Abbott Grants Rangers Reprieve

They had lost eight of nine. Their lead in the American League West was down to one measly game. Comparisons were being made to the great September collapses of all time.

But awaiting the slumping, stumbling Texas Rangers Saturday at Anaheim Stadium was Jim Abbott, his 2-16 record and 7.83 earned-run average. Perhaps no pitcher in baseball this season has been a better tonic for what has ailed opposing clubs than Abbott.

Final score: Texas 7, Angels 1.

Move over 1995 Angels? Not so fast.

The Rangers couldn’t get too giddy about the result, but with Seattle defeating Oakland, 9-2, at the Kingdome, it sure beat the alternative. A Texas loss would have left the Rangers and Mariners tied for first place.

Instead, Texas hit three bases-empty home runs against Abbott (2-17) in 6 1/3 innings and maintained a one-game lead.

For a moment, the Rangers could take a collective deep breath and gather their thoughts. A lead that had been a relatively secure nine games as recently as 10 days ago, had not evaporated entirely.

For one night, comparisons to the Angels’ fall of ‘95, among other collapses, could be put on the back burner.

“We really needed that,” Ranger second baseman Mark McLemore said.

“It’s a start,” Manager Johnny Oates said.

Said catcher Dave Valle: “They [the Mariners] are still in second place. We’re in first place. We’ve been in first place for a very long time now and we plan on staying there.”

Battering Abbott was a start, but the Rangers got help from all comers. Perhaps nothing was a bigger boost than Rusty Greer’s home run in the midst of the Rangers’ three-run third inning.

Greer was starting for the first time since Sept. 4, when he was sidelined by a broken rib.

“There were a number of things happening,” Oates said. “Rusty hitting the ball in the seats. Valle behind the plate. [John] Burkett’s pitching. The three home runs.”

Burkett (4-2) shut out the Angels until Jim Edmonds delivered a run-scoring single in the eighth. Other than that, the only life the Angels showed came from Chili Davis, who was ejected for arguing a called third strike in a ninth-inning tirade.

Texas led, 7-1, by then and no matter what the Mariners did they would get no closer Saturday.

“It’s been tough,” Burkett said. “It’s nice to come into the clubhouse [after a game] and have a nice feeling about our team. Hopefully, this gives us a big boost.”

The Rangers built a 3-0 lead thanks to a run-scoring sacrifice fly by Ivan Rodriguez and bases-empty homers by Greer and Juan Gonzalez--all in the third inning.

Gonzalez’s homer, to right-center field, was his 46th, tying his club record set in 1993.

Until the seventh, Texas managed little else against Abbott and a 3-0 lead hardly seemed enough.

But on this night there would be no collapse. The Rangers padded the lead with a four-run seventh, highlighted by Valle’s home run.