Volquez Wild, Bats Silent in Rangers Loss

by user ASwaff

Not much went right for the Texas Rangers last night as they fell to the Detroit Tigers in their road trip opener. The best news for the Rangers in this game is that nobody got hit by a pitch, nobody charged the mound and nobody got ejected. Always a good thing.

Edinson Volquez, who had a phenomenal seven inning shutout performance against the Seattle Mariners in his last start, did not have the follow-up we were all hoping for. He threw 87 pitches in just 3.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and three walks. The Tigers started the scoring in the second inning with nothing more fancy than a bunch of singles. Carlos Guillen and Ivan Rodriguez hit back-to-back singles with one out before Sean Casey drove in Guillen with another single. After a groundout by Brandon Inge, Omar Infante hit a single to left field to score the second run of the inning. During the two-run second inning, Volquez threw 24 pitches.

One thing I have to give to the Tigers - they really know how to chase a pitcher early. They take pitches and foul off pitches...they really know how to drive up an opponent’s pitch count. One of those great fundamental things you learn from a real manager like Jim Leyland.

Volquez allowed another run in the third inning, but it could have been worse. He got bailed out by Nelson Cruz, who threw out Dmitri Young at home for the third out of the inning.

Things got hairy for Volquez again the fourth inning. He threw 32 pitches in the inning, and exited the game with two outs and the bases loaded after allowing a single to Inge and walks to Infante and Craig Monroe. Fortunately, Volquez escaped further damage as Joaquin Benoit bailed him out again by striking out Dmitri Young on three pitches.

The Rangers never got any closer to the Tigers than two runs. They scored their first run in the fourth inning on an Ian Kinsler groundout, and their second run in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk by Joel Zumaya. Texas managed to chase Kenny Rogers early, who had control problems of his own, walking four through five innings of work. But, the Tigers bullpen held the Rangers to just one hit over the last four innings, preventing the game from every actually feeling close.

It was a really long night for the Rangers hitters. Texas got out-hit 11-6, and grounded into three double plays. The team combined for just 8 total bases, while the Tigers combined for 15. I’d like to say it was all good pitching by the Tigers (because they do have very good pitching), but the Rangers had opportunities tonight they just didn’t capitalize on. Like the 6th inning, when they had the bases loaded and no outs, and got only one run out of it. After Mark DeRosa drew his bases loaded walk, Kinsler popped out in foul territory, and Hank Blalock and Gerald Laird both struck out swinging.

That’s inexcusable, even against a great pitcher like Zumaya. You have got to put the ball in play in that situation, and the Rangers didn’t do it. Even a 6-4-3 double play in that situation scores a run to cut the lead to 4-3.

The Oakland Athletics didn’t play last night, but the LAA Angels did, and they defeated the Seattle Mariners, 5-2. That puts the Rangers seven games behind first-place Oakland, and a game behind the Angels.

With that loss, the Tigers have defeated the Rangers in four out of five games this season. Texas will look to break out of their funk at 6:05 CST tonight, as RHP Kevin Millwood (11-8, 4.73) takes on RHP Zach Miner (7-3, 4.25). After having a breakout June, Miner is just 3-2 in eight starts with a 5.53 ERA. Millwood has had his own struggles of late as he has gone 1-3 in his last five starts with a 5.23 ERA. He made one start against the Tigers during his very forgettable April and took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) in six innings.

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Date

Fri 08/18/06, 9:46 am EST