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GAME LOG
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Kelly Dransfeldt entered Friday night's game as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning. And with a .167 average and one RBI for the season, he didn't cause much notice.
By the end, however, the rookie shortstop was the unlikely hero
for the Texas Rangers.
Dransfeldt's RBI single with two outs capped a two-run rally in
the bottom of the 10th inning and the Rangers, after blowing an
eight-run lead, beat the Kansas City Royals 12-11.
"That's the first time I've ever done that in my major league
career," said Dransfeldt, who was playing in only his 26th big
league game. "So it's pretty exciting for me. It feels good to
help out the team."
Dransfeldt used his legs to score the tying run in the ninth. Then in the top of the 10th, he threw out a runner at the plate.
The Rangers won for the sixth time in their last eight games.
"I think just about every position player did something tonight to help us win," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. "This is an exciting game to win. It's the kind of game that can carry us over the final two weeks of the season."
Rafael Palmeiro hit his 37th homer of the season and 398th of
his career as Texas took a 9-1 lead into the sixth inning. The
Rangers have never lost such a big lead in team history, and barely
avoided doing it this time.
The Royals took an 11-10 lead on Mark Sweeney's sacrifice fly.
Sweeney drove in two runs, giving him a Royals record of 135.
Frank Catalanotto had an infield single with one out in the
Texas 10th against Jose Santiago (7-5). Palmeiro doubled and Texas
scored the tying run on Gabe Kapler's sacrifice fly.
After Santiago intentionally walked Ricky Ledee, Dransfeldt
lined a single to left. Palmeiro scored from second as Carlos
Beltran's throw to the plate was high.
That gave the Rangers their 33rd come-from-behind victory of the
season.
"It was a great win for us," said Catalanotto. "It seemed we let down late and left runners on base, but then we got it back again. That rates near the top for me as far as wild games are concerned."
John Wetteland (5-5) pitched the final two innings for the
victory.
Texas tied it at 10 in the ninth. Rusty Greer led off with a
pinch-hit double and was replaced by Dransfeldt, who slid into
third ahead of shortstop Luis Ordaz's throw on Mike Lamb's
grounder.
Dransfeldt scored the tying run when pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra
grounded into a double play.
The Royals went ahead in the 10th after Gregg Zaun led off with a single and moved up when Lamb threw away Carlos Febles' sacrifice
bunt to third.
Johnny Damon, whose grand slam keyed a seven-run sixth inning
for the Royals, hit a grounder to Dransfeldt, who threw out Zaun at
the plate. Mark Quinn's sacrifice fly put Kansas City ahead.
Ledee hit a three-run homer in the first as Texas took a 5-0 lead. Palmeiro homered in the third, moving him into a tie with Dale Murphy for 33rd all-time, one behind Al Kaline.
Down 9-1, the Royals rallied within a run in the sixth. Damon's
slam came on the first pitch from reliever Jeff Zimmerman.
Damon went 3-for-4 to become the first Royals player to reach
200 hits since Kevin Seitzer in 1987.
The Royals scored twice in the eighth for a 10-9 lead. Pinch-hitter Dee Brown hit an RBI single and Sweeney had a sacrifice fly. Sweeney passed Hal McRae's team record of 133 RBI in 1982.
Kansas City dropped its fourth straight game, and all manager
Tony Muser could do afterward was shake his head.
"Don't ever say it can't get any worse," Muser said. "As soon as you say that in baseball, something will top it. This was a great baseball game for fans -- not for the Royals."
Game notes
Joe Randa had four hits for Kansas City. ... Palmeiro
walked in the first and fourth to give him a career-high 98. He had
97 last season, his previous high. ... Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan
Ryan participated in an informal lunch with the Rangers' pitchers,
catchers and coaches Friday afternoon at The Ballpark in Arlington.
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