Rangers lose in extras, but Kauffman experience still enjoyable

Kansas City, Mo. — Despite the Rangers losing another game due to a bullpen implosion, I still had an enjoyable experience with my mom during the Royals' 2-1 victory on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium.

There's a lot to like about Kauffman Stadium, which completed its renovations in time for Opening Day 2009. A little more than two years later, it still feels like a brand new facility. Kauffman is one of the cleaner stadiums I've ever visited. The floors are nicely kept, the seats are clean. The atmosphere of the lower and upper concourses has a contemporary, modern feel. Heck, even the bathrooms are clean. My favorite part of the renovation was the massive scoreboard installed in centerfield. Still my favorite scoreboard in baseball.



Mom and I had two seats in the upper deck on the third-base side. Same preference as Arlington. And, like Arlington, it doesn't feel like you're in the third deck at Kauffman when taking in a game. No obstructed view and all of the action was clearly visible from our seats in section 410, row A.



As for the game, the first eight innings breezed by with Derek Holland pitching a gem. The southpaw took a 1-0 shutout into the final inning. It was just after 9 p.m. going into the ninth; pretty remarkable for a 7:10 p.m. first pitch.

Texas manager Ron Washington elected to leave Holland in the game to face the K.C. leadoff man, Eric Hosmer. Couldn't disagree with that since it was a lefty-lefty matchup. Hosmer, a polished rookie with an insanely high ceiling, did his part to keep the game alive and knocked a base hit to center. That was it for Holland, who was pulled for Neftali Feliz after tossing eight innings and giving up nine hits, one walk and striking out five. It was a brilliant game.

...And then there's the bullpen. Feliz simply hasn't located his pitches since coming back from the disabled list. He induced only two outs before leaving the game with the bases loaded (two hits, walk, RBI single) in favor of Mark Lowe, who bailed him out with an inning-ending groundout. The game was tied, 1-1, until former Ranger Jeff Franceour put the Texas bullpen out of its misery with a game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th off Cody Eppley. 2-1 final.



The Rangers dropped to 23-21, and the bullpen woes continued to plague the team in the late innings. Nine of Texas' 21 losses have come in the opposition's final at-bat. The bullpen has no reliable eighth-inning option, and the surest thing, or so we thought (Feliz), has struggled mightily to miss bats. Moving Alexi Ogando from the rotation to the bullpen doesn't seem like a safe option. He's doing extremely well as a starter, and he's needed in the rotation with Tommy Hunter, Brandon Webb and Scott Feldman still on the disabled list.

There's perhaps a ray of hope underneath the bullpen disaster. The batting lineup, which has struggled to produce runs lately, will get Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz back from the DL on Monday, when the Rangers play host to the Chicago White Sox in Arlington. That will help get Craig Gentry and Endy Chavez, serviceable options, but not MLB starters, out of the regular lineup. Hopefully, the offense gets a needed jolt with the return of its two best power hitters.

It really seems like it can't get a whole lot worse, and the Rangers are still hovering around .500. I'm ready for a winning streak.

Plaza restaurants don't disappoint: With my mom staying at the Plaza in Kansas City, we tried some restaurants that left a lasting impression and did not disappoint.

The Capital Grille could be one of my favorite places in Kansas City. It's a little pricey, so I won't be going there regularly, but they had the best salmon I've ever tasted, by a long shot. It was honey- and citrus-glazed and grilled just perfectly around the edges and in the center. String beans and bread chips accompanied the dish, which was the most memorable meal of my mom's visit.

We also had breakfast at the Intercontinental Hotel, which was super tasty. I just had Oatmeal, blueberry yogurt and granola, but it was the real deal.

We finished the trip with Kona Grill on Friday for lunch. I had a lettuce wrap with teriyaki chicken, shrimp, carrots and corn. Stellar way to continue my recent change of eating better and healthier.

Now if we can only get that bullpen to hold a lead.

Bound for Kauffman Stadium tomorrow for Rangers-Royals

Before attending a Texas Rangers game in person, whether it's at the Ballpark in Arlington or on the road, an important decision has to be made with respect to my choice of apparel.

That will be the case on Thursday, when I travel to Kansas City, Mo. to watch the Rangers take on the Royals. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. (mound matchup: Derek Holland vs. Luke Hochevar).

I have two tickets in section 410, Row A, seats 3 and 4. Should be a fun time. Kauffman Stadium is a great place to take in a baseball game. So what will be my choice of Rangers gear?

Well ... it's fair to say I have quite a few options.



I think I'll probably go with the red AL West Division champions T-shirt with the Titleist Rangers hat. I don't really have a method or superstition when picking out gear for the game. Just whatever I feel like at the time.

I'm thrilled that my mom is visiting from Texas to attend the game with me.

It's great fun with mom in Lawrence. We started the trip with 715 for lunch. I highly recommend the apple pecan salad, cauliflower soup (may not sound good, but it's amazing) and the four-cheese pizza. We had Mad Greek for dinner, one of the more underrated restaurants in Lawrence. I wish more places around town had lentil soup. I can only seem to find it at Mad Greek, and it was plenty tasty, along with the chicken and pork combo dish I had.

Naturally, the Rangers will be a major part of mom's visit. We watched Wednesday night's 5-4 escape of a victory in 11 innings over the Royals at the Eldridge Hotel bar. Wednesday at the Eldridge is jazz night, and we thoroughly enjoyed hearing live music while taking in the game action.

Alexi Ogando (7 IP, 2 ER, BB, 5 K's) continued his seamless transition from reliable reliever to scintillating starter for Texas.

Kansas City brought up 23-year-old southpaw Danny Duffy to start, and he showed promise (4 K's in 4 IP), but walked six and didn't last too long.

K.C. first baseman/stud prospect Eric Hosmer destroyed an inside fastball on Neftali Feliz's first pitch of the ninth inning to tie the game. Feliz consistently hit 98 mph in the ninth frame, but his location was way too scattered.

Reliever Mark Lowe converted the save, giving up one run in the 11th. He walked one and struck out two. Lowe's final strikeout, a filthy fastball that started outside the left portion of the strike zone and had heavy tailing action back toward the plate, made me wonder why he hasn't been more consistent in the past. Lowe looked pretty solid on Wednesday — his fastball topped out at 99 mph — and if he can keep his control in check, he could develop into a semi-legitimate option at the back of the bullpen. The Rangers are sorely seeking a right-handed set-up man. Injuries and ineffectiveness have prohibited the bullpen from being reliable this year. The pen has easily been the most vulnerable aspect of the team.

After Wednesday night's slate, the Rangers leaped back into first place at 23-20, one game up on Oakland, 1.5 games ahead of Anaheim and 4.5 up on Seattle.

Tomorrow will be fun. I'm excited to watch the team in person for the first time this year. Time to head down I-70 east and enjoy some live baseball.

Dirk turns in performance for the ages

I watched in awe on Tuesday night as Dirk Nowitzki put the Dallas Mavericks on his back and turned in one of the best performances in NBA Playoffs history.

How's this for a line? 12-of-15 from the field, 24-of-24 from the foul line, 48 points. Dallas defeated Oklahoma City in Game 1, 121-112, at the American Airlines Center.

Few thoughts that come to mind:

First, Dirk has been unstoppable in the playoffs, averaging 28 points and eight rebounds per contest. He's a ridiculous 95-of-103 from the foul line in the postseason. For him to be carving up the league at age 32 (will be 33 on June 19) is a bit of a surprise, given that he was thought to be past his prime, simply due to his age and the knee injury he suffered this year.

Dirk looks better than he's ever looked. I make this statement because Oklahoma City has lengthy post players who can defend. In watching the highlights back again (and again and again), the Thunder played solid defense on Dirk. He just hit absurd shots. When a guy is 7-feet tall and falling away off of one leg, there is only so much a defender can do. He made more quality, contested shots tonight than I can remember in a long time.

These playoffs will mean a ton when it comes to remembering Dirk's legacy. He's already the best 7-foot shooter of all-time, and easily the best Dallas Mavericks player ever. A series victory over the Thunder would be huge, and a championship ring would mean he's sniffing top 20-30 of all-time territory.

Still a long way to go. The Thunder are very talented. But this was Dirk's night in Dallas. And I couldn't be happier that it resulted in a 1-0 series lead.

Fantastic DFW sports night doesn't disappoint

Upon learning I had Wednesday night off from work, one thought immediately entered my mind: It was going to be a fun night to follow my two favorite sports teams.

The Rangers played at 9:05 p.m. at Seattle, while the Mavericks faced the Lakers at 9:30 p.m. in Los Angeles. The doubleheader may be late for some, but I'm used to staying up until 1-2 a.m., so I welcomed the DFW twinbill with open arms. And it didn't disappoint.

C.J. Wilson, who's pitched like an All-Star lately, tossed a complete game (125 pitches), surrendering six hits, two runs (only one earned), one walk and striking out 12. The Rangers defeated the Mariners, 5-2.

A few minutes later, the Mavs completed an improbable 91-82 dismantling of the defending-champion Lakers at Staples Center, and took a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Most rewarding, enjoyable sports night I've witnessed in some time.

First, let's start with Wilson, since Gametime in Arlington is, after all, Rangers-centric. I've been keeping a keen eye on Wilson's walk totals this year. Last season, he issued way too many free passes (93, compared to 170 strikeouts). The strikeout-to-walk ratio was lower than 2:1 (1.83).

How about this year?

After Wednesday night's gem, Wilson has compiled 46 strikeouts, compared to 13 walks. I know it's a sample size and much of the season remains, but his K/BB ratio to date is 3.54:1. Much better. If we are to rely on Wilson as the staff ace this season, he will have to keep that ratio rather stable.

The Rangers moved to 17-14 and are clinging to first place in the crowded AL West.

Can't forget about those Mavs. How sweet was that? Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 24 points, but it was J.J. Barea who completely changed the tempo of the game and swayed it in our favor.

Barea played 17 electric minutes, slicing through the Lakers defense, hitting floaters and finding open scorers, in the paint and outside. Barea is listed at 6 feet, but there's no way he's taller than 5-foot-9. His body control in the lane is remarkable for someone of his stature, and the quickness of his first two steps is fun to watch. Sometimes, he's out of control, but he was my MVP tonight.

Suddenly, Dallas is up 2-0 on the Lakers with two straight home games awaiting. There were times in the first-round playoff matchup against Portland when the Mavericks would lose focus and, consequently, big leads. Mental lapses and the Mavericks were synonymous. Not sure what changed in less than a week's time, but Dallas has owned the defending champs so far, at their place.

The series is not quite over yet. Los Angeles is a good road team, fully capable of taking two in Dallas and making it a series again.

Most of the Lakers are respectable players, but I have a hard time thinking of Ron Artest in that light. With just fewer than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, with the game already decided, Artest inexplicably clothes-lined Barea after a play was stopped. He was promptly ejected. Artest should not be able to play in Friday's game in Dallas. His actions were completely uncalled for, and the blatant cheap shot should be punished accordingly.

Overall, an incredibly enjoyable evening to be a DFW sports fan with the 2-for-2 showing. It was well worth the day-long wait.

Starting 2011 with a bang

Six up, six down. After the first two series of the season, the Texas Rangers are undefeated at 6-0 for the first time since 1996. What a pleasant surprise.

The sweeps came against Boston, which nearly every baseball analyst had winning it all this year, and Seattle. As a Rangers fan, you can't be anything but elated after these first six games. Boston is Boston, with the additions of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, plus the usual Red Sox talent. Seattle pitched 2010 Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard and up-and-coming Michael Pineda, and we still swept the Mariners.

This tells me we're going to be extremely difficult to beat in Arlington. Texas was a solid 51-30 at home last year. This year, I expect something comparable.

Other observations:

• Nelson Cruz and baseballs apparently don't get along too well, because he likes to annihilate them on a consistent basis. Cruz opened the year with four home runs in his first four games. He became only the third player in MLB history to do that (the other two are Willie Mays and Mark McGwire).

• The starting pitching has been consistent. C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis have been the steady forces they've needed to be. Matt Harrison has to easily be the biggest surprise. He looked great against Boston, throwing seven innings, allowing one run, two walks and striking out eight. He looks like a different pitcher this year, and if Harrison can pitch even remotely like he did against a potent Red Sox lineup, I like our chances to repeat in the West. Alexi Ogando sparkled in his starting pitching debut, lasting six innings, and giving up two hits, no earned runs, and striking out two (vs. two walks) against Seattle. Derek Holland also pitched well enough to earn a victory.

• Ian Kinsler looks great in the leadoff spot with his steady production of power and on-base percentage. Kinsler has already belted three home runs. I also like looking at his five walks in six games.

• Newly-acquired Adrian Beltre hasn't been spectacular at the plate (only batting .125 so far), but he's offered a unique set of highlight reel plays already. The grand slam he hit in the second game against Boston was arguably the most memorable part of the series. And I finally saw him in defensive action at third base. Wow. This guy can man the hot corner. Beltre made an all-world defensive play on Wednesday late in the game against Seattle, fielding an odd hop from near his knees, regaining his balance and firing to first base to complete the out. It was a 'wow' moment. The left side of the infield with Beltre and Elvis Andrus is spectacular.

• Neftali Feliz looks pretty darn unhittable so far: four appearances, four innings pitched, no hits, no earned runs, no walks, four strikeouts, two saves. I'd say good call, so far, by management to put him in the bullpen.

• Welcome to the Rangers, Mike Napoli. In splitting time at first base and catcher, Napoli played in only three of the six games, but smacked two home runs, four RBIs and hit .500 in the process.

• I'd say we're the clear favorites in the AL West. Seattle won't contend. Oakland can pitch, but its offense is spotty. And Anaheim's bullpen has struggled mightily.

The defending AL West champions have started the year like they have unfinished business to take care of. Here's to the streak continuing as long as possible.

Why Opening Day is my favorite sports day of the year

Best sports day of the year. It's a difficult topic to tackle because there are so many quality options.

America is gripped during the first two days of March Madness.

That first Sunday that the NFL kicks off (and let's hope it happens in 2011) is always memorable.

Or how about that first Saturday of the college football season, when the weather is just right and the long gridiron layoff that lasts seven months for most programs is finally over.

The three aforementioned sports days contain blended feelings of excitement and hope, to where every team is alive in the quest for a championship. They are three great days to be a sports fan. There's one sports day that tops them all for me. One day that provides a feeling of joy that no other sport offers.

My favorite sports day of the year is Major League Baseball's Opening Day. Thankfully, it's only three days away for the Texas Rangers.

Opening Day offers a unique satisfaction. Even though I won't be in Arlington when Texas takes on Boston, the first day of the baseball season makes me feel like I'm the same age every year (say around 10). No other sport can trigger that feeling of innocence. Not to say that I'm a troublemaker, but when I watch Opening Day games, the stresses and struggles of life seem to freeze, while being temporarily overtaken by relaxation and 'just being.'

Opening Day only rolls around once a year, so I have to make the most of it. I'm thrilled to have Friday off from work, so I'll be watching baseball all day leading up to 3 p.m., when the Rangers host the Red Sox on ESPN.

A heavyweight southpaw pitching battle figures to take place between C.J. Wilson and Jon Lester. I'm curious how our offense looks with Ian Kinsler leading off, Elvis Andrus moving to the 2 hole, Adrian Beltre hitting cleanup and Michael Young dropping to the 6 spot. I'm even more curious to see Beltre and his reputation as a defensive wizard put to the early test.

I also will naturally have an eye for the little things, such as Josh Hamilton, now a year removed from hitting .359, remaining patient at the plate and keeping his walk total up; things such as C.J. managing his inflated walk totals from a year ago; how C.J. pitches without his personal catcher Matt Treanor, who was traded to Kansas City on Monday; Julio Borbon's defense; general 3-0 counts, first-pitch strikes and base path behaviors. Everything that makes baseball my favorite sport to watch.

In the grand scheme, the end result of Opening Day doesn't mean much. After all, there are 162 games to be played. But that first one can create important early momentum.

I'll always remember 2010, when Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a game-winning single to beat Toronto. It seemed the offense couldn't buy a hit for six or seven innings that day. Baseball is an odd, yet intriguing game. The Rangers, of course, went on to finish 90-72, win their first playoff series in team history and win the American League championship before eventually falling in the World Series to San Francisco.

I'm ready to begin the season as defending AL champions. Rangers fans will enter this season with a certain sense of pride that they've never before been able to display. I'll proudly be sporting my Rangers gear all week in anticipation.

So, is it Friday yet?