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 Chirinos thought he lost rookie pitcher Chi Chi Gonzalez a chance
for a shutout in the top of the ninth inning when Los Angeles
Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner hit a two-run homer with one out
to tie the score at 2.
Chirinos made up for it in the bottom of the ninth, leading off the
inning with a solo homer to left to lift Texas to a 3-2 victory over
the Dodgers.
The win moved the Rangers five games above .500 for the first time
this season and served as vindication for Chirinos.
"I'm just happy to come through in that situation," Chirinos said.
"I told myself before I went to hit everything happens for a reason.
I was mad. I've been calling eight shutout innings and one pitch
tied the game, so I was mad at myself. I said 'Just forget it. Go
out there and try to get on base and try to win this game.' That's
what I did."
Chirinos ended the game by driving a 1-1 fastball from Josh Ravin
into the Dodgers' bullpen for the fourth walk-off win of the season
for Texas.
It also capped a night in which Gonzalez was two outs from
collecting his second complete-game shutout in just his fourth
big-league start. But he walked second baseman Howie Kendrick with
one out and then Turner drilled the tying home run to left.
Gonzalez had four innings in which he threw fewer than 10 pitches
heading into the ninth but was done after allowing the homer to
Turner.
He's just glad his catcher cleaned things up for him and made a
winner of reliever Shawn Tolleson, who finished the ninth for
Gonzalez.
"Me and him (Chirinos) were in the battle the whole time, putting
down the right fingers, getting the outs," Gonzalez said. "And sure
enough I give up the home run, but he gets it back for me."
Like Tolleson, Ravin came on to finish the game fter a solid start
from Dodgers starter Brett Anderson, who allowed two runs and eight
hits and struck out four in eight innings. But Ravin, who had given
up just one hit to a right-hander, didn't make the pitch he needed.
"We wanted fastball out and I threw it down the middle," he said.
"You just hope for the best, hope he grounds out or something, and
I've gotten that a lot. But no one mentions that because you got
good results. It's these where people talk about it."
The Rangers gave Gonzalez some early support with a two-out rally in
the first. A walk and two singles loaded the bases for rookie third
baseman Joey Gallo, who drew a walk from Anderson to force in
designated hitter Prince Fielder.
Fielder's infield single in the bottom of the fifth drove in second
baseman Hanser Alberto for a 2-0 lead.
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The Dodgers didn't get a runner into scoring position against
Gonzalez until the fifth and the only other time that happened was
the ninth in a two-game series in which the Dodgers scored just
three runs.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly credited Gonzalez for putting Los
Angeles into a slump.
"We didn't do very much with him," Mattingly said. "He pretty much
kind of carved us up. I just didn't see us having much of a chance
really. He just kind of did whatever he wanted.
"There wasn't a whole lot of chances to score. I think you've got to
give him credit. Obviously, he was making pitches and doing his
thing."
NOTES: Texas LF Josh Hamilton will not travel with the Rangers on
their upcoming road trip. There was a chance Hamilton would have
made the trip if he were able to take batting practice this week.
However, Hamilton, who is recovering from a strained left hamstring,
won't take BP before next week. ... Rangers LF Kyle Blanks made his
first start in the outfield since May 19. He spent time on the
disabled list because of a cyst on his lower back. Blanks said the
cyst hasn't kept him from playing the field but the tendinitis in
both ankles was more of an issue. ... The Dodgers lead the National
League in home runs, which is something they haven't done since
1983. Since moving to Los Angeles, the Dodgers have led the league
in homers seven times and have gone to the playoffs in five of those
seasons. ... Dodgers RHP Brandy Beachy, who hasn't pitched in the
majors since Aug. 20, 2013, made his first rehab start Tuesday since
undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers hope he
can return in late July.
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