Sunday, June 15, 2008

Texas Rangers 8, New York Mets 7

By Pegasus News wire

The Texas Rangers got one back from the Mets Sunday afternoon, defeating the Mets 8-7 in the first game of a doubleheader in New York. The win improved the Rangers to 35-35, and may have signaled the end of the line for Mets manager Willie Randolph.

Photo not provided by the NY Mets, Texas Rangers

The Mets were no match for the two-headed monster of Gerald Laird and Ramón Vázquez

Rangers starter Kevin Millwood finally broke his road woes, winning a road game for the first time since last Father's Day. The 10 straight road losses were a club record. Millwood frustrated Mets hitters, allowing two big home runs but otherwise limiting the Mets to weak infield grounders. Millwood lasted six innings, gave up just two runs and five hits while improving to 5-3 on the year, 3-0 since coming back from the disabled list.

The game got exciting in the final two innings, however, as New York stormed back with three runs in the eighth and another two in the bottom of the ninth, before C.J. Wilson closed it out for his 13th save.

The Rangers got most of their offensive pop from the bottom of the lineup. Third baseman Ramón Vázquez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI, including a two-run home run in the fifth inning and a two-run single in the seventh. Catcher Gerald Laird, who hits right before Vázquez in the lineup, also went 3-for-4, with a double and a pair of runs scored.

Ian Kinsler managed to hit his tenth home run of the year, a backbreaking two-out, two-run home run in the seventh. Milton Bradley also homered for Texas, driving in the eventual game deciding run with his solo shot in the eighth.

Posted by Todd M.

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