Opening Day Fireworks - Rangers Win 5-4

Two Texas late-inning rallies were capped off by a Jarrod Saltalamachia (center with helmet) base-hit that gave the Rangers the walk-off victory. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Going into the seventh inning, it seemed hopeless for the Texas Rangers (1-0). Shaun Marcum and the Toronto Blue Jays (0-1) had shut down the Rangers highly-touted offense to the tune of a no-hitter, one out into the seventh inning.

Scott Feldman allowed a couple of home-runs early in the game, as Adam Lind (solo) and Vernon Wells (two-run with Lind on base) were able to take last year's 17-game winner deep and Toronto had a 3-0 lead at the end of three. The tide began to turn as Feldman regained his composure, retiring 12 of the final 13 batters he faced and keeping the Rangers within striking distance.

After Michael Young flied out to begin the 7th inning, Josh Hamilton worked the count for a walk and newcomer Vladimir Guerrero lined a high fastball to right-center field for the Rangers first hit of the game. The next batter, Nelson Cruz showcased his strength by taking a low-and-away Marcum pitch deep into the Rangers bullpen for a three-run home run that tied the game.

Neftali Feliz allowed another run in the top of the eighth inning, making it 4-3 Blue Jays, but Darren Oliver came into the game and retired the final two batters. It was three-up three-down for Texas in the bottom of the eighth, but Frank Francisco came in for the top of the ninth and retired three of the four batters he faced - giving the Rangers batters a fighting chance in the bottom of the inning.

Young led of the bottom of the ninth, smacking a double to deep right-center field. After Hamilton struck out looking, Guerrero hit a ground ball with eyes up the middle that was suffocated by a diving Aaron Hill. Young scrambled to third but Hill's outstanding defensive play saved a run. Next up to the plate was Cruz, the hero in the 7th inning, and he fought off an inside fastball for a blooper into right field - knocking in Young to tie it up at 4-4. Toronto then intentionally walked Chris Davis to get to Jarrod Saltalamacchia. So, with the bases loaded, it was up to Saltalamacchia to drive the winning run home.

Up to that point, Salty was 0-3 with two fly outs and a ground out. It didn't matter, however, as Saltalamacchia nailed a 2-2 pitch to the gap in deep right-center field for the first walk-off hit in his career. After nearly seven innings of nearly eye-gauging level boredom, the Rangers ramped up the energy with an epic comeback and gave their fans something to cheer about. Texas has now won two straight season-openers after losing seven straight from 2002-2008.

Player(s) Of The Game:

The three and four hitters in the Blue Jays lineup, Lind and Wells, combined for six hits in seven at-bats with two home-runs and knocked in all four of Toronto's runs. Area-native Wells had three of those RBI.

But...

Nellie Cruz knocked in four of the five Rangers runs including the game tying run in the ninth, so he gets my player of the game nod for opening day 2010.