BLALOCK CONTINUES EARLY SEASON TEAR IN RANGERS ROMP
Palmeiro, Blalock lead Texas 18-Hit Attack
ARLINGTON, Tex., May 8 (AP) - Hank Blalock's offensive exploits continued with
four hits, including a double and a home run, three runs scored and two driven
in as the Texas Rangers pulled away late to pound the Toronto Blue Jays, 12-4,
at the Ballpark in Arlington. Blalock's batting average now stands at .435
after a 4-for-6 day, tops in the American League by a sizable margin over second
ranked Jacque Jones of the Minnesota Twins (.391). In all, five Rangers
batters had at least two hits, paced by Blalock and Michael Young with four
apiece. Ruben Sierra added three.
The game was a bit of seesaw affair until Texas took firm control in the bottom
of the seventh inning. The Jays struck first with a run in the opening
frame when Frank Catalanotto singled with one out and eventually scored on a
Greg Myers RBI single. The Rangers immediately countered with two runs in
the bottom half of the inning when Blalock lined a one-out single and
immediately rode home on Alex Rodriguez's tenth home run of the season.
The Rangers held the 2-1 lead until the fifth when Toronto tied the game.
Catalanotto doubled with one out and scored on Vernon Wells' base hit. But
the Rangers responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame
when Sierra doubled and scored on an Einar Diaz single, to reclaim the lead,
3-2.
Blalock's lead-off home run in the bottom of the sixth increased the Texas
advantage to 4-2.
But the Blue Jays fought back to tie the game in the seventh. Wells led
off with a single and advanced to third on Carlos Delgado's double.
Rangers reliever Aaron Fultz, who had snuffed out a potential rally when he
replaced starter Ryan Drese in the sixth inning, struck out both Myers and Eric
Hinske, but was removed in favor of right-hander Jay Powell to face Jason Werth.
Toronto countered with pinch hitter Orlando Hudson who laced a single to
left-center, scoring both runners to knot the score at 4-4.
Once again the Rangers immediately responded in the home half of the inning,
this time emphatically. Facing reliever Aquilino Lopez, Sierra led off by
grounding a single to left. Mark Teixeira and Diaz were retired, but Young
singled to right with Sierra moving to third. Carl Everett drew a walk to
fill the bases, bringing Blalock to the plate and left-hander Doug Creek into
the game to face him. The Texas third baseman reached on an infield roller
to the right side, scoring Sierra for a 5-4 lead and leaving the bases
loaded. Cliff Politte was brought on by Toronto to face the
right-handed hitting Rodriguez and the floodgates promptly opened.
Rodriguez lined a sharp single to left, scoring Young and advancing the other
runners 90 feet. Palmeiro then blew the game open by drilling a 1-2 pitch
from Politte just inside the right field foul pole for a grand slam and 10-4
Rangers lead. It was Palmeiro's first grand slam of the year and the third
hit by a Texas batter on the season thus far, tied for most in the AL with
Toronto and Boston.
The Rangers added insult to injury with two more runs in the eighth on a
Teixeira home run to account for the 12-4 final score.
It was the seventh time this season that Texas has scored at least 11 runs in a
game and the second time in as many days against the beleaguered Toronto
pitching staff. The game marked the 16th time this season, in just 34
contests, that Blalock had accumulated at least two hits in a game.
5/8/2003, Tor03-Tex03, The Ballpark in Arlington 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Blue Jays 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 4 13 1 12 0 2003 Rangers 2 0 0 0 1 1 6 2 x 12 18 0 11 0 Blue Jays AB R H BI AVG Rangers AB R H BI AVG Stewart,Sh lf 5 0 0 0 .226 Everett,C cf 4 1 0 0 .277 Catalanotto dh 5 2 2 0 .351 Blalock 3b 6 3 4 2 .435 Wells,V cf 5 1 3 1 .305 Rodriguez,A ss 4 2 2 3 .307 Delgado,C 1b 3 1 2 0 .326 Palmeiro,R dh 5 1 2 4 .254 Myers,G c 4 0 2 1 .270 Gonzalez,Ju rf 5 0 1 0 .259 Wilson,T ph 1 0 0 0 .258 Christenson cf 0 0 0 0 .167 Hinske 3b 4 0 1 0 .195 Sierra lf 4 3 3 0 .341 Phelps,J ph 1 0 0 0 .333 Teixeira 1b 5 1 1 2 .270 Werth rf 3 0 0 0 .154 Diaz,E c 5 0 1 1 .322 Hudson,O ph 2 0 1 2 .257 Young,M 2b 5 1 4 0 .305 Berg 2b 3 0 1 0 .311 43 12 18 12 Bordick ss 4 0 1 0 .267 40 4 13 4 Blue Jays INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Lidle 6.0 10 4 4 3 8 116 76 6.80 Lopez,Aq L 0-1 0.2 2 3 3 1 0 18 9 4.11 Creek 0.0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 9.00 Politte 1.1 5 4 4 0 1 31 21 9.69 8.0 18 12 12 4 9 166 107 Rangers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Drese 5.2 8 2 2 3 5 103 59 6.59 Fultz H 3 1.0 2 2 2 0 2 21 13 5.40 Powell,J BS 1, W 1-0 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 17 11 4.09 Shouse 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 21 14 0.90 9.0 13 4 4 3 10 162 97 Tor: Hudson,O batted for Werth in the 7th Hudson,O moved to 2b in the 7th Berg moved to rf in the 7th Wilson,T batted for Myers,G in the 9th Phelps,J batted for Hinske in the 9th Tex: Everett,C moved to rf in the 8th Christenson inserted at cf in the 8th E-Delgado,C. 2B-Catalanotto(6), Delgado,C(15), Blalock(9), Palmeiro,R(5), Sierra(5). HR-Blalock(9), Rodriguez,A(10), Palmeiro,R(10), Teixeira(7). RBI-Wells,V(20), Myers,G(6), Hudson,O 2(16), Blalock 2(23), Rodriguez,A 3(22), Palmeiro,R 4(30), Teixeira 2(18), Diaz,E(12). SB-Young,M(3). K-Catalanotto, Myers,G, Hinske, Werth 3, Berg, Bordick 2, Hudson,O, Everett,C, Blalock 2, Rodriguez,A 2, Palmeiro,R, Gonzalez,Ju 2, Sierra. BB-Delgado,C 2, Berg, Everett,C 2, Rodriguez,A, Sierra. GWRBI: Blalock Temperature: 74, Sky: clear, Wind: left to right at 17 MPH. Attendance: 21,930 Game Time: 3:22