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Wednesday, Jul. 19 10:05pm ET
Play at the plate saves Rangers' victory | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Texas manager Johnny Oates saved his best chess move of the game for the ninth inning, replacing Chad Curtis with the unpredictable Scarborough Green in right field -- just in case he needed a strong throw. With Scott Spiezio taking off from second base, Green charged Kevin Stocker's two-out single and made a perfect throw on the fly to catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who made the tag to preserve the Rangers' 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Angels on Wednesday night. "He's got a good arm, but the thing about that throw is that it was accurate," Oates said. "We saw this spring that he was just as liable to throw it on the screen or in the dugout as he is to throw it to home plate." The call by umpire Doug Eddings infuriated the Angels, who thought Spiezio's foot just made it under Rodriguez's glove. Spiezio and manager Mike Scioscia both were in Eddings' face arguing the decision. "I thought I was safe, no questions about it," Spiezio said. "But it doesn't matter if I think I was safe. Obviously, someone else didn't think so, and he's the one that matters. I haven't looked at the video or anything, but if I did, I'd probably see that I might be right." Scioscia, who usually keeps reporters waiting more than 15 minutes on a nightly basis before opening up the clubhouse, was waiting for them this time. "I was told after the play that he didn't touch the plate," Scioscia said. "It's a tough way to lose a ballgame. It came down to that play, but we had a lot of chances before that." Gabe Kapler homered and Dave Martinez had two RBI singles as the Rangers ended a three-game losing streak. John Wetteland pitched the ninth and got his 24th save, thanks to Green's throw. Kenny Rogers (10-7) won for the seventh time in nine decisions, giving up two runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. The left-hander, trying to avoid losing three consecutive starts for the second time this season -- and second time in his 12-year career -- struck out six, walked one and picked two runners off first base. "He's a great veteran pitcher who puts the ball where you think it looks great, and then it drops out of the zone, or outside a couple of inches, or inside a couple of inches," Spiezio said. "I played with him in Oakland, so I know what he can do. He's got a great move and he plays his position well." Martinez, whose single to center in the fourth drove in Rodriguez with the game's first run, put Texas ahead in the sixth with a single off Kent Bottenfield (6-8). Rodriguez had led off the inning with the Rangers' major league-leading 199th double. Kapler made it 3-1 in the seventh with a leadoff homer, his fifth of the season and first on the road. He had his second three-hit game. Spiezio sliced Texas' lead to 3-2 in the seventh with a two-out RBI single. Edgard Clemente followed with a double, putting runners at second and third and chasing Rogers. Doug Davis relieved, walked major league hit leader Darin Erstad intentionally, then retired Stocker on a grounder to end the threat. Rogers, who has given up at least 10 hits in each of his previous three starts, leads all AL pitchers with 158 hits allowed. He was working on a one-hit shutout when rookie Bengie Molina homered in the sixth to tie it at 1. It was Molina's 12th homer -- the most by an Angels catcher since Lance Parrish hit 19 in 1991. Bottenfield, trying to win three consecutive starts for the first time since joining the Angels in a trade for All-Star center fielder Jim Edmonds on March 23, was charged with three runs and eight hits in seven innings. The right-hander, who failed to strike out a batter for the first time in his 19 starts this season, has surrendered at least one home run in 10 of his last 12 starts outings and 22 altogether. Game notesAngels RF Tim Salmon, whose attempt at a sliding catch on Sunday aggravated an already sore area in his left shoulder that had bothered him for two weeks, pinch-ran for Mo Vaughn in the eighth. ... Erstad, who began the game 10-for-29 lifetime against Rogers, went 0-for-4. ... Molina called a pitchout in the sixth and caught Martinez trying to steal second. It was the 24th baserunner Molina has thrown out trying to steal in 65 attempts this season. ... Scott Schoeneweis, who hasn't pitched for the Angels since June 16 because of a strained right rib cage muscle, threw 79 pitches in a seven-inning rehab start for Triple-A Edmonton against Oklahoma. He allowed an unearned run and two hits while striking out six, and did not get a decision in the Trappers' 2-1 loss. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Texas Clubhouse Anaheim Clubhouse RECAPS Kansas City 10 Cleveland 5
Texas 3 AUDIO/VIDEO  Rangers outfielder Gabe Kapler on "the play at the plate."wav: 302 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Kapler stresses the importance of the Ranger victory.wav: 230 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | |||||