Game 35 vs. Texas

And now the days grow short. A couple of games against Texas, a couple with Los Angeles, and a final three with the AL Central.

This one seemed like bad luck at the outset. The Rangers are the best team in the American League, so farmhand Jeremy Guthrie wasn’t likely to pose much of a threat to them. Indeed, the game started predictably enough. Elvis Andrus hit a solo shot in the first, and in the second Geovany Soto drew a two-out walk and came around to score on a double by Mitch Moreland (though Moreland was tagged out trying to stretch it to a triple).

It also looked like one of those nights on offense as well. In the bottom of the second we got two runners in scoring position with just one out before going down on a pair of strikeouts.

But then things took a turn for the better. Lorenzo Cain reached on an error and then came around to score on a double by Alcides Escobar, who in turn got batted over by Alex Gordon and sacrificed in by Billy Butler. Tied with the best team in the league!

The Rangers seemed poised to pay us back in kind, but then Ian Kinsler got tagged out at the plate. And that was pretty much it for Texas.

We added three insurance runs in the fifth and another in the sixth, including home runs by Gordon and Johnny Giavotella. Kelvin Herrera stuttered a bit in the top of the ninth, but Ned Yost wised up faster than he usually does and brought in closer Greg Holland to seal the deal.

The box score:

RANGERS (3) AT ROYALS (6)

RANGERS              AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Ian Kinsler           3  0  1  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  1  1  0  
Elvis Andrus          3  1  1  1  Alcides Escobar       4  2  1  1  
Josh Hamilton         4  1  2  0  Alex Gordon           4  1  2  2  
Adrian Beltre         4  0  1  0  Billy Butler          3  1  1  1  
Nelson Cruz           4  0  0  0  Salvador Perez        4  0  1  1  
Michael Young         3  0  1  1  Jeff Francoeur        4  0  2  0  
David Murphy          4  0  0  0  Mike Moustakas        4  0  1  0  
Geovany Soto          2  1  0  0  Tony Abreu            4  0  1  0  
Mitch Moreland        3  0  1  1  Johnny Giavotella     4  1  1  1  
TOTALS               30  3  7  3  TOTALS               35  6 11  6

RANGERS                       110 000 001 -- 3  
ROYALS                        002 031 00x -- 6  

LOB--RANGERS 4, ROYALS 6. ERR--Ian Kinsler, Billy Butler.
2B--Ian Kinsler, Mitch Moreland, Alcides Escobar, Mike
Moustakas, Salvador Perez. HR--Elvis Andrus, Alex Gordon,
Johnny Giavotella. SACF--Michael Young, Billy Butler.
SACB--Elvis Andrus.

 RANGERS                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Matt Harrison                 4 2-3    8    5    3    0    3    1
Roy Oswalt                    2 1-3    1    1    1    0    4    1
Mark Lowe                         1    2    0    0    0    0    0
 ROYALS                     
Jeremy Guthrie                    7    5    2    2    2    5    1
Kelvin Herrera                    1    2    1    1    0    1    0
Greg Holland                      1    0    0    0    0    1    0

BALK--Mark Lowe. SO--Adrian Beltre, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz
(2), Josh Hamilton (2), Mitch Moreland, Jeff Francoeur, Alex
Gordon, Tony Abreu, Lorenzo Cain (2), Mike Moustakas, Johnny
Giavotella. BB--Geovany Soto, Ian Kinsler.

LOCATION: The K

CONDITION: Dry

WEATHER: Clear, Hot

Buck: W- (missionary)
Guard: JROTC
Anthem: Choir (not bad)

Umpires
H: Barksdale
1: Culbreth
2: Johnson
3: Cederstrom

Time: 7:11
Temp: 92 (felt hotter)