OregonStrosFan does the dissecting. Turn away if you’re squeamish.
Sunday May 24, 2009
Rangers 6, Astros 0
Gamezone
(with new and improved hot Clark on Clark action)
Chicks dig the longball, Hampton the perfect Rangers wingman
Hampton continued his inauspicious return to the Astros rotation, allowing the Rangers to hit homers 7-9 of the series. The 3 solo shots (in the 1st, 2nd and 4th), along with 2 more runs in the 3rd (single, sac fly), gave the Rangers a 5-0 lead through 4. Hampton was pulled for a pinch hitter (Michaels) in the 5th, after throwing 75 pitches.
Connectile Dysfunction
The Astros hitters had their chances to make it a game, but found themselves impotent to score when the time was right. The Good Guys reached base 10 times (8 singles, 1 double and a walk), but stranded runners at 1B in the 1st, at 2B in the 2nd, at 2B and 3B in the 3rd, at 2B and 3B in the 5th, at 1B and 2B in the 6th, at 1B in the 7th and at 2B in the 9th.
Coop was typically chatty about this situation, noting: “We have one of the higher averages in the league, but for some reason we can’t score runs. We need to do a better job of coming through in the clutch and driving in runs. I thought we were getting close on the last road trip, but apparently we’ve reverted back.”
Home not-so-sweet Home
Ortiz came into the game in the 6th and threw 4 innings of bullpen saving no-run ball, but the damage had already been done. Rangers righty McCarthy struck out Bourn with 1 on in the 9th to notch a 124-pitch complete game shutout. The shutout was the 5th against the Astros this year, as compared with 6 in 2008. The sweep was the first for the Rangers at Minute Maid, and left the Astros with a 9-15 home record this season.
Tidbits
Miggy went 4-4, for his 19th multi-hit game of the season. He was 12-23 during the homestand.
Matsui batter leadoff from the 7-hole this evening.
Hampton and Ortiz managed to keep Nelson Cruz for going yard for a change.
Blum left the game with a strained hamstring, and is expected to miss at least 2 games. Maysonnet filled in for him at 3B.
The Rangers defense has gotten to be really good.
Then again, Michael Bourn ain’t exactly shabby with the glove neither.
Coming up next
Now its off for a 3-game series in Cincy, where Wandy, Roy and Felipe will be taking the hill against the 23-20 Cincinnati Reds. Read about it here in JaneDoe’s series preview.