Feldman, bullpen help Rangers complete sweep of Rays

Baseball Betting Lines

07/05/2009 - Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Murphy went 3-for-3 with a run batted in, as the Texas Rangers completed a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay with a 5-2 victory over the Rays.

The Rangers also extended their overall winning streak to five games, despite going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine runners. Murphy, Elvis Andrus and Marlon Byrd each had a sacrifice fly.

Texas starter Scott Feldman (7-2) got the win after giving up two runs -- one earned -- on three hits and four walks over six innings. Jason Jennings, C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco each threw a perfect inning of relief, with Francisco notching his 14th save this season.

Rays starter Matt Garza (6-6) gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks in five frames, and took the loss. Garza also struck out seven for the Rays, who have lost four in a row.

Carl Crawford had one of Tampa's three hits to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, walked, and scored a run in the loss.

The Rangers got on the scoreboard in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler was hit by a pitch, and Murphy's base hit two batters later put runners on the corners. Byrd then reached on a soft hit to third, plating Kinsler. Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored on Andrus' sac fly in the second inning to make it a 2-0 game.

Tampa, though, tied the contest in the third thanks to an error. B.J. Upton was hit to lead off and went to second after Crawford worked a walk. The speedy pair then executed a double steal before Evan Longoria lofted a fly to right field.

Upton tagged up on the play, beating an errant throw to the plate. Saltalamacchia then tossed the ball into left field trying to catch Crawford going to third, allowing him to score.

But Texas quickly re-assumed the lead. Michael Young began the home third with a double, and Murphy's single again put runners on the corners. Byrd walked to load the bases before Hank Blalock struck out.

The Rangers got a run when Nelson Cruz batted a ball to the right side, and Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett couldn't hang on to the ball for the force out. Young scored on the play, but Garza got the next two batters to keep it a one- run game.

However, Texas tacked on two more runs in the fourth, when the Rangers loaded the bases with no outs. Sac flies from Murphy and Byrd pushed the Rangers' lead to 5-2.

The Texas pitching staff sealed the win from there, though it got some help from a pair of double plays. Crawford and Carlos Pena were each doubled off first base to end the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.

Jennings worked a flawless seventh, Wilson got three fly outs in the eighth, and Francisco set the Rays down in order in the ninth to finish off the victory.

Game Notes

On Sunday, Major League Baseball announced the rosters for this season's All- Star Game, scheduled for July 14 in St. Louis. Rays third baseman Longoria and Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton were named starters by fan vote. Rays shortstop Bartlett and outfielders Crawford and Ben Zobrist, as well as Rangers third baseman Young were named reserves for the American League...Blalock finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and left eight runners on base...Rays catcher Dioner Navarro went 0-for-3, striking out twice, and left four runners on...Francisco improved to 14-for-16 in save chances this season...Garza had won his last two starts, in which he gave up two runs in 15 innings...Texas next visits LA for a three-game series against the Angels, beginning Monday...The Rays start a three-game home set against Toronto on Tuesday.

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Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.