| Scoreboard | ||||||||||||
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Texas (16-13) « | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 1 |
| Chi. White Sox (13-15) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
CHICAGO -- David Murphy has seen a difference in Matt Harrison from April to May.
"The thing that I notice with him is confidence," the Texas Rangers outfielder said.
And, Harrison is turning that improved mound presence into wins. The left-hander threw a four-hitter in his second career shutout, leading the Rangers to a 6-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Ian Kinsler and Omar Vizquel each drove in two runs, and Murphy scored three runs for the Rangers, who have won six of seven.
Harrison (3-2) hasn't allowed a run in 19 straight innings after going 1-2 in four start in April with a 7.89 ERA. He didn't allow a runner past second base and only allowed one walk while striking out five. Harrison
"His body language out on the mound has been incredible the last few starts," Murphy said. "He kind of looked a little unsure of himself early in the season and I think he's figured things out. That kind of shows."
Jose Contreras (0-5), who helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series allowed five runs, three earned on six hits. He also hit one batter, threw two wild pitches and walked two. After the game, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he talked to Contreras and told him they will replace him in the rotation.
After allowing a single to Jermaine Dye in the second inning, Harrison retired the next 11 batters. The left-hander picked up his second victory against the White Sox this week after throwing five scoreless innings in Sunday's win at Texas.
"It feels great," Harrison said. "I just came out early and tried to follow the last start, not change anything unless they made me make an adjustment and they didn't. So I just kept pounding the fastball. I was in and out and using my changeup like I was the last time. I was able to get ahead of them early in the counts and early in the game and just followed that up with pounding the zone late in the game and they were making great plays behind me."
After Contreras struck out Nelson Cruz in the second inning, Murphy reached on Josh Fields' throwing error. Contreras then gave up back-to-back singles to Chris Davis and Taylor Teagarden to load the bases. Murphy scored on Kinsler's fielder's choice and Davis scored on Contreras' wild pitch. Despite the damage, Contreras wasn't charged with an earned run because of the throwing error.
Contreras struggled again in the fourth inning when he allowed a leadoff double by Murphy, who advanced to third on a wild pitch, and one out later, he hit Teagarden. Kinsler followed with a sacrifice bunt and Vizquel chased Contreras with an RBI double.
Contreras, the winner of 17 straight decisions during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, was booed by the home crowd throughout and then heard cheers when manager Ozzie Guillen took him out. Contreras allowed five runs -- three earned -- and six hits. He also hit one batter, threw two wild pitches and walked two.
Last season, Contreras season ended when he ruptured his left Achilles tendon on Aug. 9, but said the injury is not a reason for his struggles.
"I feel healthy. Issues are: left the ball up and location," Contreras said through a translator. "It would be different if my leg wasn't feeling good. If it wasn't feeling healthy. It's difficult. I am going to keep working hard. It's the only thing I can do."
White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski doesn't have an idea on how to get Contreras back to form.
"We've tried different things," he said. "We've tried a million things. We've tried to attack guys this way, attack guys that way and nothing seems to work right now. You feel so bad because Jose is such a great guy and you really want him to succeed and do very well and you just don't know what to do anymore."
Texas third baseman Michael Young left in the bottom of the fifth inning with lower back stiffness and went 0-for-3, snapping an 11-game hitting streak. He said he is day-to-day.
Teagarden added an RBI double in the sixth.
In the first inning, Kinsler walked, stole second and scored on Vizquel's single.
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| Texas hurler Matt Harrison hasn't allowed a run in 19 straight innings of work. (AP) |
| Players of the Game |
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| Texas Rangers | ||||||||
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
| Ian Kinsler, 2B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .325 |
| Omar Vizquel, SS-3B | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .423 |
| Michael Young, 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .328 |
| Elvis Andrus, SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .265 |
| Andruw Jones, DH | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .340 |
| Marlon Byrd, CF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .323 |
| Nelson Cruz, RF | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | .282 |
| David Murphy, LF | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 |
| Chris Davis, 1B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | .212 |
| Taylor Teagarden, C | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .219 |
| Totals | 37 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 11 | ||
| Batting | ||||||||
| 2B - Omar Vizquel (3, Contreras), Marlon Byrd (12, Contreras), David Murphy (3, Contreras), Taylor Teagarden (1, Carrasco) | ||||||||
| SH - Ian Kinsler (1) | ||||||||
| RBI - Ian Kinsler 2 (27), Omar Vizquel 2 (5), Taylor Teagarden (3) | ||||||||
| 2-OUT RBI - Omar Vizquel (1) | ||||||||
| SB - Ian Kinsler (8, 2nd base off Contreras/Pierzynski), Omar Vizquel (1, 2nd base off Contreras/Pierzynski) | ||||||||
| Team LOB - 9 | ||||||||
| Fielding | ||||||||
| DP - Teagarden-Kinsler-Davis-Vizquel, Andrus-Kinsler-Davis | ||||||||
| E - Ian Kinsler (3, Dropped fly) | ||||||||
| Texas Rangers | ||||||||
| Pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| Matt Harrison (W,3-2) | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4.79 |
| Pitches-Strikes - Matt Harrison 111-71 | ||||||||
| Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Matt Harrison 11-10 | ||||||||
| Batters Faced - Matt Harrison 31 | ||||||||
| Chicago White Sox | ||||||||
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
| Chris Getz, 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .292 |
| Josh Fields, 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 |
| Carlos Quentin, LF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .233 |
| Jim Thome, DH | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .195 |
| Jermaine Dye, RF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .292 |
| Paul Konerko, 1B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .301 |
| A.J. Pierzynski, C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .302 |
| Jayson Nix, SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .333 |
| Brent Lillibridge, CF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .176 |
| Totals | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | ||
| Batting | ||||||||
| CS - Josh Fields (2, 2nd base by Harrison/Teagarden) | ||||||||
| Team LOB - 4 | ||||||||
| Fielding | ||||||||
| DP - Getz-Nix-Konerko | ||||||||
| E - Josh Fields (5, Throwing) | ||||||||
| Chicago White Sox | ||||||||
| Pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| Jose Contreras (L,0-5) | 3.2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8.19 |
| D.J. Carrasco | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3.00 |
| Clayton Richard | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4.41 |
| Lance Broadway | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 |
| HBP - Teagarden (by Jose Contreras) | ||||||||
| WP - Jose Contreras 2 (2), D.J. Carrasco (1) | ||||||||
| Pitches-Strikes - Jose Contreras 81-47, D.J. Carrasco 50-33, Clayton Richard 20-12, Lance Broadway 16-8 | ||||||||
| Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Jose Contreras 4-4, D.J. Carrasco 2-2, Clayton Richard 1-0, Lance Broadway 2-1 | ||||||||
| Batters Faced - Jose Contreras 20, D.J. Carrasco 13, Clayton Richard 4, Lance Broadway 5 | ||||||||
| Game Information |
| Attendance - 21326 |
| Game Time - 2:28 |
| Temperature - 64 |
| Umpires - Home - Mike Winters, First Base - Lance Barksdale, Second Base - Brian Knight, Third Base - Randy Marsh |
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