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  Saturday, Sep. 9 8:05pm ET
Zimmerman shuts up rude fans with win
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Before he got the win in Texas' 6-5 victory over Kansas City on Saturday night, Jeff Zimmerman got raked over by the fans.

Zimmerman, who spent the first six innings in the visitors bullpen alongside the left-field bleachers, could not remember fans in Kauffman Stadium being so rude.

"You expect behavior like that in New York or Boston," said Zimmerman, who tossed two innings of scoreless relief as the Rangers won a series for the first time in six weeks.

"But here in Kansas City, you don't expect them to talk about your mother and your sister like New Yorkers. It's nothing I haven't heard before, but it's a little unexpected here."

Gabe Kapler had two hits and two RBI in a six-run fourth inning for the Rangers, who hadn't won a series since taking two of three from Anaheim in late July.

Kansas City's Johnny Damon, who was 4-for-5 the night before, went 3-for-5 with a two-run double. He also stole his AL-leading 42nd base and scored his league-leading 121st run.

"We stunk," Damon said. "We had situations to score a few more runs but just came up short."

Rangers rookie Doug Davis retired the first nine batters but failed to get out of the fifth inning and was replaced by Jonathan Johnson.

Zimmerman (4-5) gave up one hit in two innings. John Wetteland got two outs for his 32nd save in 40th chances.

Kapler ignited the Texas fourth with a leadoff single against Mac Suzuki (8-9). A single by Ricky Ledee and a walk to Ruben Sierra loaded the bases. Bill Haselman drove in a run with an infield out and then Mike Lamb made it 2-0 with an infield RBI single.

A third run scored on Suzuki's wild pickoff attempt to first, then Luis Alicea's single drove in a run before Kapler's two-out, two-run single made it 6-0.

"A brush fire broke out," Royals manager Tony Muser said. "We got ourselves into one of those Montana fires and couldn't put it out."

Suzuki went 3 2/3 innings and gave up six runs on seven hits and four walks. He had three strikeouts.

Davis, going for his third win in four decisions, allowed three runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.

He walked Mark Quinn leading off the fifth and gave up an RBI single to Carlos Beltran before Damon's two-run double made it 6-3. Damon singled leading off the seventh and made it 6-4 on Mike Sweeney's RBI single.

Jermaine Dye had an RBI single in the ninth.

Zimmerman wasn't exactly angry with the rude fans.

"You have to give them credit. They're there from the first inning on to the ninth," he said. "They kept ragging on us. I don't think they'll be able to sing much in church tomorrow."

"That kind of behavior," said Wetteland, "is rampant in baseball."

Game notes
The Royals' two double plays increased their AL-leading total to 163. ... Kapler, who set a club record with a 28-game hitting streak July 17-Aug. 15, has now hit safely in seven straight. ... Beltran was playing right field for the first time in his life. ... Damon's 191 hits are second in the AL to Darin Erstad. ... The Texas half of the fourth took 30 minutes.

 


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RECAPS
NY Yankees 5
Boston 3

Cleveland 9
Chi. White Sox 3

Oakland 10
Tampa Bay 0

Toronto 6
Detroit 5

Baltimore 10
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Texas 6
Kansas City 5

Seattle 7
Minnesota 2

Colorado 7
Los Angeles 6

Houston 14
Chicago Cubs 4

San Diego 7
San Francisco 3

Arizona 4
Florida 1

Cincinnati 6
Pittsburgh 4

Montreal 7
Atlanta 5

Philadelphia 6
NY Mets 3

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