Rangers 5, Mariners 4(10)
Michael Young and the Texas Rangers took advantage of Seattle
ace Felix Hernandez’s absence.
With Hernandez facing minor leaguers rather than his division
opponent, Young had three hits and three RBIs, including a broken
bat single in the 10th inning to lift the Rangers to a 5-4 victory
over the Mariners.
The AL Cy Young winner is scheduled to face the Rangers in his
second start of the season in Texas. King Felix pitched two-hit
ball over seven innings in the intrasquad game. He retired the
first 14 batters he faced and struck out 10. He threw 103
pitches.
”All my pitches were there,” Hernandez said. ”Everything’s
good. Now I’ve got to prepare for opening day and I’ll be
good.”
The Rangers scored three runs on nine hits off Luke French, then
added a fourth on Matt Treanor’s solo home run in the sixth off
reliever David Pauley to take a 4-3 lead.
Chone Figgins hit a two-run home run in the first inning off
Colby Lewis to extend his spring training hitting streak to 11
games.
Lewis allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts over
five innings.
”I’m ready for the season to start,” Lewis said. ”I don’t
know how he (Figgins) got to that fastball up and in, maybe he was
looking for it.”
Mariners designated hitter Jack Cust left after one at-bat.
”His back’s a little stiff, so I don’t want to take any chances
this close to opening it up,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said.
Cust is expected to be in the starting lineup for Monday’s game
against Colorado.
The Rangers’ Adrian Beltre, who had two hits but struck out
swinging for the last out of the top of the seventh, was ejected by
second-base umpire Paul Schreiber after he yelled about how a pitch
was called from the Rangers dugout.
Beltre didn’t realize it was him who’d been tossed from the
game, and when told about it he took his time leaving the dugout
and walking to the clubhouse.
The game was delayed while the umpires waited for Beltre to
leave the field.
NOTES: The Mariners optioned INF Matt Tuiasosopo to Triple-A
Tacoma and reassigned OF Mike Wilson, LHP Royce Ring and RHPs Denny
Bautista and Justin Miller to minor league camp. Starting C Miguel
Olivo caught seven innings of the minor league game and went 2 for
4 with a double and three RBIs. He also threw out a runner trying
to steal second base Rangers LHP C.J. Wilson played catch Sunday
after feeling tightness in his left hamstring and leaving his
outing after two innings Saturday. He’s expected to be fine for the
regular season. RHP Alexi Ogando is scheduled to start Tuesday’s
exhibition game against Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle
Beach, S.C.