Game 111: Rangers Cruz Towards A Loss Against Tigers

There are three indelible images from this game. The first is Prince Fielder taking Scott Feldman out of the park for the go-ahead homerun when Feldman was just one out away from getting out of the inning. The second is Nelson Cruz diving for a ball he had no business diving for allowing Austin Jackson to go around the bases for an inside-the-park homerun. The third is, later in that inning, Cruz dropping an easy pop out to extend the inning.

That being said, it was a very ugly game for the Rangers in the opener of the series against the Tigers. It wasn’t a must-win but it still was disheartening. And it doesn’t get any easier tomorrow when the Rangers, in their powder blues, will go up against Justin Verlander. Derek Holland goes for the Rangers.

A lot will be said about whether Ron Washington made the right decision to keep Feldman in the game against Fielder when he started to get into trouble and not going with Robbie Ross to get a lefty-lefty matchup. Feldman was going well in the game up to that point, and he has been the Rangers most reliable starter. However, he is still Scott Feldman and the batter was still Prince Fielder. I think Ross could have come in and done a better job, but that could just be the benefit of hindsight. It’s impossible for the result to have been any worse than what actually happened.

Josh Hamilton hit his league-lead tying 31st homerun and he looks like he is coming around as he also drew a walk and that is positive news for the Rangers as they go forward. The Hamilton watch will continue for the rest of the season as he tries to re-establish his worth going into what looks to be a very interesting free agency period for him.