Kinda odd how every year the state of California catches fire and how every year people around the country yawn.
The Rangers have scored 1 run in their last 4 games. Awfully tough to win that way.
Going quietly: Slumping Texas Rangers one-hit by A's
12:24 AM CDT on Thursday, September 17, 2009
By JEFF WILSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON – Normally a verbose and opinionated bunch, the Rangers found themselves at a loss for words Wednesday night.
They had just been shut out for the third time during a four-game losing streak.
Rookie right-hander Trevor Cahill and two relievers combined on a one-hitter to lead Oakland to a 4-0 victory, completing a three-game sweep at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
No matter what might be contributing to the funk – rain delays, no Michael Young, no Josh Hamilton, the nature of the game – the Rangers can't put a finger on the reason.
"There is no explanation," second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "How can you explain something like that?"
The last-place Athletics left town with a 9-6 record against the Rangers, who are off today before opening a three-game series against Los Angeles.
The Rangers' best chance at the postseason is to overtake the Angels, who lead the American League West by six games after losing to Boston. The Red Sox have pulled away to a 61/2 game lead in the wild card race.
"We need to see if can put a long string together, see if we can get a miracle to happen," said outfielder Marlon Byrd, who had the lone hit. "It's been done before. We're going to have to put together wins. If not, we're going to be out of this thing mathematically."
The Rangers were down a run in the first inning after right fielder Nelson Cruz misjudged a fly ball that turned into an RBI double for Scott Hairston.
Dustin Nippert pitched effectively through five innings, but the A's put the game out of reach with a three-run sixth. The final blow was a two-out solo homer by backup catcher Landon Powell.
"Nippert threw the ball pretty good. We just didn't put any runs on the board," manager Ron Washington said.
Cahill had a career-high seven strikeouts in seven innings, and the Rangers lifted only four balls to the outfield. He retired 17 straight hitters after allowing a bloop single to Byrd and a walk to Kinsler to start the second inning.
The only thing keeping hope alive for the Rangers is the fact that the Angels have hit a bit of a bad streak this week, losing 3 in a row. Hopefully that streak lasts throughout the weekend and the Rangers can get back on track as they play each other.
Loss to Red Sox has even Mike Scioscia shaking his head
Usually stoic manager protests two calls in the ninth inning.
Bill Shaikin
Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Boston - This was not the usual Mike Scioscia, the manager with the famously even keel, the leader who orders his charges to "turn the page" from adversity.
Two dozen reporters crowded into his office at Fenway Park late Wednesday night, within a clubhouse still seething about two umpiring calls that the Angels thought had robbed them of victory. Scioscia asked for questions, and a radio reporter tossed him a softball.
"Where do you start with this one?" the reporter asked.
"Is that all you got?" Scioscia snapped. "Where do you want to start?"
There was only one place to start. At the end.
The plate umpire called ball four. The Angels saw strike three.
And, even after some 25 minutes to cool down, Brian Fuentes wondered aloud whether that umpire was too "timid" or "scared" by the charged Boston atmosphere to make what the Angels believed was the right call.
"It's a big pitch," Fuentes said. "A huge pitch. I'm buckling down. The hitter is buckling down. He needs to do the same."
The Angels had coughed up a 3-0 lead and a 7-5 lead, in a park where whatever can go wrong usually does. They scored one run in the top of the ninth and handed an 8-7 lead to Fuentes, their embattled closer.
Jason Bay popped up. Mike Lowell flied out. One out to go.
Fuentes pitched around David Ortiz and walked him. J.D. Drew followed with an infield single, and so did Jed Lowrie, and the Red Sox had the bases loaded.
This brought up Nick Green, the seventh position player off the Boston bench. Green, a reserve infielder, had not driven in a run in 37 days.
He swung and missed at the first pitch, and the second. He started to swing at the third pitch and held up, although Scioscia so vehemently disagreed that the generally stoic manager grabbed the sides of his head in disbelief, screaming at the umpires.
Green fouled off three pitches, then took two, and the count was full.
Green took the next pitch, for ball four, to the disgust of the Angels. Fuentes slammed his glove against the ground, as the Red Sox tied the score.
Alex Gonzalez followed with a game-winning single, and the Angels shot verbal darts at plate umpire Rick Reed from every corner of the clubhouse.
"What was the count at the end?" Scioscia said. "Three-and-four to Green?"
Bruce played Greenville, SC last night.
September 16: / Bi-Lo Center / Greenville, SC
Notes: Another magical night in the Carolinas, where as Bruce said once again, there must be "something in the water." If so, this time it was Springsteen who seemed to have taken a long draft. The crowd in Greenville was fine, good, responding with a roar as Bruce put a spin on his usual question, "Is everybody alive out there?" But Bruce himself was particulary committed, his energy unflagging all night, from the rousing "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" to start. It was that self-generated energy that made the show. On the fly, Bruce put together a selection of songs to match: he dropped the soundchecked and setlisted "Wreck on the Highway," replaced the slowburn of the setlisted "My Hometown" with the intensity of "Backstreets," bypassed "Bobby Jean" in the encore and called an audible for "Detroit Medley." Start to finish, there was hardly a dip.
We felt the energy coming off the stage in the first three songs, "Tenth" into "Badlands" and "No Surrender," and by slot four, the stage couldn't contain it. "Hungry Heart" found Bruce heading into the pit, and it was no brief visit — he wound up circumnavigating the thing. He cruised slowly across the back barrier, slapping skin with those behind it, making his way around to the opposite side of the stage. The mass of fans up front surged and rolled along with him but seemed careful to keep things trouble-free— from where I stood, the pitgoers looked like gracious hosts, and the whole place kept singing along. Soon enough Bruce was back on stage, leaving a whole lot of "I can't believe that just happened!" expressions behind. (More pit forays later in the show, for signs and to pick up two girls to sing on "Sunny Day.")
The exuberance continued with a rollicking "Johnny 99," just a frenzy at the end as Jay wailed away on the drums (he played all night). "Atlantic City" was in the following slot instead of "Point Blank" or "Factory" or anything that might have slowed things down. The band vamped on "Raise Your Hand" as usual while Bruce gathered signs, and as he went to sing it, he began riffing on a sign he now held up: "You Sexy Thing." "I believe in miracles," Bruce sang, and the crowd sang back, Bruce eventually segueing into "Raise Your Hand," but bringing "Sexy Thing" back at the end, too. A great, hilarious slice of spontaneity.
A muscular request set followed: "This Hard Land," the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction," and "Ramrod." "This Hard Land" was a challenge for the drummer, who had to scramble—"Jay just told me he's never played this before!" the Boss laughed, but he wasted little time going right into it regardless. Nils could be seen back by Jay's riser as Bruce sang, some quick coaching before the drums had to kick in.
Then it was time to, as the sign read, "Give SC some Satisfaction! Hey Hey Hey!" Bruce played it with the Castiles back in '65, and a couple decades later he actually shared a mic with Mick Jagger on the song at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. But he was right when he called out to Greenville, "The E Street Band has never played this song!" Sure didn't sound that way. As you'd expect. The place ate it up.
As the encore began, Curtis and Cindy really got to shine on "Hard Times," with that immense a capella break, before a whole new set of folks got the spotlight: the Swingin' Medallions. "We're big fans of beach music," Bruce said as he brought them out, and he's long been a fan of their "Double Shot of My Baby's Love" specifically, breaking it out live from time to time. Here in their South Carolina stomping grounds, it was cool to see these guys get a moment, hamming it up and even adding some choreography as Bruce looked on and laughed. "The Swingin' Medallions... still swingin'!" Corny but cool.
Springsteen filled out the rest of the show as one big party, "Detroit Medley" being the high point of the encore. A majestic "Thunder Road" to wrap it all up was as sedate as this show got—and by that point, a cool-down felt like just the thing. Satisfaction delivered.
Setlist:
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Badlands
No Surrender
Hungry Heary
Outlaw Pete
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
Atlantic City
Raise Your Hand
This Hard Land
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Ramrod
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Backstreets
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
Encore
Hard Times
Double Shot of My Baby's Love (w/ the Swingin' Medallions)
American Land
Glory Days
Detroit Medley
Dancing in the Dark
Thunder Road
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