Beltre salutes the crowd after his walk-off hit

As former Rangers broadcaster Mark Holtz would say, “Hello win column”. The Rangers won their first game of the season last night in comeback fashion 3-2. Adrian Beltre finished it off with a walkoff single to score Shin Shoo Choo. There was a lot that happened before that though. This was a well played early season game for both teams. There was good pitching, timely hitting, and great defensive plays. As a baseball fan and a Rangers fan you really couldn’t ask for anything more. The team played well and they won.

Lets start from the beginning though. Martin Perez started the game for the Rangers and A.J. Burnett started for the Phillies. Both pitchers put up zeroes on the board through the first 5 innings of the game, but they did it in different ways. Perez was never really in trouble those first 5 innings and Burnett pitched into and out of trouble those first 5 innings. The Rangers best chance in those early innings came in the third when they had runners on first and second with no outs with the middle of the lineup coming up. One would think that any of those guys would be able to get at least one run across the board but that was not the case. First Prince Fielder fouled out, then Beltre hit into a fielder’s choice, and finally Rios lined out to the second baseman to end the inning still 0-0. From there Perez buckled down and was able to match Burnett and not allow any runs. After 5 innings Perez was pitching spectaculary. He was only at 68 pitches, had 7 k’s, and had only allowed 3 hits. He seemingly tired though in the 6th. He gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and was taken out of the game after Ryan Howard’s rbi double. Overall though you have to be very happy with Perez tonight. He was very economical with his pitches, he kept the team in the game, he didn’t walk anybody, and only gave up 2 runs. I would expect him as the season goes along to not become fatigued at the 70-80 pitch mark. Very good first outing of the season.

Back to the game Washington then had to go to his bullpen, but unlike yesterday he used the guys he trusts in situations where the team is ahead or close. He first went to Jason Frasor to get them out of the 6th and he did by getting Carlos Ruiz to ground out. In the bottom of the 6th the Rangers finally got on the board when Mitch Moreland hit a single through the shift to score Alex Rios who had doubled. Rios thus far is continuing his hot hitting from Spring Training. He so far is 4-7 on the young season. At this point the Rangers are down 2-1. Frasor then comes back in the 7th by going three up and three down. In the bottom of the 7th again the Rangers tacked on another run with an Adrian Beltre double past Marlon Byrd into the right field corner. That tied the game and then it was up to Neal Cotts to come in the 8th inning and keep it that way. Cotts wasn’t as sharp tonight, but he still got the job done. In what was maybe one of the biggest at-bats up to that point Cotts went up against Ryan Howard with two men on base. Phillies needed a clutch hit from Howard, but fortunately Cotts was able to strikeout him with his slider to end the threat and end the inning. The Rangers once again came up scoreless in the 8th.

Then in the 9th it was Joakim Soria’s turn and he was very good tonight. He got the three hitters to go in order and showed supreme confidence out there and looks ready to fully embrace the closer’s role for this team. In the bottom of the inning with the score still tied 2-2 the Rangers sent up the top of their order to try to win the game. Choo started it off with a 4 pitch walk to get on base. Choo asked about it after the game said, “Isn’t that my job to get on base”. Yes it is and he did so 4 times tonight. He got on via hit twice, a walk once, and on a fielder’s choice once as well. The walk wouldn’t mean anything if the offense couldn’t deliver a timely hit. Deliver they did though. Elvis followed up Choo’s walk by bunting him over with on a two strike count. Very risky, but he did get it down and he did move the runner over. Fielder then followed that up by walking and finally Beltre stepped up with a chance to be the hero and the hero he was. He looped a single to shallow right his center field and Choo came around to score the winning run as the Rangers won 3-2.

Notes from tonight’s Game

• Ron Washington won his first challenge of the season. In the 6th inning with runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out Perez wheeled around on the mound and tried to pick off Ben Revere. It was a bang-bang play and Revere was called safe. Looking at this first time it looked like the tag got there the same time that he touched the bag. Washington decided to challenge it and on review the tag beat Revere to the bag by a split second and the call was overturned. It took 2 minutes and 18 seconds to review it and come to a decision.
• Shin Shoo Choo reached base four times in his second game. After going 0-5 yesterday, Choo today delivered two hits and one of them was off of a left-hander. He did get the 9th inning rally started with a walk as well. It was a good game for Choo as he helped manufacture runs in the 7th and 9th innings. His at-bats were equally as important as Adrian Beltre’s at-bats.
• Elvis Andrus bunting with two strikes was very gutsy. If he misses it or bunts it foul he is out and Choo has to remain on first base. I don’t know whether that was a Washington call to keep the bunt on or if Andrus called it himself, but that could have turned out very badly. Thankfully it didn’t, because the Rangers might not have been able to get Choo across if Andrus doesn’t get that bunt down.
• Martin Perez looked very sharp for 5 innings and then it all came undone in the 6th. Overall a good night though. He only gave up 2 runs in 5.2 innings with 7 k’s, and 7 hits allowed.  Washington about Perez, “He kept up in this game and that’s all we ask of him”. It was  a good first start and hopefully he can build on this success his next time out which will be Monday against the Boston Red Sox.

The rubber game of this series will be tonight as Robbie Ross will have his first MLB start and he will go up against Phillies RHP Kyle Kendrick. First pitch will be at 7:05 and will be broadcast by Fox Sports Southwest.