Texas Rangers' Week Nine Review: 3-3 Northeast Road Trip

Still with a 4.5 game lead in the AL West on the Angels, the Rangers went into week nine of the season with a trip to the Northeast to square off with the Yankees and Red Sox.

This would be an important week for the team as the next two weeks were against the leaders in the AL East and the Dodgers with their best record in baseball.

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: L, 3-12 (30-21)

In an interesting night in the Bronx the Rangers starter Vicente Padilla could not finish out the fourth inning and the Yankees eventually scored seven times. During the inning, tempers nearly boiled over as Padilla beaned Mark Teixiera for the second time in as many plate appearances.

The Rangers lone highlight of the evening was a three-run home run by Nelson Cruz, his 15th of the season.

Wednesday: W, 4-2 (31-21)

Needing some kind of spark the Rangers offense scored all four runs in the first two innings, including a three run first. That was all the run support that Scott Feldman needed as we maneuvered his way through the Yankee lineup.

Feldman pitched 6.1 innings, allowed only two runs (both earned) on five hits, and struck out five as well. With the win he improves his season record to 5-0.  Frank Francisco came in the game in the ninth for his 12th save of the season.

Thursday: L, 6-8 (31-22)

Yankee pitcher Chien-Ming Wang got the start and the Ranger bats greeted him with another poor outing. By the time he was chanced from the game in the fifth inning the Rangers held a 5-1 lead.

But in the bottom of the fifth everything fell apart for Brandon McCarthy who was pitching a very solid game up until then. The Yankees scored five runs in the inning to take the lead back.

Texas would tie it back in the top of the sixth on a solo home run by Ian Kinsler, but the bullpen could not hold out. The Yankees scored twice in the eighth and closer Mariano Rivera survived a scare by the Ranger bats to close out the game and series.

Friday: W, 5-1 (32-22)

Again the Rangers needed a bounce back performance and this time they turned to the pitching staff's ace, Kevin Millwood. Millwood pitched seven quality innings, allowing one unearned run on seven hits and five strikeouts.

The run scoring started in the fifth when Elvis Andrus's epic battle with Red Sox starter Brad Penny ended with a two-out RBI single past shortstop Julio Lugo. On the very next pitch Kinsler blasted his 15th home run of the season, a three-run shot over the Green Monster.

Saturday: L, 1-8 (32-23)

Rangers' young starter Derek Holland pitched four quality innings, allowing only a Mike Lowell home run that barely cleared the fence. However, the Red Sox batters finally got to him and he never got out of the fifth inning.

Kris Benson came on in relief and fared no better, allowing four runs (three earned) in only 2.1 innings pitched.

Red Sox starter Jon Lester retired the first 19 Ranger batters he faced, before Michael Young's double in the seventh broke up the perfect game and no-hitter. Lester would go on to complete the game, giving up only one run on two hits and striking out 11.

Sunday: W, 6-3 (33-23)

In the rubber-match the Ranger offense struck early and struck often, scoring four runs in three innings. After Boston scored three runs, Texas held and increased the lead scoring single runs in the fifth and seventh.

Padilla made the start after many rumors had him either being claimed off waivers or being released by the Rangers. This time the Rangers got the good Padilla as he went seven innings giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and getting his fourth win of the season.

The Rangers offense was highlighted by Cruz's performance as he fell a single away from becoming the fifth Ranger to hit for the cycle. Cruz's home run was his 17th of the season and tied him with Carlos Pena (TB) and Teixiera (NYY) for the most home runs in the American League.

The Rangers went up to the Northeast looking to both make a statement about their legitimacy in the American League and to get a hint of how the team will match-up with the other playoff potential teams.

With the 3-3 road trip the Rangers kept themselves ten games over .500 and are currently tied with the Yankees for the best record in the American League.  The Angels (28-27) also went 3-3 on the week and continue to be 4.5 games behind Texas for the AL West lead, the Mariners (28-29) are 5.5 games behind Texas, and the Athletics (25-30) are now 7.5 games out of first place.

This week the Rangers come home for a four game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, where they will miss Roy Halladay. After that they will host the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series, and that is without any Manny sightings.