Some things you need to know about Texans and Texas teams involved in sports: • • • • • • • 1. Feliz survives test in Rangers 5-4 history< Nothing comes easy for the Texas Rangers -- not even a victory despite a 5-0 lead. Rangers rookie Nick Martinez had a 3-0 lead before taking the mound and was ahead 5-0 after two innings. ... Pitching in his home city for the first time, Martinez left with a 5-2 lead after seven innings. Texas closer Neftali Feliz allowed two home run in the ninth before salvaging a victory. ... After giving up home runs by Marcell Ozuna and former Ranger Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Feliz gave up a two-out walk to Christian Yelich. That sent Texas manager Ron Washington to the mound. ... Washington was ready to take the ball away from Feliz with the game on the line. He had Scott Baker ready to come in. I told him that was I was about to take him out, Washington said. He said, Let me have one more hitter. He said it like he meant it, so I have him one more. ... Feliz responded to the challenge by striking out Donovan Solano and preserving the victory. I told him I wanted to finish the ballgame -- have confidence to let me finish the game, Feliz said. It was my game. I put myself in that position. I wanted the opportunity to get out of it. ... Feliz ended up with his fifth save since getting his old job back as the Rangers closer. He was once the closer when they went to the World Series in 2010 and 2011. Then he had Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in 2012, and is still trying to work his way back. ... He needed to do that, shortstop Elvis Andrus said. He needs to get in those situations. He was out of the league for a year; its not easy to come back and see the old Feliz. Im glad hes healthy. If he keeps pitching, hell be better every day. ... Feliz allowed Martinez to enjoy his homecoming in front of about 100 loud friends and family members sitting behind the Rangers dugout. Martinez earned his third major league win by holding the Marlins to two runs in six innings. He allowed six hits, two walks and struck out seven while improving his record to 3-9 with a 5.13 ERA. He is 2-3 with a 5.18 ERA since the All-Star break. ... Martinez was the first of three rookie pitchers used by the Rangers on Wednesday. Jon Edwards pitched a scoreless seventh and Roman Mendez set down the side in order in the eighth. ... Miami starter Nathan Eovaldi (Alvin HS) lasted just five innings after giving up nine hits, five runs (four earned) and one walk on 81 pitches. I was leaving the fastball up in the zone, couldnt get that slider to have that good bite to it, Eovaldi (8-6) said. Its tough for us to come back from 5-0 after two innings but we were right there, knocking on the door at the end. ... The Rangers, held to three runs or less in 14 of their last 18 games entering Wednesday, put together four straight two-out hits in the first inning. J.P. Arencibias double brought Rios home with the first run, and Adrian Beltre came around when Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria dropped the relay. ... Martins single made it 3-0, and Alex Rios second-inning double -- on a popup that dropped in right -- pushed the lead to 5-0. Martin had three hits for Texas and is batting .500 (15-30) in his last eight games for Texas, including five multi-hit games. ... • • • • • • • 2. String of singles gives Astros 5-2 win over Yankees< The Astros exchanged the powerful bat of Chris Carter for a sting of consecutive singles in a 5-2 win at Yankee Stadium. ... Houston batted around in the seventh inning on the strength of a leadoff walk and five consecutive singles after one out to rally for four runs to support Scott Feldman (7-9), who won for the third time in four starts by allowing eight hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings. Carter, who homered to bat in the winning runs in a 7-4 victory Tuesday, again struck out three times but went 0-for-4. ... In beating the Yankees for the second time this year, Feldman has eight quality outings in his past 11 starts. Houston, which has finished with the worst record in the majors each of the past three years, won a series at Yankee Stadium for the first time in four tries. ... The Astros were without a baserunner until Robbie Grossman singled to start the fourth inning and scored on a double by Dexter Fowler. In the seventh inning, Jason Castro drew a leadoff walk from starter Michael Pineda. Lefty reliever David Huff struck out Jon Singleton before giving up a single to Marwin Gonzalez to put runners at first and second. Esmil Rogers came in from the bullpen and gave up four consecutive singles, including RBI hits by Jake Marisnick and Jose Altuve around a two-run single by Grossman. ... Thats a good ballgame there Houston manager Bo Porter said. We have relied on the home run quite a bit, and today was a prime example of keeping the line moving. Feldman was pulled when a pair of runners reached after two outs in the seventh. Southpaw Kevin Chapman struck out Ellsbury to strand the runners at second and third. ... Kevin Chapman struck out Ellsbury with runners at second and third to end the bottom half. Josh Fields worked a scoreless eighth inning and Jose Veras pitched a scoreless ninth despite allowing a hit and a walk for his first save since Sept. 2, 2013, with Detroit. Veras was called on when Chad Qualls was unavailable because of back stiffness. ... • • • • • • • 3. Despite limited success, Cowboys most valuable team< Despite not making the playoffs since 2009, the Dallas Cowboys have become the only NFL team worth more than $3 billion. ... Jerry Jones team has once again risen in value -- by 36 percent over last year -- to lead the Forbes NFL Team Values list. The Cowboys are atop the magazines rankings by a healthy margin for an eighth consecutive season. ... The the Houston Texans ($1.85 billion) are ranked as fifth most valuable. The New England Patriots ($2.6 billion), Washington Redskins ($2.4 billion) and the New York Giants ($2.1 billion) round out the top five. The entire NFC East is ranked among the seven most valuable teams, with the Philadelphia Eagles coming in seventh ($1.75 billion). ... The Cowboys are second in value only to Real Madrid ($3.4 billion) among all global sports franchises. Forbes says the average NFL franchise is now worth an all-time high of $1.43 billion, which is 23 percent more than a year ago and is the biggest year-over-year increase since 1999. ... The Cowboys also have the NFLs highest revenue ($560 million) and operating income ($246 million), and this season become the first NFL team to have partnerships with a worldwide luxury watch and cruise line. ... • • • • • • • 4. Baseball Briefs: Cruz bats Orioles past White Sox< Former Ranger Nelson Cruz took the major league lead with his 33rd home run and Zach Britton (Weatherford HS) picked up his 27th save as the Orioles completed a three-game sweep of the White Sox with a 4-3 win. ... Hunter Pence (Arlington HS and UT-Arlington) homered for San Francisco as the Giants rolled past the Cubs 8-3. ... Pinch-hitter Anthony Rendon (Houston Lamar HS and Rice) singled in the winning run in the ninth inning as Washington beat Arizona 3-2. ... Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner (Conroe HS and TCU), on the disabled list since June 21 with right shoulder soreness, will get a start this weekend in Arizona when he is reinstated from the disabled list and the team sticks him back in the starting rotation. ... St. Lous starter Michael Wacha (Texarkana Pleasant Grove HS), suffering from a right shoulder stress reaction, threw a bullpen session, as scheduled, marking the third time he has taken the mound since being cleared for this next step in the rehab process. ... • • • • • • • 5. Young said he would have stayed at Texas if he knew Texans would not select him< Appearing on an Austin radio talk show, former NFL QB Vince Young said that he would have returned to UT if he had known the Houston Texans, which took Mario Williams first overall in 2006, werent going to select him. ... It was very close, Young told Alex Loeb. The Texans had the No. 1 pick, that was the place I wanted to play at. I wish they wouldve told me that they werent picking me because I wouldve stayed for my senior year. But it didnt happen like that. ... Young went to the Tennessee Titans as the No. 3 overall draft choice, the franchise he had grown up watching. Being a kid watching the Oilers all my life, I had the opportunity to play for them, it was a dream come true as well. ... Young has accepted a six-figure job in UTs Division of Diversity and Community Engagement starting in September. ... • • • • • • • 6. 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: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:47:22 +0000
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