Though starting pitcher Kenny Rogers (0-0, 2.77 ERA) gave 50,054 baseball enthusiasts the performance they were seeking from a 40-year old veteran, the Rangers’ (3-4) bullpen – one of the tops in the league last season – was unable to maintain a late three-run lead as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (4-3) put a damper on the opening day energy with a tenth inning come-from-behind victory on a windy afternoon Monday at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.
The Rangers staked Rogers to an early lead with a two-run first inning. Second baseman Alfonso Soriano led off the bottom half of the inning with a home run to left off Angels starter Jarrod Washburn (0-0, 4.76). After shortstop Michael Young tripled and was brought home on a Mark Teixeira single, Rogers returned to work with a 2-0 advantage.
Los Angeles matched the Rangers’ deuce with a pair in the third, but catcher Rod Barajas put Texas back on top with a two-out solo homer in the fourth inning.
Shortly thereafter, the young Texas lineup put three more runs across the board against Washburn, more than enough incentive for manager Mike Scioscia to make the call to the bullpen.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, the bullpen was just what the Angels needed to hold Texas in check.
“We swung the bat well early,” said Young, “but we didn’t keep the pressure on them late in the game.”
Indeed, after Washburn was replaced by righty Chris Bootcheck (0-0, 0.00), the Los Angeles ‘pen proceeded to give up just two hits while striking out five over 4 2/3 shutout innings.
To the contrary, Rogers was pulled after tossing seven innings of solid ball (to the tune of three runs on eight hits) and replaced by young right-hander Ryan Bukvich (0-0, 9.00), who quickly retired defending American League MVP Vladimir Guerrero before allowing a single to left fielder Garret Anderson.
Anderson, along with shortstop Orlando Cabrera, would score on a triple by center fielder Steve Finley, who pounded the second pitch from lefty Brian Shouse (1-1, 10.12) against the wall in right-center.
After the game, Shouse singled himself out as the difference between last year’s star-studded ‘pen and this season’s early core of mediocre relievers.
“I think everybody’s doing well and I’m the only one who is struggling,” he said.
Doug Brocail (1-0, 2.25) was summoned to keep the Angels from tying the score and get the ball to closer Francisco Cordero (0-0, 4.15) in the ninth; he did just that by inducing pinch-hitter Jeff DaVanon to hit into an inning-ending groundout.
In the top of the ninth, needing just three outs to win, Cordero came on to face first baseman Darin Erstad. Erstad quickly took the anticipatory energy out of the crowd with a game-tying homer to the grassy hitter’s backdrop beyond the center field wall.
“It was a hanging slider,” Cordero said. “It kind of got away. I was trying to go down and in and it was up. I didn’t think the ball was going out, but you know how it is in this ballpark. The ball travels well.”
When Scot Shields (2-0, 3.38) shut down Young, Teixeira and right fielder Richard Hidalgo in the ninth – the trio would combine to go three of 13 at the plate Monday – former starter R.A. Dickey emerged from the Texas ‘pen to begin the top of the tenth inning.
Cabrera, however, welcomed him into the game with a line-drive homer over the wall in left to put Los Angeles on top for good, 7-6.
Of the Rangers’ first seven games this year, six have been decided by one run, with four of those coming against the Angels, who captured the AL West flag last fall after a see-saw battle that generated a baseball excitement in the metroplex not seen in years.
Though the loss drops the early-season record to 3-4, players know and respect just that fact – this is still early in the season, and at least 155 more games will be played before the curtain is drawn on the 2005 Rangers.
“I’m not worried about the bullpen at all,” Cordero explained.
“The season is real young and everybody goes through tough times. We have the same guys we had last year and I think we are good enough to do a pretty good job this year.”
Before the game, former manager Johnny Oates, who led the team to each of its three post-season appearances, was honored with a logo on the left field wall displaying his No. 26.
Oates died in late December following a three-year battle with brain cancer.
Tonight, Highland Park native Chris Young (0-0, 6.75) will take the hill against the Angels’ John Lackey (0-0, 7.71) at 7:05 p.m. at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.
