Texas Rolls As Kinsler Hits For Cycle

Well, something had to give...

Both Texas and Baltimore had beat up each others opposing pitching over the first two games of the season, to the point where both teams were forced to call up extra arms from AAA just to have bodies in the bullpen. Early on it looked like Texas would be the team needing the extr help as Kris Benson looked less than sharp, giving up three runs in the first two innings. Had he not worked himself out of a jam in the 2nd, things could have been much worse.

But today, on Jackie Robinson Day, this game was to belong to the Rangers offense. After taking a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 3rd, Texas then exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the 4th, an inning prolonged thanks an error by Orioles 2B Brian Roberts.

With a big lead, Benson settled down, going six innings and picking up his first victory in over two season.

"It's a big monkey off my back," Benson said. "I had a few wins in Spring Training but that doesn't mean anything. Now I'll be able to relax after I got this one behind me."

Despite Kris Benson's big night, the game truly belonged to Ian Kinsler. Kinsler went 6 for 6 with five runs scored and four rbi, becoming only the 4th Rangers player to ever hit for the cycle.



"I knew I had an opportunity to hit for the cycle walking up for my at-bat in the sixth," said Kinsler, who is now hitting .474. "When I hit that ball, I was hoping for it to go over his [Jones] head. And when it got over his head, I was hoping for it to rattle around. I wasn't going to stop at second base regardless if he came up with it clean or not. I was going to give it a shot."

The offensive explosion was not limited to Kinsler as Marlon Byrd had a five-hit night and Nelson Cruz drove in a career-high six runs with a grand slam and two-run double.

"I love it," Byrd said. "Five hits and I'm second on the team in hits. That tells you something is going right."

Ron Washington was pleased with the victory saying, "That's what we've been looking for, that's what we needed. Then we can come back with the momentum in our favor and we can keep it going."

The 19 runs scored by the Rangers are the most in a big-league game this season and the most they've scored since they beat Baltimore, 30-3, on Aug. 22, 2007.

Final Score:
Texas - 19
Baltimore - 6