Ricardo Rodriguez 3 Hits Cleveland

MeanGreenBuzz · July 8, 2004

I'll post the rest of the story when it comes up. The Rangers beat Cleveland 10-0 on the back of Ricardo Rodriguez's 3 hit 2 walk game. I am pretty sure it only took him 112 pitches though it may have been 114. Pretty spectacular either way for a kid this young. Have the Rangers found their #3? Rogers, Drese, Rodriguez?

Coach · July 8, 2004

Too bad he wasted a 3 hit game with run support like that. I wish he would have given up about 6 runs and got it all out of his system.

Seriously, a complete game 3 hitter from Rodriguez is a very good sign.

untbowler · July 8, 2004

awesome pitching by RR. Just what the Rangers needed for weary bullpen.

MeanGreenBuzz · July 8, 2004

Texas 10, Cleveland 0

Preview - Box Score - Recap

July 8, 2004

AP - Jul 8, 12:56 pm EDT

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CLEVELAND (AP) -- Ricardo Rodriguez pitched a three-hitter for his first career shutout and David Dellucci hit two of Texas' four home runs in leading the Rangers to a 10-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday.

Dellucci hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning and a two-run shot in the fourth to tie a career-high with five RBIs.

Michael Young led off the game with a homer and Kevin Mench also hit a two-run shot, giving the Rangers a major-league leading 130 homers.

Texas won for the fifth time in six games and remained in first place in the AL West by taking three of four games at Jacobs Field. The Indians lost for the seventh time in 10 games.

Rodriguez (2-0), facing his former team for the first time, was in complete command. He walked two and struck out a career-high six in his third start and fourth appearance since being recalled from the minors June 26.

The right-hander began the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, but was sidelined from April 17-June 5.

He was the winner in his first career relief appearance when he pitched 3 2-3 innings for the Rangers against Houston on June 28.

Rodriguez was traded by the Indians to Texas last July 18 along with outfielder Shane Spencer for outfielder Ryan Ludwick -- who has spent all of 2004 recovering from left knee surgery.

Young hit the second pitch from Scott Elarton (0-2) over the center-field wall for his 12th homer.

Texas made it 3-0 in the second on Mench's 12th homer, a ball that right-fielder Jody Gerut got a glove on but could not hold.

Dellucci drew a one-out walk. With two outs, Mench hit a fly ball toward the Rangers' bullpen. Gerut leaped and gloved the ball, which then bounced up and over the yellow line atop the wall that designates whether a ball is a home run or not. First-base umpire Marvin Hudson signaled home run, drawing a brief protest from both Indians manager Eric Wedge and Gerut.

Mark Teixeira led off the fourth with an opposite-field double to left. Dellucci followed with a 419-foot shot to center for his eighth homer and a 5-0 lead.

Dellucci's three-run shot off reliever Kazuhito Tadano went 439 feet to center. Dan Ardoin and Hank Blalock added RBI singles later in the inning to make it 10-0.

Elarton gave up five runs and five hits over four innings in his sixth start for Cleveland. The right-hander fell to 0-8 n 14 games overall with the Indiansand Colorado this season.

Notes

Texas has hit 29 homers in the first 11 games of a 14-game trip. ... Young led off a game with a homer for the seventh time and third this season. ... Dellucci's two-homer game was his second this year and of his career. ... Indians SS Omar Vizquel extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a sixth-inning double. ... Gerut went 0-for-3 and is 0-for-14 in his last four games. ... Cleveland sent RHP Jason Davis to Triple-A Buffalo and recalled LHPCliff Bartosh from the Bisons before the game.

Updated on Thursday, Jul 8, 2004 2:38 pm EDT