Alamodome makes evaluations difficult in Rangers' loss to Dodgers
There was the good, the bad and the ugly for the Texas Rangers pitchers Friday night in the opener of the Big League Weekend series by getting pummeled by the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-6.
Keone Kela, who hasn't allowed a run this spring, continued to be good with another 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The bad news came for Roman Mendez, who also came into the game with a 0.00 ERA, allowed his first run of the spring in his longest outing â two innings of work that included a homer by the Dodgers Enrique Hernandez.
Right-hander Phil Klein, who like Kela and Mendez is competing for a bullpen spot, also saw his perfect spring ERA erased as he allowed the final run to the Dodgers in front of 20,591.
The ugly was reserved for starter Anthony Bass, who didn't make it out of the first as he was touched for eight runs (six earned) while recording just two outs.
Bass, a longshot for a roster spot, hadn't allowed a run this spring but allowed three of the five homers hit by the Dodgers in the very hitter-friendly Alamodome.
Bass didn't use the confines as an excuse for his outing.
"I watched some of the balls hit off me and they were up in zone," said Bass. "I think if they're executed where I want them to be it's a different story. Thankfully it's not Game 1 of the regular season but then again I'm fighting for a spot on the team so I'm definitely disappointed with the result."
The Rangers gave up 14 hits and had 11. But with the funky Astroturf and the funky dimensions at the Alamodome, evaluating how hit well and who pitched well is difficult.
"The dimensions put a whole new twist on it and playing on turf after playing on our field (in Surprise) it's a big difference," said bench coach Steve Buechele, who is managing the Rangers in San Antonio. "It's certainly different. You may give up a three-run homer when it's normally an out. It certainly comes into play. I don't think you go out and change your approach."
Leonys Martin, Rougned Odor and Elvis Andrus each had two hits for Texas. Andrus is now hitting .500 for the spring and Odor .409.
