Millwood stars in Rangers' win

07/19/2006
TORONTO -- Everybody kept saying the Rangers practice that play in Spring Training.
But it's still quite a sight to watch a 31-year-old pitcher go sprawling onto the artificial turf while making a barehanded play on a squeeze bunt and throwing out the runner at home plate.
The next batter did double home two runs but that was the extent of the damage and the Rangers, coming off the field trailing after five innings, did not forget Kevin Millwood's defensive work.
"That's just him, laying it on the line," shortstop Michael Young said after the Rangers had rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre Wednesday.
"That was a great play. The guy gives it all he has. That was the turning point for us."
The Rangers needed a couple of innings to prove it but they finally broke through against Blue Jays starter Casey Janssen with four runs in the seventh inning for their second late-inning, come-from-behind victory over the Blue Jays.
In taking two of three from the Blue Jays, the Rangers moved back into second place in the American League West, one game behind the Oakland Athletics and a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Angels.
"It's definitely a big win," said Millwood, after going seven innings to get the victory. "Taking two out of three from this ballclub is huge. It's not as easy as it seems."
The game was tied 1-1 going into the fifth when a pair of one-out singles by Eric Hinske and Aaron Hill put runners at the corners for John McDonald, the Blue Jays No. 9 hitter.
The Rangers sensed squeeze play.
"I had it in my mind they were going to squeeze with McDonald batting," Millwood said. "With first and third, they don't want to hit into a double play. I had it in the back of my mind and when I saw him square around, I was already prepared."
That was what impressed manager Buck Showalter the most.
"Astroturf helps the ball get to you but that's a play you have to think about beforehand," Showalter said.
Millwood was momentarily jarred by the play and needed a trip to the mound by trainer Jamie Reed for what they described as a back cramp. That may have been a factor in Reed Johnson lining a double to right-center, giving the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.
But Millwood stayed in the game and Frank Catalanotto grounded out to end the inning. The Rangers left the field impressed by Millwood's defensive work and knowing they had overcome a two-run lead the night before.
"One of the keys to the game was Millwood keeping it a two-run game," said Showalter, the same compliment he gave Vicente Padilla the night before.
For the second straight night, the Rangers did rally, this time in the seventh inning against Janssen. Hank Blalock started this rally with a one-out single and then Mark DeRosa, fighting through a 1-for-13 skid, took a fastball and lofted it down the right-field line for a two-run home run.
"A huge, huge hit for us," Gary Matthews Jr. said.
"It's funny, this is the worst I've felt at the plate in a long time," DeRosa said. "My first at-bat, I swing and hit into a double play, my second at-bat, I pop up. The last time we faced Janssen in Arlington, we hit three home runs and had 10 hits and I was 0-for.
"He just left a pitch out over the plate and it carried. I got lucky."
The Rangers weren't quibbling and, with two out, Brad Wilkerson singled and Gerald Laird doubled into the left-field corner. Matthews came up next and he doubled to left to give the Rangers a 5-3 lead.
The Blue Jays tried to rally against Francisco Cordero in the eighth. Frank Catalanotto was hit by a pitch with two out and scored on Vernon Wells' double. Lyle Overbay then beat out an infield hit putting runners at the corners but Cordero got Greg Zaun on a fly to center to end the threat.
Bengie Molina led off the ninth with a single against closer Akinori Otsuka, but the Rangers turned a double play on Hinske's grounder with first baseman Mark Teixeira doing a terrific job of digging out the relay throw at first.
"We played a good defensive game tonight," Showalter said and he brought up a throw by Wilkerson from the deep left-field corner that cut down Hinske trying for a double in the second.
But the play of the game was by the pitcher. That one seemed to lift the Rangers more than anything.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/