|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Alex Rodriguez has nothing to prove to
the Texas Rangers, even after striking out three times in his first
home game.
|  | | Striking out three times left Alex Rodriquez frustrated, but a 3-2 victory for Texas softened the blow.
|
"Let's not get overanalytical or critiquing four or five
at-bats," Texas manager Johnny Oates said after the Rangers beat
Anaheim 3-2 in their home opener Tuesday.
"He's not a guy that is accustomed, probably, to striking out
three times in a ballgame. But I'm sure he wants to do well.
There's so much attention focused on him."
Playing his first game in Texas since signing his $252 million,
10-year contract, the richest in sports history, Rodriguez struck
out swinging in the first and eighth innings, took a called third
strike in the sixth and singled in the third.
Rodriguez – who struck out 121 times in 148 games last year – increased this year's strikeout total to four in eight at-bats. But
he also has three hits, all groundball singles through the left
side of the infield.
"I feel really good at the plate. My swing is right where it
wants to be," A-Rod said. "Obviously I didn't show it today, but
I felt pretty good and I think when you feel good, results come
shortly after."
Rodriguez also had his first stolen base of the season and was
flawless in five fielding chances – taking part in two of the Texas
double plays – before 49,512, a regular-season record at The
Ballpark in Arlington.
"He wants to do so well. We all know he's a great player. He
doesn't have to prove anything to any of the guys in there and
probably not to anybody in baseball," winning pitcher Kenny
Rogers said. "His first few games, he's probably going to be a little
more nervous than usual until he settles in."
On the first ball hit his way, he started a 6-4-3 double play in
the second. An inning later, he went deep into the hole right,
scooped up the ball and threw Tim Salmon out at first.
"I was a little anxious. I wanted to show the home fans I can
do well," Rodriguez said. "I was having a lot of fun out there
and the fans were really into it. It was fun. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have an opener like that."
A-Rod, who had just 10 errors all last season, made a throwing
error on his first chance in the season-opening 8-1 loss to Toronto
in Puerto Rico and also stumbled twice while trying to get to balls
Sunday.
Rogers won the Rangers' home opener for the second straight
season and Tim Crabtree converted his first save opportunity for
Texas in the same way that his predecessor John Wetteland often
did: exciting but effective.
Crabtree, wearing Wetteland's old No. 35, allowed Anaheim to
load the bases with no outs in the ninth. He gave up a single to Salmon and a double to Troy Glaus before an intentional walk to
Garret Anderson.
"It was a little more dramatic than I would have liked, but you
see what this defense can do," said Crabtree, who had just five
saves his first six seasons. "I didn't really think anything ... I
just focused on Pudge's glove. I knew I needed to get a ground
ball."
Glenallen Hill, acquired by Anaheim from the Yankees last week,
hit a grounder that third baseman Ken Caminiti turned into a 5-2-3
double play. Crabtree snagged Benji Molina's comebacker for the
final out.
While Rogers needed help to get out of an eighth-inning jam, he
allowed just two runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings, struck out
five and walked none.
After giving up a run in the third inning, Rogers retired 14
straight batters before running into more trouble. Molina led off
with a double, David Eckstein got his first career hit and Darin
Erstad drove in his second run with his third hit.
Jeff Zimmerman needed just two pitches to get pinch-hitter
Orlando Palmeiro, the only batter he faced, to ground into an
inning-ending double play.
Scott Schoeneweis, making his first Opening Day start, allowed
three runs and eight hits over seven innings.
"If we can get our pitchers to step up like that, we're going
to win a lot of games," Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia said. "The
Texas lineup doesn't give you a breather and Schoeneweis threw well
against them."
Rusty Greer's sacrifice fly in the seventh brought home Chad
Curtis with the deciding run. Curtis led off with a single, moved
to second when Ruben Mateo singled and then made it to third when
Molina threw behind him in an attempted pickoff. On the same play,
Mateo was thrown out trying to advance.
The Rangers went ahead 2-0 in the second when Ivan Rodriguez and
Andres Galarraga both hit opposite-field doubles to right.
Galarraga scored when Mateo grounded into a double play.
Anaheim scored its first run in the third when Erstad hit a
double that brought home Scott Spiezio, who had led off the inning
with a double as the starter in place of injured first baseman Mo
Vaughn.
Game notes
Anaheim played its season opener on the road for the first
time since 1994, and played a day opener for the first time since
1993. ... It was the first time the Angels and Rangers played in a
season opener since 1972, when the Angels won 1-0 in the first gave
ever for Texas, formerly the Washington Senators. ... Former Dallas
QB Troy Aikman, released by the Cowboys last month, threw out the
ceremonial first pitch to Ivan Rodriguez. The pitch was high. The
Rangers' first choice to throw out the first pitch had been
President Bush, the former Texas governor whose father had that
honor for last year's opener.
 Send this story to a friend
| |
RECAPS
Minnesota 3
Detroit 2
Texas 3
Anaheim 2
Tampa Bay 8
Toronto 1
Oakland 5
Seattle 1
NY Mets 6
Atlanta 4
Houston 11
Milwaukee 3
Cincinnati 3
Pittsburgh 2
Philadelphia 4
Florida 3
Arizona 3
Los Angeles 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Despite going 1-for-4, Alex Rodriguez enjoyed his first home game in Texas.
wav: 121 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
