Hi all.  Here’s how I see baseball on this Friday, April 21.

Wednesday it was two Midwest league teams that went scoreless into the 17th inning before a deciding run was scored.  Last night it was the Rangers and Royals  matching donuts for a dozen innings. It took a single by Delino DeShields JR. to propel the Rangers to a walkoff win in what was an unlucky 13th for the visitors from Kansas City

To start the game, the Rangers had Andrew Cashner who went six scoreless innings.  From there on it was the turn of the Rangers’ bull pen which has struggled mightily up to now.  Even lacking closer Sam Dyson who’s on the DL, they cobbled together 7 scoreless innings before DeShields drove in Joey Gallo with the winning and only run of the night. The win went to former Mets’ lefty Dario Alvarez. He pitched the last 2 scoreless innings. For the Royals, Danny Duffy lasted into the 8th inning before giving way to his relievers. Gallo’s double in the 13th was the Rangers’ first base knock of any kind since the 5th inning.

The Ball Park at Arlington has always been hitter friendly.  Since it opened in 1994, no game had gone scoreless as long as this.  The Rangers won 1-0 over the Blue Jays in 11 innings and 3 years ago they took a 1-0 win from the Astros in 12 innings. This time it was a former starter, the Royals’ Travis Wood who took the defeat.

A full slate of action takes place under the lights tonight. The Braves, coming off being swept by the Nationals at home hope to get well in Philadelphia against a Phillies’ team which took 2 of 3 from the Mets who suddenly look like a team in shambles. Jeremy Hellickson would be the veteran on most pitching staffs.  But he looks like a newcomer next to Bartolo Colon, his mound opponent tonight. The Yankees face the Pirates for only the 13th time since interleague games began in 1997.  In Pittsburgh tonight, CC Sabathia is the wily vet against rookie Tyler Glasnow of the Pirates. In New York, the Nats’ Tanner Roark faces Jacob DeGrom who watched his bull pen blow the lead the last time he had the ball.  As bad as the bull pen is, the news is worse about Yoenis Cespedes who left with a hamstring issue.  Once older players like him start having hammy issues, they stay out more than they play.