Rangers Lose A Close One: Twins 2 Rangers 1

To win a close baseball game, a team must take advantage of all its opportunities,

The Rangers didn’t do that Friday in a 2-1 loss in their first game at Target Field, the new outdoor home of the Minnesota Twins. The field is located very near Target Center, where the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves play.

With Vladimir Guerrero and Josh Hamilton abroad thanks to a single and walk respectively to start the seventh, the Rangers seemed to have a glorious change to tie the game at 2-2 or take the lead. But Twins starter Kevin Slowey, who had lasted beyond the fifth inning in only one prior start this season, coaxed David Murphy fly out to right field and Justin Smoak to strike out, one of three strikeouts for Smoak on the night.

With the outs slipping away, Ron Washington decided to pinch hit Nelson Cruz. Cruz is bothered by a left hamstring strain he suffered in Wednesday’s 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Royals, but he is not expected to go on the disabled list. He missed a couple of weeks earlier this season with a right hamstring strain. The Twins brought on Jose Mijares, and Cruz grounded out to second base to end the inning.

Down 1-0 in the fourth, Ian Kinsler lined a ball close to the foul pole. It was initially ruled a home run but was reversed upon further review by the umpires. At least they got the call right, and Kinsler simply hit a double in its place. Vladimir Guerrero knocked him in, giving him 43 RBI’s for the season. For most of May, Guerrero has led the Majors in RBI’s, but Miguel Cabrera hit three home runs Friday to overtake the top spot by just one.

The Twins scored on a single to center by Joe Mauer in the third, and the second run game across when Rangers starter Colby Lewis induced a double play from Mauer with the bases loaded in the fifth. A leadoff walk to the #9 hitter, a bunt single and 0-2 single led to the jam.