Some things you need to know about Texans and Texas teams involved in sports: • • • • • • • 1. Feldman keeps poise as Astros win opener< Scott Feldman lost his perfect game when he hit retiring legend Derek Jeter on the hands with an inside pitch. He never lost his poise. ... Supported by a cast on unknowns who put on a clinic in clutch hitting and a display of aggressive baserunning, the Houston Astros beat the Yankees 6-2 in their season opener at Minute Maid Park. ... The Astros hope they provided a glimpse of the kind of baseball that second-year manager Bo Porter has been envisioning. They came out playing loose and free and with nothing to lose. Before a sellout crowd of 42,117, the Astros put three consecutive seasons of 100-loss frustrations behind them, riding early homers by Jesus Guzman and L.J. Hoes and a strong performance from Feldman. ... Ill tell you, thats a tremendous job by that group in there, Porter said. They were focused and really came out with a lot of energy, and were aggressive and were able to give us a good lead. Scotty Feldman, I cant say enough how big of a performance like that is in his first start as an Astro. To give us that kind of performance is tremendous. ... Feldman threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings in his second career opening day start, allowing two singles and two walks while striking out three. He joined Roy Oswalt as the only starters in Astros history to pitch at least six scoreless innings in the clubs first game of the season. ... Total team effort, Feldman said. We came out from the get-go and put those runs on the board. (Yankees starter) C.C. (Sabathia) is a great pitcher, but we were able to get him a little bit early tonight, and that made my job easier. ... Feldman was one of several Astros new arrivals who contributed mightily in their first time in orange and blue. Guzmans two-run shot capped a four-run first inning, and fellow newcomer Dexter Fowler went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored. With Fowler and Jose Altuve (2-for-4) leading the way, the Astros pushed the tempo on the bases early and forced the Yankees into a pair of errant throws in the first two innings. ... I think thats our game, Fowler said. Youve got to put the pressure on the defense. Bo talks about that all the time, and I think thats what were going to do. If we see an opportunity, were going to take it. The win snapped a 15-game losing streak that closed last season, including a three-game sweep in Houston at the hands of the Yankees to finish the year. It was only Houstons third win over the Yankees in 16 tries and its first against the Bombers in seven games at home. ... This entire spring, leading up to Opening Day, we built that vibe up where these guys are confident, theyre playing with a lot of energy, theyre focused and their attention to detail is outstanding, Porter said. Everybody wants to get off to a good start. I think its extremely important for us to get off to a good start. ... Fowler, one of the Astros biggest offseason acquisitions, left his mark quickly by hitting doubles in his first two at-bats and scoring each time as the leadoff hitter. He led off the first with a double onto Tals Hill against Sabathia and scored on a single by Altuve, who swiped second and took third when the pitch went into the dirt. That put him in position to score on a Jason Castro fielders choice. ... Guzman, acquired in a trade with the Padres, crushed the first pitch he saw in an Astros uniform for a two-run homer that put his team ahead 4-0. Its the best feeling Ive ever had in my career, Guzman said of his 24th career homer. The important thing was we won the game. ... Hoes led off the second inning with a homer just inside the left-field foul pole. One out later, Fowler hit a hustling double to left and scored on Altuves second RBI single to give Feldman a 6-0 lead. It was surreal, Hoes said of his homer. Its something you dream of, something you lay in bed at night and you hope could happen. Myself, I was just trying to put a good swing on the ball. ... Kevin Chapman and Chad Qualls pitched before Matt Albers (Sugar Land Clements HS) worked a scoreless ninth. I think thats what we want to do, is play hard and show the city of Houston we can be a team to be proud of every night, Albers said. Were not going to sit here and say were going to win this number of games, but we want to play hard every night, and we have each others backs. Its a good start. ... • • • • • • • 2. Beltres clutch hits give Rangers first victory< Adrian Beltres single with one out scored Shin-Soo Choo from second base without a throw as the Rangers rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Phillies at Globe Life Park. Beltre also had an RBI double in the seventh inning that tied the game, and he had two of the Rangers three hits in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position. ... Thats what I have to do, Beltre said. When you hit in the middle of the lineup, thats what you get paid to do. I feel confident in those situations, and I like the challenge. It was nice to get that first win. It was a really good game, good pitching on both sides, but we were able to come back and steal the win. It was nice to get that win coming from behind and now the chance to win the series. ... Beltres hit came after Elvis Andrus sacrifice bunt and walk to Prince Fielder. New Texas closer Joakim Soria got the win with a perfect ninth inning in his season debut. Mitch Morelands single got the Rangers within 2-1 in the sixth. Choo had two singles and was hit by a pitch before his ninth-inning walk. ... A good ballgame … a great team effort, manager Ron Washington said. A protest by Washington may have been the play of the game. The contest was scoreless through five innings in a duel between Texas starter Martin Perez and A.J. Burnett of the Phillies. ...Perez gave up two in the top of the sixth, but instant replay kept the Phillies from a possible bigger inning as Ben Revere was called out at second base on a pickoff play after the original safe call was reversed after review. The reversal kept the Phillies from possibly breaking the game open. Instead, the Rangers got out of the inning down just 2-0, and their bullpen kept it close as Jason Frasor, Neal Cotts and Soria combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings. ... Together they combined to retire 10 of the last 12 Phillies hitters. Soria earned the victory by setting down the side in order in the ninth. It felt really good, Soria said. The whole offseason we prepared for this, and now that its here, you have to enjoy it. You always get up. If you lose that (feeling), you have to do something else. You have to have the emotions going on. ... • • • • • • • 3. NBA Roundup: Nets even find way to beat Rockets< The Brooklyn Nets extended their home winning streak to 14 games -- longest in their NBA history and tops in the league this season -- clinched a playoff berth by beating the Rockets at home for the first time in 11 years. With the 105-96 win, they finished 18-12 overall against the Western Conference. The Nets ended a 14-game skid against Houston with their first victory in the series since March 13, 2006. The Nets hadnt defeated the Rockets at home since March 31, 2003, when they were still playing in East Rutherford, N.J. ... James Harden scored 26 points for Houston, which lost its second straight following a five-game winning streak. Still without Dwight Howard because of a sore left ankle, the Rockets shot just 38 percent from the field. ... Stephen Curry made a tiebreaking jumper in the final second of overtime, lifting Golden State to a 122-120 victory over the Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 33 points and 11 rebounds. He had 16 in the Mavs 41-point second quarter. ... Spurs coach Gregg Popovich won the Western Conference coach of the month for March after the Spurs went undefeated in the month, ending the month with a franchise-record, 18-game winning streak. Brooklyns Jason Kidd won the East honor, becoming just the second NBA coach to win twice in his rookie season. ... • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4. College Basketball: Stanford avdances; TCU hires coach< Chiney Ogwumike (Houston Cypress-Fairbanks HS) had 20 points and 10 rebounds as second-seeded Stanford beat North Carolina 74-65 to land the schools 12th Final Four berth. ... Amber Orrange (Houston Westbury Christin HS) added 14 points for Stanford (33-3), which had its streak of five straight Final Fours snapped last March. The Cardinal leaves their home floor for Nashville. San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh was among those witnessing the Stanford win. ... Fresno States womens basketball coach Raegan Pebley has beeen hired by TCU to replace Jeff Mittie, who left for Kansas State after a 15-year stint at TCU. Pebleys teams were 46-20 overall and 26-8 in the Mountain West Conference, making the NCAA Tournment both times before losing in the first round. ... Before going to Fresno State, Pebley spent nine years at Utah State when the program was restarted in 2003 following a 25-year hiatus. Her father, Ray Scott, coached a number of years at Princeton HS in Texas. ... • • • • • • • 5. Ceremony geat; Ryans first pitch way wide< Former President George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara watched from front row seats behind the dugout at Minute Maid Park as Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, who returned to the Astros as an executive advisor in February, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Craig Biggio. ... The pitch was terrible, flying far out of Biggios reach. I tell you, my catcher didnt try, Ryan joked. That ball wasnt that far outside and he just didnt get over. Ryan chuckled sheepishly, shrugged his shoulders and said with his famous Texas drawl, Its not my first wild pitch. It probably wont be my last. ... The final destination didnt detract from the significance of the pitch. It brought together two of the most beloved figures in Astros history: Ryan and Biggio, who 26 years ago were batterymates for one season and have both etched their legacies in Houston as two of the citys greats. ... Biggio was starting catcher for Ryans 100th career win as an Astro on July 9, 1988. Biggio was a 22-year-old rookie working to get comfortable both at the plate and behind it, all the while heeding sound advice from his veteran teammates that rookies were meant to be seen and not heard. ... I wasnt thinking about who the name and number was on the back, Biggio said of his batterymate. I was just trying to catch the ball, do my job. Obviously, hes Nolan, one of the greatest pitchers of all time. It was great. It was kind of fun every fifth day to just watch a guy go out there and compete and play the way that he did. To be part of that, theyre memories Ill have for a lifetime. ... Both are still very much involved with the Astros. Ryan recently rejoined the front office after a stint with the Rangers, and Biggio has been working as a special assistant since he retired in 2007. Having both on the field together made for a fabulous photo op and a nice moment for the crowd -- regardless of where Ryans pitch to Biggio actually landed. I wanted to get it to where it was catchable, Ryan laughed. It wasnt. ... Hall of Famers past and future were there -- from the old guard of Ryan and Yankees advisor Reggie Jackson to two presumed members of future classes -- Biggio and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who has begun his farewell tour and will retire at the end of the 2014 season. ... Beloved broadcasters shared the emceeing duties. Longtime radio announcer Milo Hamilton greeted fans with Its more than just a game. Its Astros baseball, so bring it on -- Astros 2014. Television play-by-play man Bill Brown introduced the rosters and lineups of both teams, followed by presentation of colors by the U.S. Joint Service Color Guard. ... Country music singer and native Texan Clay Walker capped the festivities with the singing of the national anthem, which he ended by loudly exclaiming, God Bless Houston. ... • • • • • • • 6. Rangers Briefs: Seahawks Wilson to throw out first pitch< Super Bowl champion QB and Rule 5 Draft selection Russell Wilson will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Rangers game against the Phillies on Wednesday at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Wilson was a guest at the Rangers spring training camp this year after being selected from the Rockies in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 12. ... Colby Lewis gave up five runs in 5 1-3 innings while throwing 92 pitches in a minor league exhibition game for Frisco as he continues his comeback from hip surgery. ... The Rangers tweeted an apology after a picture circulated from opening day showing dozens of empty beer cans and bottles at the base of a statue honoring Shannon Stone, the Brownwood firefighter who died in a fall at the Rangers stadium in 2011. The team said the debris was removed in a timely manner but it should not have been allowed to be placed there in the first place. ... The Rangers recalled pitcher Daniel McCutchen to serve as a long man for Tuesday night. Catcher Chris Gimenez was designated for assignment. Pitcher Michael Kirkman has cleared waivers and assigned outright to Triple A Round Rock. He will pitch out of the rotation there with Nick Tepesch, Ryan Feierabend and Scott Baker. ... • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7. MLB Notes: Pettitte, Clemens to join ceremony< Former Yankees pitchers and Houston area residents Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens are expected to be on hand when the Astros honor Derek Jeter in pregame ceremonies on Wednesday in Houston. ... Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw (Dallas Highland Park HS) probably wont be ready to come off the disabled list when hes eligible to be activated on April 14. Mattingly said Kershaw will likely have to make a rehab start before he can return. ... The Giants scored four first-inning runs -- three coming on Brandon Belts (Lufkin Hudson HS and UT) second homer in two games -- before going silent in a 5-4 loss to Arizona. ... Former Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson was knocked around through 5 2/3 innings in the Angels 8-3 loss to the Mariners. The big blow for Seattle was a three-run double by Justin Smoak, a teammate of Wilsons at Texas. ... Tuesdays tilt between the As and Indians was postponed because of inclement weather, delaying Clevelands reunion with Oakland lefty Scott Kazmir (Houston Cypress Falls HS) by one day. The clubs are now scheduled to play a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday. ... U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes has set another conference in the Comcast SportsNet Houston bankruptcy appeal case for April 11. Hughes’ order stipulated that the conference will be limited to those who attended a seven-hour, closed-door mediation session on Friday in his chambers. That group included Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, Astros owner Jim Crane and Comcast executives Robert Pick and Arthur Block. ... • • • • • • • 8. Ogwumike, Sims repeat as All-Americans< Stanfords Chiney Ogwumike (Houston Cypress Fairbanks HS) was an unanimous selection on The Associated Press womens basketball All-America team. Ogwumike and Baylors Odyssey Sims (Irving MacArthur HS) were selected for the second straight season. ... Sims and Connecticuts Breanna Stewart were also on all 36 ballots selected by the national media panel that votes in the weekly Top 25. They were joined on the first team by Notre Dames Kayla McBride and Marylands Alyssa Thomas. ... Shes had a phenomenal year, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said of Sims. Shes bailed us out of a lot of games, but yet as the season progressed, she started trusting her teammates more. Sims averaged 28 points to become only the second player ever to score more than 1,000 in a single season. She fell just eight points short of Jackie Stiles record of 1,062 points. ... That kind of stuff makes me feel good, Ogwumike said. Im chasing someone, trying to work to get better. For people to say that we all think youre a great player, its like wow. Its the seventh straight season with at least one unanimous choice. Voting was done before the NCAA tournament. That team does have a bit of everything, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. Without question, they are the five best players in America right now and fortunately, no one has to play against that five. ... The other four starters on Auriemmas undefeated team garnered All-America votes, marking only the second time since the AP picked teams that a school has had five players selected. Seniors Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley made the second team, while Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Moriah Jefferson were honorable mention. ... Joining Hartley, Dolson and Loyd on the second team were Louisvilles Shoni Schimmel and Nebraskas Jordan Hooper. The third team includes South Carolinas Tiffany Mitchell, Penn States Maggie Lucas, Dukes Tricia Liston and Elizabeth Williams and Achonwa. ... • • • • • • • 9. SMU wins to reach NIT finals< Markus Kennedy scored 21 points, including the clinching three-point play, as SMU rallied from 13 down in the second half to beat Clemson 65-59 Tuesday night, sending Hall of Fame coach into the NIT title game at Madison Square Garden. ... Nic Moore added 13 points and Nick Russell (Duncanville HS) scored 10 for the Mustangs (27-9), who will play Minnesota for the crown Thursday night. The Gophers advanced with a 67-64 overtime win over Florida State. ... SMU coach Larry Brown already is the only head coach to win both an NCAA and NBA championship. Now he has a chance to add the NIT to his extensive resume -- in his old backyard, no less. ... I love this place, Brown said. I wanted our guys to experience what I grew up looking forward to. The 73-year-old Brown, who was born in Brooklyn and grew up in nearby Long Beach, is old enough to remember when the NIT was the premier college basketball tournament around. ... Kennedy shot 8 for 13 overall and finished with nine rebounds, four fouls and three steals in 24 minutes. The transfer from Villanova was the only SMU player who had played in Madison Square Garden before. ... • • • • • • • • • • • • • 10. College Baseball: Schiraldi pitches Texas past Rice< Lukas Schiraldi (Austin St. Michaels Academy and Navarro College) allowed just two runs in 6 2/3 innings and eight Longhorns contributed a hit in a balanced offensive effort as Texas beat Rice 5-2 Tuesday night at Reckling Park in Houston. Brooks Marlow (Giddings HS) scored three runs and Tres Barrera (Mission Sharyland HS) had a game-high two RBIs as Texas improved to 4-1 against ranked teams and 23-7 overall. Ben Johnson (Round Rock Westwood HS) and C.J Hinojosa (Houston Klein Collins HS) each had two-hits. ... University of Houston had 17 hits in a 10-8 win over Texas A&M at Blue Bell Park. Frankie Ratcliff went 3-for-3 with a home run. Justin Montemayor (Austin Anderson HS), Josh Vidales, Ashford Fulmer (Houston Cypress Ranch HS) and freshman Jordan Stading (Houston Second Baptist HS) went 3-for-3. ... For the Aggies, Logan Taylor (Houston Deer Park HS) went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored and Cole Lankford (Houston Lamar HS) hit a home run and drove in three runs. ... Baylor opened a two-game set against Incarnate Word with a 5-2 victory. BU starter Dillon Newman (Belton HS), who allowed two runs on six hits with four strikeouts in six innings got the win. Doug Ashby (McKinney Boyd HS) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Josh Michalec (Houston Memorial HS), earned his 10th save with 1 1/3 hitless innings. ... Dylan Dusek (Sugar Land Kempner HS) allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings and Eric Gutierrez (Mission Sharyland HS) hit a game-winning three-run home run in the fifth inning to give Texas Tech to a 6-3 victory over New Mexico. ... Dylan Fitzgerald and Kevin Cron had home runs for TCU in a 12-6 victory over UT-Arlington at Clay Gould Ballpark in Arlington. Jordan Kipper got the win for TCU. ... • • • • • • • 11. Sports Notes: High school vaulter sets record< Justin Northwest HS Desiree Freier set the national high school pole vault record of 14 feet, 3.25 inches over the weekend at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. The 5-foot tall University of Arkansas commit broke the 3-year-old mark of 14-2.75 set by Morgan LeLeux of New Iberia, La. Freier already owns the Texas high school outdoor record after vaulting 13-9 at the state meet last May. ... Linsey Hays (Brock HS) hit a two-run home run in the second inning and Liz Paul (Sugar Land Clements HS) picked up her third win of the season as Baylor beat Lamar 6-1 in a non-conference softball tilt. ... • • • • • • • 12. FYI: This blog features Texas teams and athletes with Texas connections. It is compiled by retired newspaper journalist Bob Sonderegger (anglebob61@yahoo) who covered many of the teams mentioned. Your comments or additions are welcome. ...
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 16:50:42 +0000