2008 Texas Rangers Opening Day @ Seattle Mariners

[Molina00]

Gametime is 5:40 PM central. The Rangers site says it's showing on FSN-HD so I'm hoping it might be on regular FSN too. I can't imagine them not televising a Rangers opening day.

Matchup
Kevin Millwood vs. Erik Bedard

Millwood struggled last year (what a surprise) going 10-14 with a 5.16 ERA in 31 starts, and he was even worse on the road going 2-10 with a 5.52 ERA. Kevin's numbers against the Mariners weren't any more impressive last year either going 2-3 with a 5.21 ERA in 6 starts.

Bedard, on the other hand, was making a Cy Young bid until getting injured and finishing the year 13-5 with a very good 3.16 ERA in 28 starts on the season. Bedard made 2 starts against the Rangers last year, and was absolutely dominating posting a 1.12 ERA and blowing away 26 Texas hitters in only 16 innings of work.

Rangers Projected Starting Lineup
1) 2B-Ian Kinsler
2) SS-Michael Young
3) CF-Josh Hamilton
4) 3B-Hank Blalock
5) DH-Milton Bradley
6) LF-David Murphy
7) RF-Marlon Byrd
8) C-Gerald Laird
9) 1B-Ben Broussard

[redsrbetter]

Hamilton with the 3rd hole respect, nice! Good luck tomorrow guys!

[Molina00]

Originally Posted by redsrbetter Hamilton with the 3rd hole respect, nice! Good luck tomorrow guys!

Going up against Bedard, Texas is going to need a lot more than luck. Twenty more minutes to game time.

[Molina00]

Rangers off to a promising start. Bedard struck out Kinsler on 3 pitches to start the game, but Mike Young followed with a solo blast to rightfield on a 3-1 count to give Texas an early lead. Hamilton got credit for a single on a ground ball that secondbaseman Lopez booted, but was stranded at 3rd.

[Molina00]

An easy 1-2-3 inning for Millwood and the Rangers lead 1-0 after one.

[Molina00]

1) Murphy battles back from an 0-2 count and crushes the Bedard offering nearly to the warning track in center, but it is caught by Ichiro for the first out.

2) Bedard is really getting the pitch count up. Gerald Laird worked the count full and drew a walk to put a runner on 1st with one out for Ben Broussard.

3) Broussard strikes out for the 2nd out of the inning.

4) Kinsler grounds out to end the inning stranding Laird on 1st.

Bedard's pitch count is already over 50 through just 2 innings.

[Molina00]

Millwood walks Sexson on a full count to start the inning, 2 out the pitches should have been called strikes but weren't.

Adrian Beltre rips the Millwood offering to leftfield for a single putting runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out.

Millwood follows with back-to-back strikeouts of ex-Ranger Brad Wilkerson and Jose Vidro.

Johjima pops up and Kinsler makes the catch to end the inning. Rangers lead 1-0 after 2 innings.

[Molina00]

1) Bedard strikes back striking out Michael Young in his 2nd at bat of the season.
2) Hamilson draws the walk on a full count, another full count by Bedard.
3) Blalock grounds out to 3rd and Hamilton moves on to 2nd.
4) Bradley is hit in the foot with a pitch, but the umpire missed the call. Bradley still ended up walking so the result was the same.
5) Byrd struck out to end the inning.

Bedard pitch count is now up near 80 after just 3 innings.

[Molina00]

Millwood has his 2nd 1-2-3- inning of the game and the Rangers lead 1-0 through 3 innings.

[Molina00]

Bedard sets the Rangers down in order, but has gone to a full count against 9 Texas batters and now has a pitch count of 97 through 4 innings.

[Molina00]

1) Millwood induces a groundball from Ibanez for the first out of the bottom of the 4th.
2) Millwood strikes out Richie Sexson on a full count for the 2nd out.
3) Beltre breaks up Millwood's bid for another 1-2-3 dunking a single into centerfield. Beltre is now 2 for 2 and has Seattle's only hits against Millwood.

Beltre breaks for 2nd and Laird guns him down to end the inning.

Rangers lead 1-0 through 4 innings.

[Molina00]

1) Kinsler gets his first hit of the game with a looping single into leftfield.
2) Young grounds to second, Kinsler is thrown out but Betancourt throws the ball away on the throw to first and Young moved on to second. Runner on 2nd with 1 out.
3) Hamilton, first pitch swinging, grounds out to thirdbase for the 2nd out.
4) Blalock grounds out to shortstop and the leadoff single by Kinsler is spoiled.

[Molina00]

1) Wilkerson draws the walk from Millwood to leadoff the inning.
2) Vidro follows with a groundball to 2nd and the Rangers turn two to erase the leadoff walk.
3) Johjima draws the full count walk to put a runner on 1st with 2 out.
4) Millwood gets Betancourt swinging at the curveball to end the inning.

Rangers still leading 1-0 through 5 innings.