The Nashville Sounds took an early lead against the Iowa Cubs Monday night at Principal Park, and ALMOST maintained it until the final out. 

     Sounds starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo was outstanding through seven innings.  He gave up one walk, six hits and three runs. Oh, and he struck out nine, bringing him to 42 strikeouts in 30 innings of work.  It surely won’t be long before the Brewers call him up.  Gallardo helped his case with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth to give the Sounds a 3-0 lead. 

     The Iowa Cubs answered in the bottom of the fourth when Chris Walker lead off with a solo home run — the I-Cubs’ first hit of the night.  Micah Hoffpauir (my name twin…ha ha) had a double two outs later, but was left stranded when Koyie Hill struck out.  Buck Coats came around to score in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of a two-out, first-pitch RBI double by pinch hitting Casey McGahee. McGahee came around to score on a Walker double.

     The teams appeared deadlocked for the rest of the game and the Sounds brought in Jose Capellan to close in the ninth inning. A rally yak (I’m not kidding) graphic came up on the I-Cubs video board.  I thought the yak jinxed the cubs when Sounds’ Chris Barnwell speared a hard line drive from Coats and doubled off Hill (who had reached on a walk).  Capellan was one out away from a save when Geovany Soto stepped in to pinch hit and drove a three-run walk-off homerun over the left field boxes.

     Walk offs are the best!!!  As long as they happen FOR your team instead of against them.

     I went to tonight’s game solo, but per usual, I wasn’t without good company.  As I watched a bunch of kids take batting practice in the cage, I made friends with my seat neighbors — a Cubs fan and a Brewers fan (how appropriate) who are down from Wisconson for the four-game series.  They were nice guys and they seemed disappointed that I wouldn’t make it to any more games of this series (work and Relay for Life duties call).  But I know they will come read this and I hope they had a great visit in Des Moines.

     On the way out, I walked right next to former Ranger and current Sounds pitcher R.A. Dickey.  I wanted to say something to him.  Maybe get an autograph and photo, but I opted against it.  I never know when it’s appropriate to approach a player (except, obviously, when they’re standing at the edge of the field signing).  He seems to have slimmed down a little since his days in Texas.

     I took about a dozen photos at tonight’s game (mostly of the Sounds players because I was right next to their bullpen) and I will post them sometime tomorrow.

     KISS: Definitely and undoubtedly, Geovany Soto for his walk-off home run.  He came off the bench cold, but his bat was hot enough to get the win.

     MISS:  This is a very tough call.  The rally yak is pretty awful.  But the miss definitely goes to I-Cubs pitcher Carlos Marmol for hitting back-to-back batters in the top of the fifth inning and then walking another.  The Sounds scored two runs that inning on no hits (courtesy of a few sac flies).

     I missed listening to the Rangers game, but I checked the score and discovered they lost.  April has not been kind to my boys, so I’m ready to turn the calendar to May (and not just because that’s the month that features Kameron Loe in the pet calendar). According to C.J. Wilson, May is a good month for the Rangers.  So perhaps April showers will bring May flowers?

     A-Rod and company come to Arlington tomorrow for three. So my best friend (a diehard Yankee fan) and I won’t be speaking for a few days. Then Toronto comes to town for three.  Sammy Sosa is five home runs away from #600, but I’m not sure he’ll get it this homestand.  I really hope he does though, because I’d much rather he hit it in Arlington than in Yankee Stadium (where the Rangers are May 8-10).  I guess we’ll see…

Today’s game was a bit more relaxed than yesterday’s, but not so much in a good way. 

The roof of the Rogers Centre was open for the first time in the series, and given the outcome of the game, I vote for roof closed Monday evening. 

The bottom half of the batting order fared better than the top half against Blue Jay pitching.  Lofton, Young, Teixeira, Sosa and Blalock combined to go 3 for 19 while Catalonotto, Hairston (who came in for Cat in the 6th), Kata, Kinsler and Laird were 5 for 14.  Kinsler hit his 9th HR — a two-run shot in the 9th — on the season, inching closer to Victor Rojas’ prediction of 25. Kinsler now has 22 RBI, which keeps him among the top five RBI leaders in the AL.  Alex Rodriguez currently leads with 34.

The Rangers’ downfall came from their pitching. Brandon McCarthy was hit hard in the first inning, walking three and then hitting a batter to give the Blue Jays their first run.  They went on to score two more before the Rangers defense was able to put the inning to bed.  McCarthy threw nearly 40 pitches in the first inning, which was not good for an already taxed bullpen. 

KISS: Willie Eyre for giving three innings of solid work after throwing 31 pitches on Saturday.  In his three innings on Sunday, he gave up zero runs on three hits. He also struck out one and walked one.

MISS:  Obviously, it’s Brandon McCarthy.  He walked the bases loaded and then hit a batter in the first inning.  Usually, B-Mac’s issues are with the strike zone, as he’s been known to give up a lot of hits (and home runs).  Today, he couldn’t seem to find the strike zone.  I really thought he had things under control after a two-inning relief appearance, but I guess I was fooled.  Victor Rojas and Eric Nadel suggested McCarthy may be boarding a bus to Oklahoma City soon.  While I don’t like giving up on a pitcher too quickly, the (likely temporary) demotion might be a good opportunity for McCarthy to work on his command and his confidence, both which appear to be shaky at the moment.

The Rangers have one more game in Toronto before they head back to Arlington for a three-game set with the Yankees.  Unfortunately, I will not get to listen to the final game of the wraparound series, as I am heading out to my first baseball game of the season on Monday night — Iowa Cubs vs. Nashville Sounds.  I had hoped Laynce Nix (one of my favorite former Rangers) would be back with the Sounds by now, but I don’t believe he has even started his rehab assignment (he suffered a strained oblique late in spring training).  Oh well.  I’m still looking forward to getting out to the ballpark.  A recap and photos are sure to find their way to this blog on Tuesday.

Yesterday’s game is what Amy and I would have called a "cardiac game."  They had a lot of these during the 2005 season, and, as I can best recall the outcomes were 50/50.  Half wins, half losses.

Fortunately, yesterday’s was a win.  The Rangers were up, then they were down, then they were tied, then they were down, then they were up, then they were tied.  Finally, in 10 innings, they pulled it out.  Meanwhile, my neighbors probably thought I was insane as I was shrieking and screaming with every lead change and possible lead change and my windows were wide open.

KISS: Brad Wilkerson for his two-out, two-strike hit to drive in key runs toward the end of the game.

MISS:  Hank Blalock’s error in the bottom of the 9th.   It was a rookie mistake by a veteran player.  Fortunately, Hank doesn’t make those often.

It took me awhile to calm down afterwards.  I watched the Cards/Cubs game and that seemed to help. 

  That being said, my heart and prayers go out to Cardinals fans and especially to friends and family of Cardinals reliever Josh Hancock who was killed in a car accident this morning at the age of 29.  The Cardinals have experienced too many unexpected deaths in the past few years.  It is, indeed, a sad day for baseball.

I’m sure that’s the word that resonated through Mark Teixeira’s head last night when he drove a ball out of the yard in Toronto.  It was the 22nd game of the 2007, but it was Tex’s first home run.  And only his fourth and fifth RBI.  But they arrived, and it paid off. 

The Rangers put a five-spot on the board during the second inning.  Most of their runs came with two outs, and all of them came on home runs — a two-run shot by Brad Wilkerson, a two-run shot by Tex and a solo by Sammy Sosa. This timely hitting combined with some excellent pitching by Robinson Tejeda, Frankie Francisco, Joaquin Benoit and Akinori Otsuka gave the Rangers their first win since Sunday.

YOSSHAA!!

On the pregame show, Ron Washington said he had shifted the batting order a little, moving Catalonotto down to 6th and moving everyone else up a notch. He said he hoped this would give Tex a look at some better pitches.  I don’t know if Wash’s move should be credited or if the Josh Towers just made some mistakes, but whatever it was, I’ll take it.  I just hope it can continue today.

I decided, since my blog is entitled "Baseball is my boyfriend," after I comment on a game, I’ll also take note of a big highlight (kiss) and a let down (miss). 

KISS: Obviously, I was thrilled by all the offense, but my kiss for this game is gonna go to Robinson Tejeda.  He allowed all three of the Blue Jays’ runs, but he also struck out seven in 5.1 innings and walked just one.  We need some more of this.

MISS:  It’s hard for me to do this because  I don’t like negatives and I adore this player.  But I expected Frank Catalonotto to take advantage of a ballpark that was his home for four years.  Instead, he went 0 for 4 on the night. 

I felt a little lost last night. The Rangers game was on in the morning/afternoon, so I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself last night. I’ve grown so accustomed to listening to Eric Nadel and Victor Rojas in the evenings (I listen to the games on my computer because my satellite package only allows me to watch the Twins, Cubs, Royals, Brewers, White Sox and Cardinals). I think I kinda missed their voices last night. Good thing I had “Survivor,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “October Road” to fill the void. (I’m as much of a tv junkie as I am a baseball addict.) That MLB saying, “I live for this,” is not that much of an exaggeration for me.

I get a mixed reaction when I meet new people and they learn I’m a baseball fan. Most females shake their head and ask how I can get into a sport so boring. I tell them they obviously haven’t been properly exposed if they think the game is boring. Guys are usually pretty impressed with my knowledge. I don’t know everything, but (thanks to Amy) I can pretty much hold my own in any baseball conversation, which has endeared me to a few of my co-workers, brought me closer to my best friend (even if she is a die hard Yankees fan) and startled my parents (who are casual Cubs fans, but are slowly becoming Rangers fans).

The reaction is even more interesting when people learn HOW MUCH of a baseball fan I am. Correction: Rangers fan. They can’t believe how much I’ve collected in just a few years. They see my collection of memorabilia — Michael Young bobblehead; statues of Hank Blalock and Mark Teixeira; a ball autographed by a number of players in 2006; a personalized/autographed photo of my favorite pitcher, Kameron Loe (a gift from a great friend); an autographed photo of Scott Feldman, Ian Kinsler and Jason Botts in their rookie karaoke get up (another gift from that friend); scrapbooks of photos and articles I’ve collected and the videotapes of game highlights (which I call my off-season survival kit). My closet rivals that of Ben on “Fever Pitch” (have I mentioned how much I love that movie?). I have five player tees (Teixeira, Young, Kinsler, Blalock and Loe) and plan on getting a few more (I have my heart set on a Wilson one this season, if they make them), a women’s jersey and a batting practice jersey from 2006. A wall next to my work desk is adorned with the Rangers pet calendar, photos of me with some of my favorite players and a Rangers outfielders poster (which is funny because none of the three — Kevin Mench, David Dellucci and Laynce Nix — are Rangers anymore).

Yes. I’m pretty proud of my collection. And I’m really proud to be a Rangers fan. I’m proud, loyal and passionate. Everyone has something they’re passionate about. As long as it doesn’t interfere with my day-to-day life (and I don’t think it does), there’s no harm. There are worse addictions I could have than baseball, right?

The funny thing is how people have correlated the team with me. Co-workers will come into my office in the morning and say, “what happened to your boys last night?” or “I saw (insert name) went deep last night. How about that!” They ask me what’s wrong with the offense or what I think needs to change. Like I have the answers? I know a lot of fans think they could run the team better, but I’m not one of those people. I’m not saying I haven’t questioned a decision made by Jon Daniels or Ron Washington, but I also know I couldn’t do their job.

Besides, like I said in an earlier post, I like to focus on the positive and not the negative. Baseball is too wonderful to take the joy out of it. And, yes, I can find joy in nearly every game. Even a 16-4 loss or a no-hitter or a streak where we are 0-12 with runners in scoring position. Call me naive, but I prefer my rose-colored glasses to being a Debbie Downer.

That said, my boys have four games in Toronto this weekend. It will not be an easy series. Toronto is looking pretty good. Then again, I never look at any series as a gimme. I don’t think anyone should. Doing that usually comes back to bite you in the butt. Confidence is good, arrogance is not.

So, good luck to my boys in blue this weekend. I’m looking forward to a few evenings with Eric and Victor.

Today in Cleveland, Sammy Sosa hit his fifth and sixth homers of the season. He now has 594 for his career and he’s gone yard in 44 different MLB ballparks. That’s a major league record.

Love him or hate him, Sammy is making sure you know he’s still here.

I was not at all excited about Sammy’s signing. In fact, I was in denial about it for a long time. Instead of accepting that he was going to be on the team (as Ron Washington seemed so sure of from the beginning of Spring Training), I waited for him to fail so one of my favorites (Jason Botts) could make the Opening Day roster.

But Sammy didn’t fail. He has been exactly the player he, Washington and Daniels advertised. He’s hitting well and the other players say he’s a great addition to the clubhouse. So, I wasn’t on board when Sammy first arrived, but I am now. He won me over. As long as he’s wearing a Rangers uniform and continues to be the player he is right now, he has my support.

Lord knows he and the Rangers need it. There are enough negative Rangers fans out there. I won’t be one of them. An 8-13 record isn’t enough to push me away. I’m hanging in there. Hopefully my boys will too.

Today’s loss was awful. I am at work so I had to keep up via a box score and the Dallas Morning News Rangers blog. Even just reading it, I could tell it was awful. The pitching was awful (two bases-loaded walks) and, with the exception of Sosa and a few great knocks by Blalock, Kinsler and Lofton, the bats were pretty cold.

But it’s over. Tomorrow’s another city, another team and another game.

As C.J. Wilson said in his blog, “The best thing for me about baseball is that you’ve always got another chance to prove yourself tomorrow.”

On to Toronto.

"A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings." — Earl Wilson

So true. Except in the case of last night’s game, it was 11 innings. After the first two, though, I was worried about how I was going to survive the next seven.

I don’t think that was really Ian Kinsler on the field during the bottom half of the second inning. That was an imposter. The real Ian Kinsler doesn’t make fielding mistakes like that. I shook my head in disbelief when that happened. But then I saw Ian beating himself up over it, and I knew he was more mad at him than anyone else could have been.

At the end of the second inning, the Rangers had a five-run defecit to overcome. A few innings later, the Indians added another run and the Rangers were still stuck on zero.

Then, somehow, the Rangers bats came alive. And the real Ian Kinsler came back.

With a three-run homer, he made up for his error and cut the Rangers’ defecit in half.

I may be biased, but I honestly believe Kinsler is one of the top infielders in the league. He’s certainly one of the best second basemen. But, of course, he plays in the West, so he won’t get a whole lot of national press. I’ve grown accustomed to that (though it’s still very frustrating). Ian doesn’t seem to mind though. Then again, he’s not one who’s going to draw much attention to himself. He just goes out and does his job. Every game.

That’s the kind of player I like, which is why I think I like the Rangers. They’re not a flashy bunch. You won’t catch them in any sports drink ads or on any underwear billboards. (To be honest, I don’t WANT to see any of them in their underwear. Okay, maybe one or two, but on the whole – no.) They don’t have a bunch of endorsements. They don’t appear in sports magazines every month. They don’t date celebrities. They don’t ham it up for the camera (with the exception of Sammy Sosa). It’s rare that we hear about one of them getting in trouble with the law (Vicente Padilla is the only one in the last few years). I’m not saying they’re perfect and should be idolized. But they are great guys, and, for the most part, they are good role models. If I had a son, I would have no problem with him looking up to the guys on this roster.

In fact, if I am fortunate enough to get married and have children someday, I’ve already decided I want to name at least one of my sons after a Rangers player. I wouldn’t be the first of my friends to name my child after a baseball player. My cousin is a big Orioles fan and named his son Cal. My friend, Luke, is a diehard Cubs fan and named his first son Ryne. So which Rangers player will I name my child after? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see …

I’m not a Red Sox fan, but I don’t think you have to be to like the movie, “Fever Pitch.” The movie isn’t exclusively about the Red Sox (although it certainly focuses on the Boston team). It’s about relationships, particularly a relationship with baseball. That’s pretty much what my blog is about, isn’t it?

Obviously, I love “Fever Pitch.”

- I am a girl. Therefore, I am genetically programmed to love a mushy ending. I know it’s not realistic, but I still love it. As jaded as I am romantically, I still love it when a movie ends with a fantastic kiss.

- I adore Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. Separately and together.

- As a baseball fan, I understood Ben’s passion even though I was more like Lindsey until a few years ago. It IS just a game, but in certain situations it can also be so much more.

- And, of course, the movie will always remind me of my good friend Amy, who passed away little more than a year ago. She was the biggest Rangers fan I knew, and she helped me become the fan I am today. She and I saw “Fever Pitch” twice in the theater (once at the good old drive-in near Ennis, Tx) and watched it at least once a month after it came out on DVD. We constantly quoted the movie, particularly the line about “batspeed.” Ha ha.

There are a lot of great lines and scenes in this movie, but I think my favorite is that which I believe sums up my fascination with baseball.

Friend: “Why do we inflict this on ourselves?”

Ben: “Why? I’ll tell you why. ‘Cause the Red Sox never let you down.”

Friends: “Huh?

Ben: “That’s right. I mean- What? ‘Just cause they haven’t won a World Series in a century or so? So what? They’re here. Every April, they’re here. At 1:05 or at 7:05 there is a game. And if it gets rained out, guess what. They make it up to you. Does anyone else in your life do that?”

Well, do they??

I have to begin today’s entry by wishing my friends, Hank’s Homies, a very happy third birthday. This fan club was born three years ago at the ballpark and has gained infamy since then.  They are traditionally found in Section 5, but they’re easy to spot no matter where they are — cowboy hats, Blalock jerseys and eyeblack.  They have been shown on tv numerous times and were named Rangers Fans of the Year for 2005.

I got to know these guys during the 2005 season.  Amy and I were buying cheap seats back then and then sneaking down to sit behind the left fielder (at the time, it was David Dellucci — Amy’s favorite). Most of the time, there were seats open, but occasionally we had to stand in the back, which is where the Homies can be found.  I haven’t met all the Homies — just Ryan, Kyle, Mike and Jason — but if the others are anything like those four, this is a great group of guys.  They’re welcoming, enthusiastic and they love the Rangers (especially Hank).  They also throw pretty great 80s parties.

I know the guys are heading out to the ballpark later today to celebrate the right way — cheering the Rangers onto victory.

Hopefully the Rangers can get back on a roll today before taking off for Cleveland.  We will likely see David Dellucci in one of the two games, as we all know he doesn’t play against lefties, and well…the Rangers have no lefties in their rotation.  I think a part of me will always root for David, no matter what uniform he’s wearing.  I know someone else who will always be cheering for him too.