Rangers Get Big Win, Then Let One Slip Away

Last night Texas got yet another great pitching effort out of Scott Feldman, who avoided a near disastrous 3rd inning (in which he loaded the bases only to have Michael Young and Chris Davis bail him out by turning an inning ending double play on Alex Rodriguez) to go 6 1/3 innings, striking out 5 and allowing only 2 earned runs.

Said Feldman of the big play in the 3rd: "That was huge for me. I really lost the feel for what I was doing out there. I just totally lost the feel for it. And then I made a pretty good pitch, and the play that Michael [Young] made was probably the play of the game, and it really saved us."

Texas got their offense up and going early, scoring three in the 1st and one more in the 2nd, getting Feldman and early lead, allowing him to settle in and make good pitches. At one point, Feldman retired 10 or 11 hitters he faced.



"I thought he mixed well," manager Ron Washington said. "He didn't put anything where they could get the part of the bat on early. They were beating the ball into the ground, and that's when you know Feldman does have his best stuff."

Texas spread out the offense, getting RBI from Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Marlon Byrd, and Chris Davis.

C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco came in to pitch 2 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, with Francisco picking up his 12th save of the season.

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By the 5th inning of today's gaem, Texas had amassed a 5-1 lead, thanks in part to a big 2-run double by Chris Davis in the top of the 4th.

Unfortunately, Brandon McCarthy was unable to make the lead stand up, allowing five runs to plate in the bottom of the 5th.

"It seemed like he just lost his location and couldn't throw the ball over the plate like he was earlier," Ron Washington said. "In baseball, that happens."

While Jason Jennings gave a good showing of himself by pitching three scoreless innings, C.J. Wilson wasn't able to continue his hot pitching, serving up a go-ahead, 2-run homerun by Melky Cabrera. C.J. found out the hard way what happens to baseballs when the wind is blowing in new Yankee Stadium.



Wilson still can't believe the ball left the yard.

"I was like, 'Oh, popup,'" Wilson said. "That's why I didn't really react. I was like, 'Oh, OK, fly ball -- oh [man], I forgot where we are. That's not good.'"

Mariano Rivera came in to pitch the 9th for the Yanks, shutting Texas down for his 12th save of the year and giving New York the series win.