Some things you need to know about Texans and Texas teams involved in sports: • • • • • • • 1. Rangers riding first six-game winning streak of season< The six-game winning streak that has eluded the Texas Rangers all year was suddenly discovered in Oakland. ... With a 7-2 win over the athletics, the Rangers have now won six straight, their longest winning streak of the season and the longest current streak in the majors. The sweep of Oakland that knocked the As out of contention came after a sweep of Atlanta that sets the Braves back in the NL East race. ... Jake Smolinski had an RBI and four of the Rangers 15 hits as the As fell a half-game behind the Royals in the AL Wild Card race. You always want to play well and finish on a great note, Adrian Beltre said. Its just nice that were playing really good baseball. ... During the winning streak, the Rangers are hitting .310, including .379 with runners in scoring position. Their pitchers have a 2.00 ERA with opponents hitting .217 off them. They have committed just four errors defensively. ... Were playing well together, infielder Adam Rosales said. We have good team chemistry. Were all excited to show up to the field and compete. We have a lot of young guys and they bring energy. Theyre playing well. These are good teams were beating. But our team can beat any team if we play the way were capable of playing. ... The Rangers scored four runs in the first inning off Sonny Gray to give starter Nick Martinez a comfortable lead before he even took the mound. Martinez allowed two runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. ... Every win is big for a starter, especially when they have been a little scarce this year, Martinez said. I did a good job today of getting some quick outs, and getting some quick innings and getting the team back in the dugout. ... Smolinski was 4-for-5 on the afternoon and is 6-for-13 since coming off the disabled list without having played in a game in six weeks. Ryan Rua was 2-for-4, including the final of four straight two-out singles in the first inning against Gray. The Rangers had 15 hits. The five rookies in the lineup combined to go 9-for-22. ... They are getting some serious time under their belts and getting some at-bats and seeing what they can do, manager Tim Bogar said. There have been a lot of positives to look at. Elvis Andrus got the Rangers started with a one-out single, and was forced out at second on Rougned Odors grounder. Texas then came up with four straight singles by Beltre, Smolinski, Tomas Telis and Rua to take a 3-0 lead. Telis scored the fourth run of the inning on catcher Derek Norris passed ball. ... In the sixth inning, after Dan Otero relieved Gray, Rosales singled and scored on a double by Leonys Martin. A single by Andrus drove home Martin. ... • • • • • • • 2. Washingtons explanation leaves questions< Ron Washington gave an explanation for his sudden departure as Texas Rangers manager -- one that may leave some inquiring minds wanting to know more. ...I made a mistake and Im embarrassed more than Ive ever been in my life, Washington said. I was not true to my wife, after 42 years. I broke our trust. Im here today to own that mistake and to apologize to her, and to those I disappointed, and those who have trusted in me, and I let them down. ... Washington never said what that mistake was during his 3 1/2-minute statement, his first public comments since he resigned Sept. 5. ... Washingtons wife, Gerry, and an attorney sat in chairs to the side of the podium in the hotel meeting room. They left without taking questions, with Washington putting his right hand on her right shoulder as they departed through a back door. ... Today, Im at a very low time in my life. Im sorry for breaking the trust that I had with my wife and for disappointing my players, for disappointing my coaches, disappointing major league baseball, and for disappointing the Texas Rangers. All I ask for your forgiveness and your understanding. ... The 62-year-old Washington asked that everyone respect the couples privacy, as we go on with our lives. This matter is certainly personal, and weve been trying hard to put it behind us. ... Washington thanked the Rangers for the experience and opportunity to manage, and also thanked Texas fans. I was born to be a baseball player. Im a baseball lifer, Washington said. I look to the future and getting back into the game and continuing my career. Washington had been a coach for 11 seasons in Oakland before joining the Rangers. ... Washington led the Rangers to their only two World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. The teams winningest manager was nearing the end of his eighth season, and was expected back in 2015, when he stepped down. ... The Rangers had no response to Washingtons statement Thursday, noting that Washington resigned to turn his full attention to addressing an off-the-field personal matter, and that any inquiries regarding the situation should be directed to the former manager. ... • • • • • • • 3. Astros give Feldman little support in loss to Cleveland< Scott Feldman sailed through the Cleveland lineup for eight scoreless innings only to see his Astros lose to the Indians 2-1 in 13 innings at Minute Maid Park. ... The Astros struggling offense managed eight hits -- all singles -- while striking out 14 times. Jose Altuve went 0-for-6 for the first time in his career. Jon Singleton (0-for-4 with four strikeouts) and Matt Dominguez (0-for-5) remained in their slumps. ... Thats what happens when the pitching is pretty good, interim manager Tom Lawless said. I kept trying to match up, and you want to make sure youre not short. (Indians manager Terry Francona) was thin, and we were getting thin, too. ... Samuel Deduno, the Astros sixth pitcher, was charged with the loss after giving up a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to Mike Aviles that scored Jose Ramirez, who sparked the Indians with a one-out double in the 13th. ... It stings for our pitchers to go out and throw that good and not be able to get them some run support and get out of there with a win, said right fielder Jake Marisnick, who went 2-for-4 with the teams only RBI. ... It seems like every ball we hit was right at somebody, and you go through streaks like that, Lawless said. Our swings have gotten a lot better and were competing very well, but we need some of these balls to drop in, especially for confidence. ... Feldman carried a shutout into the ninth and wound up allowing one run and four hits, setting a career high with his 19th quality start of the season. Hes 2-2 with a 2.00 ERA in his last five starts. Astros starters have a 2.05 ERA in their past 17 games. ... The starting pitching has been outstanding, theres no doubt about it, Lawless said. [Feldman] went out there and shut them down for eight innings. I asked him going into the ninth, Youre the guy. How are you doing? I told him, If somebody gets on base, Im coming to get you, but you go out and finish the game. He just got a ball up. Former Astro Michael Bourn (Houston Nimitz HS and UH) started the ninth with a double that was originally ruled an inside-the-park home run. The ball one-hopped the wall and disappeared for a moment behind some padding before emerging at the feet of center fielder Dexter Fowler, who had his hands in the air to signal he had lost the ball. ... Bourn, who never stopped running, was sent back to second base after an umpires review, but the Indians eventually tied the score on a Carlos Santana single off closer Chad Qualls. (Feldman) was good tonight, Bourn said. He was hitting his spots and stuff, and I was trying to get a pitch up and get a good pitch to hit. He gave me one there, and I was able to get it up the middle. ... • • • • • • • 4. Beltre tops hit record for Dominican player< The Rangers Adrian Beltre achieved a significant milestone with a first-inning single -- the 2,591st hit of his career -- the most hits ever by a native of the Dominican Republic. He passed Vladimir Guerrero, who spent the final year of his career with the Rangers in 2010. Former Rangers second baseman Julio Franco is third with 2,586. ... Anthony Rendon (Houston Lamar HS and Rice) had two singles and scored twice as Washington beat Miami 6-2. ... Shelby Miller (Brownwood HS) retired the first 11 batters he faced but did not figure in the decision -- a 3-2 St. Louis victory over Milwaukee in 13 innings. ... Tony DeFrancesco, manager at Triple-A Oklahoma City said he hopes to get an opportunity to interview for the Astros managerial position once again. DeFrancesco, who led the Astros to a 16-25 record after Brad Mills was dismissed in 2012, was among the pool of candidates to interview with GM Jeff Luhnow two years ago. The job went to Bo Porter, who was dismissed Sept. 1. ... • • • • • • • 5. College Football: New kicker may emerge at K-State< Brownwood sophomore Matthew McCrane ended up kicking the final extra point for No. 20 Kansas State in a 20-14 loss to fifth-ranked Auburn. McCrane came on after Jack Cantele missed three field goals. ... The result was Kansas States lowest point total in more than three years. Cantele missed a 22-yard chip shot in the first quarter and pushed a potential tying field-goal attempt wide on the final play of the half. He missed another three-pointer midway through the third quarter. ... There was a ton of mistakes that we made that impacted the outcome, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, a former North Texas State and Austin College assistant, said. Auburn is a tremendous football team and we just made too many mistakes. • Texas Tech defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt has resigned for unspecified personal reasons. Mike Smith, who shared the coordinator title with Wallerstedt, will be in charge of the defense for the rest of the season. ... • • • • • • • 6. After losing Oklahoma City, Astros settle for Fresno for top farm team< Acting quickly after the Los Angeles Dodgers took over control of their Oklahoma City franchise, the Houston Astros signed a two-year player-development contract with the Fresno Grizzlies, who previously had a 17-year relationship with the San Francisco Giants. Fresno, which plays in the Pacific Coast Leagues Northern division with Reno, Sacramento and Tacoma, replaces Oklahoma City, which had served as the Astros Triple-A affiliate the previous four years. The Dodgers purchase of Oklahoma City started a seismic shift that saw six PCL clubs switch affiliates. ... Tony DeFrancesco, who spent the last 11 years managing in the PCL, including seven in Sacramento (2003-10) and the last four in Oklahoma City, is pleased. Its good, DeFrancesco said. The ballparks really nice. The weather is going to be nice. Its going to be warm in the middle of the summer, but its a good place for travel and getting around the league. ... We are very pleased to bring the Houston Astros Triple-A affiliate to Downtown Fresno, Chris Cummings, the Grizzlies managing general partner, said in a statement. Our efforts have brought an organization holding the most talented farm system in all of baseball, ensuring that fans will be seeing incredible talent at Chukchansi Park that is one step away from playing in the majors. ... • • • • • • • 7. Fine 79: Allen beats Plano in one of its homes away from home< Allen, No. 1 in Fine 79 and tops in state AP rankings, beat Plano 42-3 Thursday in one of three games the Eagles will play at Clark Stadium in Plano while their 60 million facility is undergoing repairs. ... No. 5 Stephenville, tops in the state in 4A, lost to Lubbock Cooper 50-39 Thursday in a game played before a national television audience. ... In other Thursday games involving Fine 79 teams, No. 14 Mansfield beat No. 74 Fort Worth Eastern Hills 27-6 and No. 77 Fort Worth Western Hills (0-4) lost to Dallas Adamson 22-19. ... Bob Sondereggers Fine 79 is a list of teams the retired Texas journalist covered or was been associated with before, during and after a 39-year career with Texas newspapers. The list was started with 39 teams in 2007 and expanded to 79 in 2012. ... • • • • • • • 8. FYI: This blog features Texas teams and athletes with Texas connections. It is compiled by retired newspaper journalist Bob Sonderegger (anglebob61@yahoo) who covered most of the teams mentioned. Your comments or additions are welcome.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:41:04 +0000
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