Yu Gotta Believe!

Prior to this evening you have to go back to an April day in 2008 when you had both the Mavericks and Stars going head to head with the Texas Rangers.

Good old spotlight time on a given evening for sports watching. Which was exactly what was going on earlier this evening.

You also had a dream matchup with Felix Hernandez (3-0 2.11) and Yu Darvish (1-0 0.00) where a no hitter can happen anytime these two behemoths get on the mound.

The finish to this game was one that Ranger fans wont soon forget. More on that in a moment.

Going head to head with the Rangers was a regular season finale with the Mavericks and Grizzlies for the right to determine who plays the Spurs and the Thunder. Yes, lots of channel surfing. Two hours later there was Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Anaheim with the Stars and the Ducks. Anaheim favored by many to go all the way.

Seeing both Yu and King Felix do their thing is always a work of magic. To Seattle's credit they worked some pitch counts on Darvish. 20 after 1 inning, 60 something after four. 105 or so after 7 innings with 8 whiffs and 2 walks. Yu's only miscue was allowing two runs on three hits in the second frame to the #9 and #1 batters.

King Felix was pure money. Nine strikeouts 1 walk. Breezing through seven innings he allowed a lead off triple to Leonys Martin to start the 8th. He was then sacrificed home to cut a deficit to 2-1.

In came Fernando Rodney to close out the 9th. Initially it was bothering me how Rodney was wearing his cap a little off center. Which best explains the rest of the 9th inning after the first two outs were recorded.

A walk, a single, what should have been a game ending fielders choice toss to second base except Brad Miller pulled Robinson Cano off the bag. Then with the bases loaded Fernando Rodney fired a wild pitch that knotted up the game at 2.

Moments later, capping off a great night with a triple and a spectacular outfield catch Leonys Martin looped a single to left for an improbable 3-2 come from behind victory before 28,000 happy fans. The 4th final inning walk-off victory-most in the majors-and an absolute meltdown for Rodney and the Mariners after a great performance by Felix Hernandez.

"They've got my number, so I had to throw a good game," Hernandez said. "I was really concentrating on trying to make good pitches. I didn't change anything, I just attacked the strike zone. Against the Texas Rangers, you've got to be like that. You have to be on top. I'm facing a good pitcher so I've got to put zeros up, too."

As one can imagine Leonys Martin was all smiles after the game.

"It was an unbelievable game," Martin said. "To finally win that game, unbelievable ... It's a great feeling. Oh my gosh, I couldn't believe it when it happened."

After the game Ron Washington spoke about how this win was a character builder for the ballclub, now at 8-7 with four games remaining on the current homestand.

"Tremendous victory," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "That's why you play nine innings. Those kinds of wins build character. We have a new group that we're going out there playing with and they're learning how to hang together and play the game until the third out is made. We pulled it off tonight."

Here's a video visit with Wash after the game.

If you're a fan of Yu Darvish once again no run support yet you didn't so much as hear a peep or complaint from Mr. Darvish with his interpreter.

"A win's a win," Darvish said. "As far as the run support, it's not like I'm able to go in the hitter's box and hit but I have a lot of respect for my teammates and it is what it is. There are some days like this."

Try telling that to Felix Hernandez who was money for seven innings and then had to sit back and watch his team fail to hold a lead. We should be talking about a 4-0 April record for King Felix. Lloyd McClendon had no choice but to play the percentages when pulling his ace.

"Felix did a great job," McClendon said. "He tired a little bit in the eighth inning and said he was pretty much out of gas, so we had to go get him. But he did a fabulous job for us. I had talked to him before he went out and he said he thought he had a little bit left in the tank. But he got that fastball up and started to lose his location a little bit. And he said he was pretty much out of gas."

The Mariner skipper was also quick to defend Fernando Rodney.

"Rodney did a great job for us," McClendon said. "It's unfortunate we made the error there, but that's baseball. Those things happen. Over the course of a 162-game schedule, you're going to win your share of those and lose your share of them. When you're on the losing end, it never feels good. But like I told my guys, turn the page and get ready for tomorrow."

Texas Rangers are now 5-2 in 1 run games and 4-1 in games when trail after the 7th inning. Rangers now improve to 8-7 while the Mariners fall to 7-7. Tanner Scheppers and Erasmo Ramirez will pitch the finale Thursday. First pitch is at 1:05pm with a forecast for possible showers.

Thank goodness one of the local teams won. The news not as good in Memphis or Anaheim upon further review. Lets hope those other teams can compete and entertain at the very least. That's the Dallas way, after all!

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will