The bottom of the seventh inning brought good news and bad news to a Rangers team that suddenly found itself needing to claw back from a deficit.
World Series Game 5, Giants Vs. Rangers: Nelson Cruz Home Run Chips Away At Lead
Edgar Renteria's two-out, three-run homer in the top of the seventh gave the Giants a sudden, unexpected 3-0 lead. Tim Lincecum took that lead into the bottom half, and he was able to strike out the first batter he saw - Vladimir Guerrero - on four pitches, the last of which being a changeup in the dirt.
That brought Nelson Cruz to the plate with nobody on, but Cruz isn’t one to go down without a fight. On a 1-1 count, Cruz did what he does best, yanking a low pitch into the left field seats. The solo homer narrowed San Francisco’s lead to 3-1.
Ian Kinsler then followed with a walk, and it felt like the Rangers had some life. Unfortunately for them, David Murphy struck out on five pitches, and needing a big hit, Bengie Molina struck out on five as well to end the frame.
The Rangers got one of the runs they needed, but they gave away three outs to get it, and they head into the eighth still behind by two. Neftali Feliz is on out of the bullpen in relief of Cliff Lee to keep things where they are. Lee's day:
7 innings
6 hits
3 runs
0 walks
6 strikeouts
95 pitches (69 strikes)
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