Rangers 4, Padres 3: Bullpen wastes Kennedy's fantastic game

Ian Kennedy put up his best start of the season tonight. He went seven innings allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks, all while striking out a dozen Rangers. But it was all for naught, as some sloppy bullpen work led to an extra innings loss.

Kennedy's sloppiest inning was right at the top of the game. After retiring the first two batters, he gave up a walk to Prince Fielder, and then Adrian Beltre doubled to draw first blood. His next three innings were scoreless, which gave the Padres lineup enough time to draw a bead on Rangers starter and noted Dodger-lover Cole Hamels. Jedd Gyorko led off the fourth with a single, and Matt Kemp drew a walk to put a couple runners on with nobody out. Hamels bounced back to retire the next two Friars, but he couldn't beat Clint Barmes. Barmes lined a double to right, and with the runners going on contact, both scored.

The lead was brief, as Chris Giminez sent a solo shot into the left field stands to start the fifth, but Clint Barmes was ready to strike again in the sixth. With one out, Justin Upton and Brett Wallace hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Barmes grounded to second, but Wallace broke up the double play, allowing Upton to take the lead.

All was well until the eighth inning, when Joaquin Benoit issued a leadoff walk to Shin-Soo Choo. A single from Fielder sent Choo to third, and a sacrifice fly by Beltre knotted the game at 3. The Rangers almost won it in the ninth when Craig Kimbrel loaded the bases with one out, but he put together a pair of strikeouts to escape unscathed. The same could not be said of Bud Norris, who took the loss in the tenth. He allowed a one-out single to Elvis Andrus (I'm really starting to hate that guy), and the speedster had no problems rounding the bases when Mitch Moreland followed up with a double to right.

Colin Rea will try to put the Pads back in the win column at 7:10 PM tomorrow.