Maybe we should expect the unexpected when Jeff Francoeur is involved in a play. For the second time in two weeks, he directly helped the Rangers win a tension-filled extra-inning affair.
First, he was plucked by a Mariano Rivera pitch with the bases loaded on September 11 to secure a series victory and eventual series sweep of the Yankees.
Wednesday night, he doubled against Matt Palmer, the sixth Angels pitcher in the 12th inning. It was the first hit for the Rangers since the sixth. After advancing to third, Julio Borbon came to the plate with two outs. Palmer threw a pitch that crossed up the catcher Jeff Mathis, and the ball went off his glove to his left, allowing Francoeur to score.
C.J. “The Stopper” Wilson also deserves accolades as well for pitching six scoreless innings of three-hit baseball – three of those with a 1-0 lead – before Mike Napoli tied the game on a solo homer to begin the seventh. Two expertly turned double plays kept the Angels from scoring any more. Matt Harrison, the fourth of five relief pitchers, got the win. This season, Wilson has been the man to end a five-game, four-game and three-game losing streak for the Rangers.
The huge win knocked the magic number down to four as the Rangers head to Oakland. With Cliff Lee pitching, anything less than a win Thursday is not good enough.
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