The Rangers rallied from down 2-0 thanks to a solo homer by Josh Hamilton (above) and a go-ahead single from Michael Young. (AP Photo/LM Otero)Just as they've done time and time again this season, the Texas Rangers (71-54) have come from behind yet again to win a ballgame. This time, it was against the Minnesota Twins (72-54), a team the Rangers are now only a half game back from for home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Rangers' starter Colby Lewis got the hard-luck no-decision once again, although, yet again, he pitched a solid game. Lewis went 6 1-3 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out two batters. Unfortunately for the Cobra, Michael Young singled in the game winning run in the same inning Lewis was lifted. In fact, Texas has scored only seven runs in Lewis' last seven starts combined, but this is the first start in his last seven that he Rangers have won.
"I don't really care if we win every time I go out and pitch and get a quality start," Lewis said. "The main goal is to get this thing wrapped up and focus on the postseason."
Hamilton got things going for the Rangers with his 29th homer of the season, giving the Rangers it's first run of the game in the fourth. Andres Blanco followed in the same inning and knocked in two more runs, his sixth and seventh RBI of the season, with a ground-ruled double over the center field wall that put Texas ahead at 3-2.
Minnesota rallied in the seventh to tie the game at 3, although it could have been much worse for the Rangers. Lewis allowed back-to-back singles to start the inning, putting runners on the corners with no outs in the inning. Twins shortstop Alexi Casilla followed with a double that bounced off the wall in left, scoring a run. The next batter smoked a pitch down the third base line but Young was right there to snatch it for the first out of the inning. That was it for Lewis as Darren Oliver came into the game and retired the next two batters with two straight fielder's choice to end the inning.
Texas roared right back in the bottom of the inning (after a line-out by Mitch Moreland) with Blanco smacking another ground ruled double, this time over the wall in left. Julio Borbon followed with a ground-out to first and then Elvis Andrus, who is hitting over .400 for the year with two outs and a runner in scoring position, was walked on four pitches. Up next was Young, who singled to left field, knocking in the game-winning run.
The Rangers were able to sort-of dink-and-dunk Twins' starter Carl Pavano (L, 15-9) all game long to get the victory. Pavano went the distance, allowing four runs on eight hits in eight innings of work.
Over the last two games the Rangers have showed what they are capable of in facing one of the best teams in the American League. Texas has found ways to score and pitched impeccably in the first two games as Texas continues to hold an 8.5 game lead in the A.L. West, the largest division-lead in baseball.
Game three of the four game set takes place Wednesday night with another 7:05 p.m. start time. C.J. Wilson (12-5, 3.02 ERA), the complete-opposite of Lewis, hasn't lost in seven straight starts and will get the start for the Rangers, while Brian Duensing (7-1, 1.92) takes the mound for Minnesota. Duensing has started six times this season, winning four, and hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of them.
News and Notes:
- Neftali Feliz converted his 32nd save of the season (third best in the A.L.) with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. The rookie-record for saves in a season is 37, set by the Seattle Mariners' Kazuhiro Sasaki in 2000.
- Elvis Andrus went 1 for 3 for the game and currently has the longest hitting streak in baseball at 14 games.
- With an 0 for 4 night, Vladimir Guerrero's 11-game hitting streak came to an end.
- Michael Young had two errors in the game at third-base, but shrugged both off to knock in the game-winning run. Young is tied for the second most errors among all MLB third-baseman with 16.
(Portions of this article were taken from The Associated Press)
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