The Texas Rangers Win In Walk-Off Fashion For the Second Straight Game 3-2

Chris Davis is mobbed at home plate as the Rangers get yet another come from behind victory.

Texas Gets It Done Again Using Great Starting Pitching and The Long Ball
For the second straight game the Rangers refused to quit, as they were down late in the game. Chris Davis hit a 2-run walk off home run to center field to win it for Texas in the bottom of the 9^th. Matt Harrison pitched his second consecutive complete game and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits to go along with 7 strikeouts to get his 4th win of the season (4-2). Harrison lowered his ERA on the season to 4.23.

Felix Hernandez was brilliant for the Mariners as he pitched 7 innings, had 6 K's, and didn't allow a run on 4 Ranger hits. Mariner closer Brandon Morrow couldn't hold it again as he allowed 3 runs on 3 hits (2 home runs) and only got 1 out before the game was through.

Rangers starting pitcher Matt Harrison went into the top of the 4th with 23 consecutive innings without allowing a run. The inning began for Seattle with a single from 2nd baseman Jose Lopez. DH Mike Sweeney followed with a fly out to center and then 3rd baseman Adrian Beltre doubled to deep right center that advanced Lopez from first to third. Seattle had runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out in the inning. 1st baseman Russell Branyan was next up and hit a grounder to Matt Harrison who got the out at first, allowing Lopez to score from 3rd which put Seattle on the board first with a 1-0 lead. Left fielder Wladimir Balentien continued the inning with a double into the left-center field gap that scored Beltre and gave the Mariners a 2-0 lead. Seattle catcher Rob Johnson popped out to end the inning.

Brandon Morrow came into the game in the bottom of the 9th and the first batter he would face was the same one who hit a game-winning 2 run double off of him last night: Hank Blalock. Blalock came up to bat and worked the count to 3-2 before unloading on a high 95 mph fastball. He absolutely crushed the ball as it ended up landing 8 rows deep in the upper deck, narrowing the defecit to 2-1. Nelson Cruz try to follow with another home run but got underneath the pitch and hit a sky high pop up to the shortstop. David Murphy came up to bat and got his only hit of the day at the right time; a double to the right field corner. Chris Davis laid off of the first two high fastballs he saw that were out of the strike zone to get ahead in the count 2-0. Morrow threw another high fastball that was actually in the strike zone and Davis was behind the 96 mph pitch and popped it up into the stands behind home plate. Davis wasn't fooled on the next one as he knew immediately after the ball hit the bat that it was gone as he flipped his bat and ran the bases with his head down, never once looking at the ball. Rangers flooded the field from the dug-out, Davis had hit a 2-run home run to win it.

Rangers Win 3-2

News and Notes:

• Texas has won 4 straight games and their record is 20-14 on the season.
• Texas has now beaten Seattle every time they have played this season (5-0).
• The Rangers are now 9-3 in May with a 3.06 team ERA in the month.
• Matt Harrison won his 4th straight start, improving his record to a team leading 4-2 on the season. His ERA was 7.98 at the start of his winning streak (4.23 now).
  
• Hank Blalock and Chris Davis continue to be tied for the team lead in home runs with 10. Blalock went 1-4 with a home run and Davis was 2-4 on the day with a 2-run home-run.
• Michael Young went 2-4 and has continued to surge since being injured for 2 games earlier in the month. Young leads the team (minimum 50 AB's) with a .348 batting average.
• Ian Kinsler continued his mini-slump and is now 0-7 his last 2 games.

This was a great game to relieve a Mavs induced (maybe some alchohal too?) hang-over, maybe the Rangers are actually going to do something this year (haha jk). Texas now has a 2 game lead on the Los Angeles Angels, who come to town for 3-games starting tomorrow night a 7:05.