Rangers vs. Yankees

[Bob Of Burleson]

At 6:05 p.m. on Fox Southwest.

[Bob Of Burleson]

After four innings, four Yankee errors — yet the Rangers have scored only one run. Go figure.

[Bob Of Burleson]

*gasp*

The Rangers beat the Yankees. In New York. With a rookie pitching. By a score of 4-2.

[BigTex]

You can thank me. I was otherwise occupied today. Didn't see it. Didn't record it.

[Bob Of Burleson]

Rangers' persistence pays off in the Bronx
Mikolas effective into eighth; two-out rally in sixth the difference

By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com | 7/22/2014 12:08 AM ET

NEW YORK -- Rangers starter Miles Mikolas had a few family members and friends on hand to watch him pitch at Yankee Stadium on Monday night, but Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter had more than 45,000 there screaming for him.

The vast majority of those fans were on their feet cheering and hoping for something spectacular when Jeter came to bat in the fiftth inning. The Yankees led by a run and had the bases loaded with their captain at the plate.

Mikolas also sensed it was a pivotal moment, and it turned out to be the biggest of the night in the Rangers' 4-2 win.

"That's a big situation … a big jam to get out of," Mikolas said. "They're rooting for him real hard, and it makes me want to compete a little harder. I'm trying not to think about who is at the plate and just make pitches."

Mikolas did just that, getting Jeter to hit a weak ground ball to second baseman Rougned Odor, who started a crucial inning-ending double play. The play turned the game around completely, and Mikolas ended up with his first Major League win as a starter.

"We were just trying to keep the ball in the infield and get a ground ball," catcher Geovany Soto said. "We were pitching him inside. Everybody knows he's a great hitter going the opposite way, so we were trying to tie him up. Miles made a great pitch, and he hit it right at the second baseman."

The Rangers rewarded Mikolas for his fortitude by scoring three runs in the top of the sixth on three consecutive two-out, RBI singles by Soto, Odor and Shin-Soo Choo.

MORE

[Bob Of Burleson]

*gasp*

The Rangers beat the Yankees. In New York. With a rookie pitching. By a score of 4-2.

CORRECTION

Mike Mikolas is NOT a rookie. The Rangers acquired the kid from San Diego where he had racked up two wins as a reliever. However, this was his first win as a starter.

[BigTex]

Soto back on the DL

[Bob Of Burleson]

Nick Martinez activated,
Geovany Soto
to the disabled list

By Adam J. Morris
Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Martinez has been activated from the disabled list, and will make the start tonight in New York against the Yankees.

To make room for Martinez on the active roster, catcher Geovany Soto has been placed on the disabled list with a right groin strain.

Martinez went on the d.l. with a strained back muscle, but was only on the disabled list for a short period of time, and it had been known for some time now that he would be activated for tonight's game. The only question was, who would be removed from the active roster to take his spot?

It was thought that outfielder Dan Robertson would be optioned, but with Soto straining his groin muscle in last night's game, and the Rangers having three other catchers on the active roster anyway, Soto ends up being the odd man out.

It has been a lost season for Soto, who spent the entire first half of the season on the disabled list after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. Soto was only activated Friday, and has just 11 plate appearances on the season.

SOURCE

[BigTex]

Six leadoff hitters have died on base tonight.

So far.

[BigTex]

Tough loss.

[Bob Of Burleson]

Victory elusive as Rangers fall to Yanks in 14
Arencibia's tiebreaking homer in 13th erased with New York's late rally

By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- J.P. Arencibia had one thought when he hit a home run to lead off the 13th inning and give the Rangers a one-run lead on Tuesday night.

"I thought the game was over," Arencibia said.

The Rangers certainly had reason to feel that way, needing just three outs from closer Joakim Soria to complete their 15th shutout of the season. But it didn't happen that way.

Soria took his second blown save of the season in the bottom of the 13th, and the Yankees closed it out on Chase Headley's run-scoring single in the 14th off starter-turned-reliever Nick Tepesch for a 2-1 victory.

"It was really disappointing, especially as well as we played," manager Ron Washington said. "We just couldn't shut it down. We didn't give up; they didn't, either."

Tepesch, who is supposed to start on Friday and probably still will, was pitching the 14th because Washington used up his entire bullpen in a game that was scoreless through 12 innings. The Rangers had warned Tepesch a couple of innings earlier that he might be needed.

"There were no other options," Washington said.

Tepesch had thrown a bullpen session early Tuesday afternoon to prepare for his next start, but he refused to use that as an excuse.

"I was ready," Tepesch said. "If I didn't feel I couldn't do it, I wouldn't have done it."

Tepesch retired Ichiro Suzuki on a grounder to start the 14th, then gave up a double to Brian Roberts. That brought up Francisco Cervelli, who punched a single through the right side, moving Roberts to third. With the infield in, Headley dropped a single into left-center field that brought to an end a game that lasted four hours, 51 minutes.

"That was painful, especially playing forever," shortstop Elvis Andrus said. "We had the game won, it seemed, a couple of times. But they were like us; they didn't give up, either. Crazy game. Pretty crazy. But I think both teams didn't give up. In the end, they had more luck than us."

MORE

[crocmommy]

Made me sick when Soria gave up the run. They should have lost the game when three Rangers ran to catch the ball, Andrus appeared to call for it and didn't catch it. Argh....

[BigTex]

Rain in the forecast in NYC.

[Bob Of Burleson]

[BigTex]

I've never seen a grounds crew fail at getting down the tarp.

There going to have to call this one.

[Bob Of Burleson]

Mike Maddux seemed to be enjoying the ground crew's travails.

[BigTex]

Elvis is saying no bueno.

[BigTex]

Reports say Soria has been traded to Detroit.

[BigTex]

Game called after 4 1/2 innings. Rangers lose 2-1.

[Bob Of Burleson]

Jorge Castillo | The Star-Ledger

NEW YORK — The first thunder clapped over Yankee Stadium Wednesday night with catcher Francisco Cervelli standing at second base, having led off the bottom of the fifth inning with his second double of the evening.

Within a few minutes, at 8:46 p.m., after Brendan Ryan’s routine groundout, the skies opened up and a storm drenched the Bronx with an occasional lightning bolt streaking above. A rain delay commenced and never ceased as the Yankees scored an abbreviated 2-1 victory with the help of an overwhelmed grounds crew.

After a delayed start and a couple failed attempts to cover the infield with a tarp, ushers, security guards, clubbies, and bat boys joined the grounds crew’s effort. The soaked group’s first collaborative try was unsuccessful.

Thirteen minutes into the rain delay, they finally managed to pull the tarp over the infield on their second try — but not before a worker was briefly trapped under the tarp — to the mock applause of the fans gathered under the decks and away from the rain.

Thirteen minutes later, the crew removed the tarp with far more ease and began working on preparing the infield for the contest’s resumption. An approximate 10:05 p.m. restart time was announced, but action never resumed.

Instead, the teams stood idle for a half hour after Yankees manager Joe Girardi and his counterpart Ron Washington inspected the field and informed the umpire crew they did not believe the field was safe to play on. Rain then returned and at 10:34 p.m. the contest was called after a one-hour, 49-minute delay to give the Yankees a victory before a disgruntled crowd of 37,358.

“We were planning on starting, but I thought it was important that we walked the field because we all saw how much rain was there,” Girardi said. “And I just said it’s still pretty soft, especially the base lines. And then you start to walk the infield, it was soft. And Ron Washington came over and said, ‘This is a hamstring just waiting to be pulled.’”

MORE