Charlie Johnson and I attended game 1 of a 2 game series between the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park last night. Our wives stayed at their place and talked about babies or whatever. Our sons were with them.
We arrived around 7:15 which means the first inning had happened by the time we got to our seats. It was quite an inning. Justin Grimm got the start for Texas. He's a rookie right-hander who came in with a decent era in the mid 3.20s. He was not sharp. While we parked we had Bob Uecker on the radio and he pleasantly informed us of Aoki's lead off infield single, Segura's single and Braun's RBI single. Charlie is a die-hard, cattle-ranchin', Kinsler-loving Rangers fan, so he wasn't particularly excited about Uke's tone. As we made our way up to the stadium Charlie was even more disappointed as the stadium went nuts. When we got in we saw Gomez had driven in Braun and Segura with a double and they were cheering a 2-run shot from Yuniesky Bethancourt. Yuni and Gomez are having ridiculously good starts to 2013. We walked up to our seats, section 414 row 8, and that can take awhile, so we managed to miss Mitch Moreland's second inning solo shot off Brewers right-hander Wily Peralta.
When we finally got seated it was 5-1 Brew Crew and Charlie was cranky. As it turns out, not much else happened. Grimm settled down and didn't give up another run, though he loaded the bases once and had men on 2nd and 3rd twice. Peralta was dealing. I, being a Braves fan and rather indifferent to either team's success, enjoyed pointing out that only two starting Rangers were hitting over .265 (Cruz and Kinsler) and that Derek Lowe still plays for them.
In the 3rd Beltre made a play that honestly looked physically impossible. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Bethancourt hit a bouncer, pretty hard, curling around third. It bounced twice before it got to the base but was staying low. Beltre was playing back and off the line, but sill managed to go all the way to the foul line about 6 feet behind the bag. Leaping 2 steps out of bounds he slung the ball across the diamond and one-hopped it to Moreland who scooped it beating Yuni by a half-step ending the inning. Very cool.
In the top of the 5th, Geovanny Soto crushed a ball into right center that went all the way to the fence. He's not the fastest crayon in the box but still rounded 1st because at first glance it was a no-doubt double. Aoki was on the ball quick though and threw a strike to 2nd. The ball beat him that much I'm sure of. However, the 2nd base umpire flashed the safe sign and the Miller Parkians began booing. Charlie got a good laugh at that one. Soto was stranded on 2nd when Murphy and Martin failed to come through.
In the bottom Weeks led off with a single. Gomez came up and a couple pitches in seemed to get drilled on the wrist. The umpire said it hit the bat, which actually brought out Ron Roenicke, not for long of course, and Gomez had to keep hitting. Next pitch Weeks was running and Gomez swung through leaving Soto to gun out Rickie for the strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play.
The Rangers showed some signs of life in the following inning. Jeff Baker led off with a pinch hit single. Andrus pounded a double to left center moving Baker to 3rd and that brought up Beltre. Charlie and I were reminiscing about the unbelievable play he had made earlier when he hit a dribble to his counter-part Aramis Ramirez. Ramirez is no Beltre, he booted the slow roller and Beltre reached. Baker also scored making it 5-2. Nelly Cruz followed with a Sac Fly to right making it 5-3 and we had a game.
Robbie Ross completed a scoreless inning for Texas. Tom Gorzelanny came in for Milwaukee. He got Murphy and then faced pinch hitter Craig Gentry (Braves product). Gentry worked a walk and up stepped walking Hall of Famer Lance Berkman to pinch hit for the pitcher. Unfortunately he unceremoniously bounced into a 1-4-3 double play, inning over.
Jason Frasor came in to pitch the 7th and allowed Ramirez to get his first homer of the year, a blast to left. 6-3 Brewers. Kuntzler dealt a scoreless 8th. Ortiz the same for Texas. Jim Henderson entered for the save chance and looked a little shaky, 3 straight fly balls one of which dropped for a Murphy double opened the inning but he got Gentry to ground out to end it.
6-3 Brewers
W: Peralta (3-2) L: Grimm (2-2) SV: Henderson (7)
Fun stuff!
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