Game 1 (Final Score: 8-2, Rangers win)

The Tigers look to continue their recent success during a visit from the red hot Rangers. The first game paired Maroth and Kenny Rogers and they paired first inning runs. Maroth retired the first two men he faced but gave up a triple to Teixeira and an RBI double to Hank Blalock (1-0). Rogers allowed Inge to get ahead in the count and Inge smacked the 2-1 offering over the fences in right (1-1). That was the total of Rogers’ generosity; He two hit the Tigers the rest of the way, abusing his guest privileges. Maroth, however, was in a giving mood, making the visitors feel welcome.

Maroth allowed only one hit in each of the second and third before leaving the barn door open in the fourth. Soriano singled, Mench walked, Chad Allen hit a one out triple scoring both Soriano and Mench, Rod Barajas hit an RBI single, and finally Andres Torres and Michael Young ended the inning (4-1). In the fifth, Maroth gave up a single to Teixeira before striking out the next two batters. Mr. Mench hit a two run homer and Matt Ginter relieved Maroth (6-1).

Ginter started the sixth with two quick outs and a quick single. Torres stole second and scored on Michael Young’s single, who scored in turn on Teixeira’s double (8-1). Blalock singled and Ginter hit Soriano, loading the bases. Kevin Mench took Doug Creek to 3-2 before finally fouling out and ending the inning before it really got out of hand. I’ll give Trammell the benefit of the doubt here and call his relief of Ginter perfect timing.

With six outs left, Chris Shelton made his presence on the big league team felt with a leadoff double. He had to wait two outs until Inge singled him home to score what ended up being a meaningless run (8-2). The Rangers pretty much kicked the Tigers’ teeth in and started the series off wonderfully.

Game 2 (Final Score: 4-6, Tigers win)

Staff ace Bonderman was called on to start a new winning streak for the Tigers against Ryan Drese. The two starters combined to allow just three hits through three innings of play before Bonderman got eaten up by the heart of the Rangers’ order. The top of the fourth went leadoff single (M. Young), one out RBI double (Blalock), two out two run homer (Mench), ending on a Nix strikeout (3-0). The bottom half featured some Tigers offense on a Dmitri Young solo home run and a wasted Rondell White single (3-1). Hidalgo completed the Texas scoring with a leadoff homer in the fifth (4-1). Bonderman only allowed three more base runners before being relieved by Farnsworth in the eighth.

The offense bailed Bonderman out starting (and ending) in the seventh. White and Ivan Rodriguez started the inning with singles and Monroe belted a ground rule double that scored White (4-2). Chris Shelton hit an RBI groundout and Tony Giarratano an RBI single (4-4). Logan reached first and Giarratano third on Drese’s misplay of Logan’s bunt. Doug Brocail was called on to keep the tie but Brandon Inge delivered both runners with a single (4-6). The inning and game went quietly after that with only one single allowed and five Rangers’ strikeouts by Farnsworth and Urbina.

Game 3 (Final Score: 5-6, Tigers win)

It’s Nate Robertson who’s had success against the Rangers this season in the decisive third game. If you watched the first inning, you sure would think it was the other way around. The Rangers started the game with three singles from Torres, Michael Young, and Teixeira with Torres scoring from second on Teixeira’s (1-0). Mench‘s at bat resulted in another Rangers run when he hit into a fielder’s choice to Giarratano, who threw to Infante, who threw the ball away, allowing M. Young to score (2-0). Robertson didn’t allow another run for the next five innings, surviving two walks, a single, a double, and two wild pitches.

The Tigers halved the lead leading off the second when Rondell White hit Chris Young’s 2-0 offering into the seats (2-1). They expunged the Rangers’ lead in the third on White’s second and third RBI, despite striking out twice in the inning. Logan lead off with a single (a disputed play and he actually should have been called out), stole second, and Inge followed him on with a walk. Infante sacrificed the two of them over a base and White scored them with his two out single (2-3).

That’s the way the game looked until the seventh when the Tigers’ defense got sloppy. Sandy Alomar Jr. hit a single and made second on Shelton’s throwing error. Mark DeRosa singled, advancing him to third and setting the table for Torres’ sac fly to tie it back up (3-3). Franklyn German returned to his normal form, allowing a single by M. Young, an RBI single by Teixeira, and a sac fly by Mench (5-3). Fortunately he was relieved in the next inning by Spurling who pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth.

Ex-Tiger Francisco Cordero was given the ball and the lead when he entered to close the book on the Tigers and restart the win streak. He gave up a single to Monroe to lead things off on a full count, a single to Shelton on an 0-2 count, and walked Giarratano to load the bases. Carlos Guillen was called off the bench and hit a sac fly, reducing the lead (5-4). Inge used up the second out missing strike three but Infante hit the next pitch for a single, scoring Shelton (5-5). Infante advanced to third on a fielder’s indifference only to see D. Young foul out, ending regulation baseball.

In the tenth, Urbina allowed a leadoff double and walk before ending the inning on a double play. Nick Regilio was given the job of matching Urbina but he allowed a one out Rodriguez double to turn into the winning run on Monroe’s series winning single (5-6). That’s another one run win and only one win below .500 for the good guys. I’m looking forward to the next series against the Indians where I hope we can pick up some more games in the Central.

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