Rangers Suffer Another Tough Loss

  Hits were hard to come by as the Rangers tried to figure out Astros’ righty Brian Girard. The Rangers were outhit 15-9 and fell to the ‘Stros by a score of 8-7 on Sunday. This was the fifth time in the last 8 games that the Rangers were part of game where the difference was 3 runs or fewer. The Rangers were 2-3 in those games.

      The Astros scored first and put three runs on the board with the help of 4 hits and an error. But the Rangers answered with two of their own in the bottom of the first. Joe Staten led off with a single and was followed by a Brian Robinson walk. With two outs, Jonmarc Lippincott singled past third to drive in Staten and Robinson.

      The Rangers took the lead in the third scoring four times. Clint Wolf had an RBI double and 3 more Rangers runners would score on 3 consecutive Astros miscues. The Astros got one run back with a bases-loaded walk in the 4^th and one more in the 5^th with a solo HR to left field by Steve Louis.

      The Astros took the lead for good in the 7^th scoring 3 runs on 2 singles and 2 errors. The Rangers chipped away at the ‘Stros lead scoring once on a groundout by Brent Collinsworth. But the rally ended when Lippincott flew out to deep center to leave Wolf stranded at third.

The Rangers’ failure to execute in the later innings cost the team greatly.

Clint Wolf and Jonmarc Lippincott each had 2 hits. Lippincott had 2 RBIs. Brian Robinson scored three times. The bottom of the Rangers order went 1-14 with 6 strikeouts.

RANGERS "MARKS"

OFFENSE
Jonmarc Lippincott – 2-out 2-run single

Clint Wolf – RBI double.

DEFENSE
Jonmarc Lippincott – diving stop at shortstop to force a runner out at second.