MVN - Most Valuable Network

Walk-Off Vengeance: Vazquez Homer Powers Rangers To 13-12 Victory Over M’s

There were no immediately detectable traces of hostility, vindictiveness or animosity lingering in the air between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Monday evening.

There was, however, one hell of an exceedingly frustrating, yet ultimately edifying ballgame.

The night could not have conceivably begun much worse for starter Vicente Padilla, who surrendered five runs (two earned) during the course of a nightmarish first inning that prominently featured four hits (including a two-run jack down the right field line by Seattle’s Raul Ibanez), a pair of defensive blunders and a run-scoring balk, evoking frighteningly vivid images of the Rangers’ fundamentally abhorrent month of April.

Conversely, the night could not have possibly ended any better for rookie right-hander Doug Mathis, who, in his Major League debut, required just nine pitches to record a perfect 10th inning of work, and only minutes later collected his first big league victory:

“This is the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced,” Mathis said.

The patient, methodical offensive approach utilized by the Rangers’ lineup indirectly led to the violent collapse of Mariners starter Erik Bedard, whose two-inning effort marked his shortest outing since May 6th, 2006 against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Curiously, the talented southpaw yielded six runs on seven hits and punched out two in that start - identical to his pitching line on Monday, albeit with slightly different walk and home run totals.

I’m not certain Zeus himself could have harnessed the collective energy created by Josh Hamilton’s and Milton Bradley’s back-to-back third-inning lightning bolts, the former of which traveled an estimated 447 feet, entirely clearing the right-center field bleachers and bouncing onto the concourse towards the center field office building, and the latter of which carried 410 feet onto Greene’s Hill.

Transcendency in action.

Silly as it may sound, I knew the instant that Kenji Johjima’s tie-breaking three-run blast cleared the left field wall with two outs in the ninth inning that the Rangers, despite the momentary setback, would somehow find a way to pull this game out. They had simply battled unwaveringly and resolutely for far too long to allow this one to slip through their fingers.

And leave it to little Ramon Vazquez, the master architect of a dramatic eighth-inning comeback victory over Mariners closer J.J. Putz at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington last July 25th, to ensure that Monday evening’s game would not end in dejection and tears, but rather in walk-off hysterics - and a massive player pile at home plate:

“What a game,” manager Ron Washington said. “I guess y’all didn’t think we had a chance when Bedard had a 5-0 lead in the first. Fooled y’all. And Bedard.”

This is the team that absolutely refused to die.

Quick Hits: Vazquez’s dinger marked the Rangers’ first walk-off home run since Nelson Cruz’s game-winner on May 13th, 2007…designated hitter Milton Bradley left Monday evening’s game in the seventh inning after injuring his right shoulder on a practice swing, and will be re-evaluated on Tuesday…rehabbing outfielder Marlon Byrd (left knee inflammation) could be summoned from the 15-day disabled list a day earlier than planned if Bradley is unavailable for Tuesday evening’s contest…sinkerballer Luis Mendoza (sore right shoulder) will make his first rehab start on Wednesday for Double-A Frisco.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 1:31 am and is filed under The Season. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.