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Tuesday, May 23 8:05pm ET
Rangers' pen helps Helling notch 7th win | ||||||
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- With home runs flying out of Kauffman Stadium, the key play in Texas' 4-3 victory over Kansas City night was a tapper back to the mound. John Wetteland played it perfectly, and the Texas Rangers won their seventh in a row and moved into a virtual tie with Seattle in the AL West.
The bullpen, key to a surge that's seen the Rangers win 10 of 12, could hardly have been more poised. Jeff Zimmerman, after giving up a double to Mike Sweeney with no outs in the eighth, didn't even let the tying run reach third. In the ninth, the Royals had runners at first and third with one out and Johnny Damon at the plate. A fast runner, Damon is tough to double up. "I have to try to strike out a guy who doesn't strike out a lot," said Wetteland, who got his 11th save in 14 opportunities. "That's what I set out to do, but I got in a position where I had to make him hit it." Damon hit a little grounder back to Wetteland, who got Scott Pose in a rundown between third and home for the second out. Carlos Febles was then retired on a fly ball. "That was the best I could have hoped for," Wetteland said. "That's a bad situation to be in. But what am I going to do? Panic? Light my hair on fire?" Chad Curtis and David Segui homered, and Rick Helling (7-1) went seven-plus innings and won his fifth straight start as the Rangers moved within percentage points of first-place Seattle, a 4-2 loser in Baltimore, in the AL West. Royals manager Tony Muser said the pivotal play in the ninth could be viewed two ways. "It kept us out of a double play and let another batter get to the plate," he said. "On the other hand, you're sacrificing a baserunner who was 90 feet away. There are two things you don't want to do in that situation -- hit it to third or to the pitcher." Febles hit his first home run of the year leading off the eighth, making it 4-3 and bringing Zimmerman from the bullpen to replace Helling, who has not lost since April 25. He gave up three runs and six hits. Curtis hit a three-run homer with two outs in the third off Miguel Batista (2-2). Jason McDonald walked and Luis Alicea singled before Curtis hit a 2-1 pitch 432 feet into the visitor's bullpen. In the Kansas City fourth, Joe Randa singled and Dave McCarty homered to make it 3-2. In the sixth, Segui hit his fifth homer, the league-leading 78th given up by Kansas City.
Game notes | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Texas Clubhouse Kansas City Clubhouse RECAPS Baltimore 4 Seattle 2
Texas 4
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