seven double takes. Gets me every time.
• Tonight marks the end of this season’s interleague play. The Rangers will probably miss it, having gone 14-4 against NL opponents.
• Tonight’s game was also the 22nd home sellout of 2012, which beats the previous record for an entire season. The original record was set in 1994, the year that the Ballpark first opened. I, for one, am glad to see it broken, as this season’s attendance has been fueled not by a fancy new stadium, but by a really good baseball team.

Detroit comes into town tomorrow and Justin Grimm makes his second Major League start. It can be seen at 7:05 Arlington time on FSSW.

Press on, Rangers fans.

(Leave a comment or find me on Twitter @twbbg. Per usual, thanks to Baseball Reference for their invaluable resources.)