Michael Young, Phil Garner Lead AL to Another Win

If anyone reading this missed the All-Star Game, for shame! You missed the most exciting All-Star Game since Hank Blalock hit the game-winning homerun off Eric Gagne in 2003. With just two Rangers playing in the game, there were probably few who expected any of the boys from Texas to make substantial contributions.

Until the ninth inning tonight, their predictions would have been correct.

But Michael Young showed once again why he very well may be the most underrated and overlooked shortstop in Major League Baseball. Before his contributions can be mentioned, however, there was a whole game to recap.

Brad Penny was the starting pitcher for the National League team, and he threw fireballs for the first two innings. Fast balls that came in at 98 mph at the shoulders. Unfortunately for him, fastballs out of the strike zone are Vladimir Guerrero’s bread and butter. The homerun Penny allowed to Vlady was his only mistake, as he allowed just the one hit and struck out three in his two innings.

The NL responded in the bottom of the second inning with a solo homerun by almost-Homerun Derby champ David Wright. His blast off former Ranger Kenny Rogers made him the first player ever to homer in his first All-Star at-bat.

Through a strange series of events, the NL added a run in the third inning. With one out, former Ranger Alfonso Soriano singled, and then stole second base. Carlos Beltran then singled to shallow center, and for some reason, Soriano tried to score from second base. He got thrown out at home by Vernon Wells, with Beltran advancing to second on the throw.

Then, with Albert Pujols at the plate, Beltran stole third, and stole it pretty easily. Just as Phil Garner was telling the t.v. commentators that he probably would not have called for that steal in a regular game, Roy Halladay threw a wild pitch, allowing Beltran to score from third.

That would be the only scoring for the next five innings. The game was set to be the lowest scoring All-Star Game since 1990, when the AL defeated the NL 2-0.

It was not to be, however. Trevor Hoffman seemed to have things well in order, starting off the ninth by getting both Jermaine Dye and Miguel Tejada out on weak grounders back to the mound. But Paul Konerko kept the AL alive with a single through the hole on the left side of the infield. With pinch-runner Jose Lopez on first, Troy Glaus hit a ground-rule double over the left field wall. With Michael Young coming to the plate, I started to salivate at the idea of a Ranger having the game-winning hit. Even with slow-poke Glaus at second, a single should get the lead.

But, being the showman that he is, Young didn’t settle for a single. He knocked a line drive into right-center that just scampered past Carlos Beltran, allowing both runners to score and allowing Young to get to third base standing. Joe Mauer closed out the ninth inning with a line drive that Hoffman knocked down and threw to first for the final out.

In the bottom of the ninth, perhaps in a move to appease the hometown crowed, Garner let Freddy Sanchez bat, even though he had Andruw Jones and Nomar Garciaparra on the bench. I just had to point that out as a move I did not understand. Mariano Rivera worked through Sanchez, Beltran, Ryan Howard and Carlos Lee in a fairly easy ninth inning to pick up the save.

And, in an unsurprising post-game ceremony, Young received the All-Star Game MVP from commissioner Bud Selig. Oh, Gary Matthews also got a single in his only at-bat, and made a good play on a line drive that he almost ran right past.

The relievers for the AL also deserve huge credit for their performances tonight. Five different pitchers held the NL hitless after the fourth inning.

With this game, the AL improved to 9-0-1 against the NL in the last ten All-Star Games. The NL hasn’t won since 1997.

I also wanted to use this change to advance my hypothesis that Brad Lidge’s woes have nothing to do with Brad Lidge and everything to do with Phil Garner. He’s got bad mojo, or something. Even with Hoffman, who is second all-time in MLB saves, and who has a 1.03 ERA this season with just one blown save in 25 chances, Garner can’t seem to close out a game. I’m telling you, the man brings bad luck to closers.

But, back to real life. The Rangers get back to action on Thursday at 6:05 CST against the Baltimore Orioles. I’ll have a series preview for you tomorrow, along with a mid-season report on the Rangers starting pitchers.