Energetic Rally in 9th Lifts Rangers: Rangers 5 Blue Jays 4

One hit really can change a baseball game.

After Toronto’s Shaun Marcum no hit the Rangers for 6 1/3 innings and drained most of the energy out of Rangers Ballpark, Vladimir Guerrero came to the plate. He brings with him not only his imposing presence but also a .394 career average at Rangers Ballpark as an opposing player. Now dawning Ranger red, Guerrero pushed a 0-1 pitch into center to quickly dissolve any no-hit chat. So far so good. Josh Hamilton showed his effort to be more patient with a walk just prior to the hit. In the Rangers’ first real opportunity to score, Nelson Cruz came to the plate with two runners on and smashed a ball over the bullpen to ignite the Rangers’ fire.

With that, a game that had been dominated by Marcum’s pitching performance turned into a 3-3 game either team could win. In his first start since returning from Tommy John surgery, Marcum went seven innings, giving up two hits and three runs.

Scott Feldman pitched better than statistics will indicate, also allowing three runs in seven innings. He clearly struggled with Adam Lind and Vernon Wells though. The pair accounted for six of the eight hits and all of the RBI’s.

With runners at second and third in the eighth, the Rangers’ decision to intentionally walk Lind in hopes that Wells would hit into a double play backfired, and a Wells single allowed the fourth run to cross the plate. Neftali Feliz, who manager Ron Washington proclaimed as his eighth inning man, left with just one out recorded. Veteran journeyman Darren Oliver put a tourniquet on the mess, striking out Lyle Overbay to begin his third stint with the Rangers. He’s the winning pitcher in my book.

Frank Francisco threw a scoreless top of the ninth. Michael Young led off the bottom of the inning with a double and moved to third on a Guerrero single following a Hamilton strikeout. Cruz doubled home Young to tie the score at 4-4. Chris Davis walked, leaving it all in the hands of Jarrod Saltamacchia, a guy whose injury problems prevented him from doing much in Spring Training.

He certainly delivered Monday, connecting on a walkoff single with the outfield in.

With only six total hits for the game, all the hits meant a lot. But if Rangers continue to play the way they did after Guerrero’s hit in the seventh and Young’s hit in the ninth, this season will be a lot of fun.