Some things you need to know about Texans and Texas teams involved in sports: • • • • • • • 1. Andrus ejection led to Rangers win over Astros< When Elvis Andrus was ejected by home-plate umpire Alan Porter for arguing balls and strikes, it ended the shortstops streak of base hits at 11 games. ... It also set the stage for victory. Donnie Murphy, who entered the game in the fourth inning after Andrus was tossed, Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to score Josh Wilson with the games only run in a 1-0 win over the Astros. The shutout was the third by the Rangers pitchers this season. ... Martin Perez earned his second win of the season by holding the Astros scoreless through eight innings. He allowed five hits and three walks while striking out two. Alexi Ogando worked a perfect ninth to convert his first save chance. ... Astros starter Brett Oberholtzer had retired 11 straight hitters before Wilson led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to center. Shin-Soo Choo, who had struck out in six of his seven previous at-bats, followed with a single to center and Wilson moved to third. Murphys deep flyball to the left-center gap sent Wilson home. ... Oberholtzer allowed five hits and one run while striking out a career-high seven batters in seven innings. He was the fourth consecutive Astros starting pitcher to work seven innings, joining Dallas Keuchel, Scott Feldman and Jarred Cosart to post a 1.61 ERA in the teams last four games. ... Oberholtzer was outstanding, Porter said. Our starters did a tremendous job this entire series. Pitching-wise, we did a tremendous job. The three starts they had put us in position to win all three games. We need to get it going. You dont score, you have a zero chance of winning. ... • • • • • • • 2. Lewis returns to action against Mariners< Colby Lewis will pitch in the Major Leagues for the first time since July 18, 2012 when he starts for the Rangers on Monday against the Mariners. Lewis is scheduled to pitch Monday, followed by Robbie Ross, Yu Darvish and Tanner Scheppers during the four-game series with the Mariners. ... Im excited, Lewis said. It doesnt seem like that long but it has been. Im really excited and glad to be back. Lewis was 32-29 with a 3.93 ERA in 80 starts with the Rangers in 2010-12 before undering going surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow on July 27, 2012. He tried to come back last year, but continued to have physical problems. ... Lewis finally had hip replacement surgery on Aug. 22, including the removal of bone spurs and a resurfacing of the hip. He is believed to be the first Major Leaguer to attempt to pitch after having this kind of surgery. I feel like anybody, this is all I know, Lewis said. Its just like multiple guys in this clubhouse if they had the same kind of surgery, theyd want to make a comeback too. I just want to go out there and compete, have fun and give my team a chance to win. ... According to Rangers manager Ron Washington, Lewis return means more to the Rangers than simply filling a spot in the rotation. It means everything, Washington said. Hes the grandfather of our pitching staff. Hes the leader. Its nice to have him back, competing and getting results. We know what he is capable of doing. His presence has always been important, but more so this year with our young pitching staff. They have someone they can sit down and talk to … he can give them some of his wisdom and experiences. ... • • • • • • • 3. It was Bubba time again at Masters; Spieths big day stalls< Through seven holes Jordan Spieth had television commentators reviewing an impressive cocktail of firsts that would happen if the 20-year-old former Dallas Jesuit and UT golfer could hang on for a Masters victory. ... Spieth dazzled the Agusta National crowd early by holing out for birdie from the front bunker on No. 4, and making back-to-back birdies to build a two-shot lead through seven holes. Then Spieth three-putted for bogey on No. 8 -- the first six on his card all week -- as Bubba Watson, one of the few left-handed golfers on the PGA tour, got up-and-down for birdie to tie for the lead. Spieth left his approach shot below the flagstick on No. 9 and roll back into the fairway, setting up another bogey and two-shot swing. ... After that, it was Bubba Golf all thee way. A guy named Bubba from a small town, born in Pensacola, Florida, raised in Bagdad (Florida), its crazy to think that youve won, Watson said at the champions news conference. Small-town guy named Bubba now has two green jackets, Watson, the former University of Georgia golfer, said. Its pretty wild. ... Watson won $1.62 million for his efforts. Spieth and Swedish golfer Jonas Blixt finished in a tie for second, three strokes back, and each won $792,000. San Antonio resident Jimmy Walker finished in a tie for eighth and collected $234,000. ... • • • • • • • 4. Baseball Briefs: Rangers sent Beltre to DL< The Rangers placed third baseman Adrian Beltre on the disabled list, retroactive to April 9, with a strained left quad muscle and added pitcher Hector Noesi, acquired from the Mariners for a player to be named, to the active roster. Beltre is eligible to come off the disabled list on April 25. With Noesi taking over as the long reliever, the Rangers are expected to send down pitcher Daniel McCutchen. ... Matt Carpenter (Missouri City Elkins HS and TCU) drove in three and scored a run as the Cardinals took the game and the series with a 6-4 win against the Cubs at Busch Stadium. Michael Wacha (Texarkana Pleasant Grove HS and Texas A&M) got the win. ... Scott Kazmir (Houston Cypress Falls HS) says he is fine after being lifted to start the seventh inning with triceps tightness in a 3-0 win over the Mariners. Im fine. Everythings fine, Kazmir said. He threw 82 pitches, allowing two hits, striking out nine and walking none. ... Baltimores Chris Davis (Longview HS), last years home run leader with 53, hit his first of the year, a solo shot, in an 11-3 loss to Toronto. ... With a ninth-inning home run Saturday, Michael Choice (Mansfield Timberview HS and UT-Arlington) became the first Rangers player to ever hit his first major league home run in a pinch-hit at-bat. The last player in franchise history to do it was Jeff Burroughs with the Senators on Aug. 2, 1971 before the team moved to Arlington. ... • • • • • • • 5. Surging Longhorns sweep Oklahoma< Texas completed back-to-back Big 12 series sweeps for the first time since 2010 with with an 8-1 win over Oklahoma. Nathan Thornhill (Cedear Park HS) pitched a complete game and UT cranked out 15 hits -- seven for extra bases -- for the Longhorns who have won 10 in a row in Norman dating back to 2008. ... The Longhorns have won 14 of their last 16 games. The 2010 team swept five Big 12 series in a row. Despite a two-hour rain delay in the middle of the fifth inning, Thornhill allowed just one run on five hits in his third career complete game. His six strikeouts were a season high and one shy of his career high. ... For the second straight day every Longhorn in the lineup recorded at least one hit, with Mark Payton leading the way by doubling three times. Zane Gurwitz (San Antonio Churchill HS) added a pair of doubles, while Brooks Marlow (Giddings HS) led off the game with a home run and Tres Barrera (Mission Sharyland HS) and Kacy Clemens (Houston Memorial HS) had two-hit days. ... Bryant Burleson (Midland Christian HS) went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored as Texas Tech took an 11-7 win over Kansas State to complete a Big 12 series sweep. Jonny Drozd (Lake Dallas HS and Grayson College) went 4 2/3 innings for the win. ... Texas A&M handed Vanderbilt its first home series loss since April 2012, winning 8-2. Krey Bratsen (Bryan HS) went 3-for-3 with one walk, two doubles, two stolen bases, two runs and two RBIs. Troy Stein (Castroville Medina Valley HS) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Grayson Long (Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill HS) went 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on 11 hits and one walk while striking out four to improve to 4-1. ... • • • • • • • 6. Baylor prevents Oklahoma sweep of series< Baylor (30-9, 4-3) took the final game of a three-game Big 12 series with No. 13 Oklahoma (32-9, 9-1) 8-6 to avoid a sweep Sunday at Getterman Stadium. The Lady Bears snapped the Sooners 14-game winning streak and ended OUs streak of nine-straight Big 12 wins to start the season. ... Ari Hawkins sparked Baylors offense with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first and later scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth on Linsey Hays (Brock HS) sacrifice fly. The game was delayed one hour and 23 minutes before the start of the top of the fifth inning with Baylor trailing 6-5. The Lady Bears rallied with a three-run bottom of the sixth inning. ... Baylor ace Whitney Canion (Aledo HS) finally got her win in the series after pitching well in Friday and Saturdays losses to OU. She recorded the final four outs Sunday consecutively and struck out four to move to 17-7 on the season. ... Gretchen Aucoin connected on a three-run homer in the first inning and Brittany Lee (Keller HS) followed with two long balls of her own Sunday as Texas Tech claimed its first Big 12 series of the season with an 11-3 run-rule of Oklahoma State in the rubber match at Rocky Johnson Field. ... Texas A&M lost to Tennessee 5-3 as the Lady Volunteers took a 2-1 SEC series win. The Aggies scored first, thanks to a leadoff triple by Nicole Morgan (The Woodlands College Park HS) in the bottom of the second inning and Breanna Dozier (Garland Rowlett HS) RBI single. ... • • • • • • • 7. FYI: This blog features Texas teams and athletes with Texas connections. It is compiled by retired newspaper journalist Bob Sonderegger (anglebob61@yahoo) who covered many of the teams mentioned. Your comments or additions are welcome. ...
Posted on: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 16:57:59 +0000
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