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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- A season gone wrong got even worse for
the Texas Rangers on Monday night.
First, the Rangers lost star catcher Ivan Rodriguez for the rest
of the season because of a broken right thumb. Later, with Texas
players already celebrating an apparent win, a balk call was
reversed and there was no victory.
Tim Salmon's RBI single in the 12th inning gave the Anaheim
Angels a 6-5 victory, the Rangers' seventh loss in nine games.
|  | | Darin Erstad, who doubled and tripled for the Angels, also tied a major-league record for putouts by an outfielder with 12. |
"You lose the best player in the game, that's hard enough,"
Rangers first baseman Rafael Palmeiro said. "Then to lose the game
like that, that's a double whammy."
The Rangers blew a three-run lead in the ninth when closer John
Wetteland faltered.
Rodriguez, the reigning AL MVP, was injured in the first inning
when his thumb hit Mo Vaughn's bat on a swinging third strike as he
threw to second base on Kevin Stocker's steal attempt. Stocker was
called out by home plate umpire Gerry Davis on batter's
interference.
Vaughn expressed his sorrow after the game.
"I feel bad, a lot," Vaughn said. "It was strictly by mistake
and an accident. I wish it hadn't happened. I heard it. It almost
sounded like a bat hitting a ball."
Rodriguez, 28, played earlier this month in his ninth straight
All-Star game. He has won eight consecutive Gold Glove awards, an
AL record.
"That's what happens when the team isn't going good,"
Rodriguez said. "What can I do? But I have a strong mind and I'll
be ready for spring training."
The Rangers' career hits leader was batting .347 with 27 home
runs and 83 RBI. Rodriguez will have surgery Tuesday.
"I've said over the last five-plus seasons that there are so
many positive adjectives you can use to describe him," Rangers
manager Johnny Oates said. "But more than all the numbers he puts
up is the fact that he's so durable. He plays with pain. But this
is the first time since I've been here that he's been (seriously)
hurt."
Down 5-2, the Angels scored three times in the ninth, handing
Wetteland his sixth blown save in 31 chances. Bengie Molina hit an
RBI double with two outs and Scott Spiezio followed with a home
run.
"How can you lose a game like this?" Rangers infielder
Luis Alicea said. "But that's been the story all year. It's happened so
many times before."
Salmon had three hits for Anaheim, including an RBI single in
the 12th. He also homered.
Adam Kennedy led off the Angels 12th with a single off Tim
Crabtree (1-6) and stole second. Kevin Stocker walked and one out
later, Salmon singled, his third hit of the night. Salmon also
homered.
Shigetoshi Hasegawa (7-2) pitched three scoreless innings for
the win. Troy Percival pitched the 12th for his 23rd save.
In the 10th, the Rangers put runners on second and third with
one out. With a 1-1 count on Gabe Kapler, plate umpire Gerry Davis
called a balk and motioned for pinch-runner Scarborough Green to
come home.
But the Angels argued and Davis, after huddling with his umpire
crew, changed the call and kept the runners at second and third.
Kapler fouled out and, after an intentional walk to Mike Lamb,
Royce Clayton flied out.
Palmeiro said two of the four members of the umpiring crew
disagreed with Davis and the call was overturned.
"Usually when they make a call and the run scores, they walk
off the field and the game is over with," Palmeiro said. "But two
of the four guys disagreed. This isn't the NFL. But we really can't
blame the umpires. We blew the game and we've got to take
responsibility."
Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia disagreed with the suggestion that
his team stole the game.
"We didn't steal this one," Scioscia said. "We went out and
earned it. We played hard the whole game."
Angels left fielder Darin Erstad tied a major league record for
putouts by an outfielder with 12. He was the 13th to do it.
Palmeiro hit his 386th home run, moving past Dwight Evans into
37th place on the career list, and Kapler and David Segui also
connected for Texas.
Kapler's solo homer in the fourth off Kent Bottenfield snapped a
2-2 tie. Texas made it 5-2 in the sixth on Segui's solo homer and
Alicea's RBI single.
Palmeiro hit a two-run homer in the first. His 25th home run
barely cleared the right-field wall, just out of the reach of a
leaping Salmon.
Salmon's 19th homer leading off the fourth tied it at 2.
Erstad led off the game with a triple and scored on Stocker's
single.
Game notes
Erstad had a triple and a double, the 12th time he's had
two or more hits in his last 18 games. ... Salmon has 23 career
homers against Texas, 10 at The Ballpark in Arlington. ... Bill
Haselman came in to catch for Rodriguez. When Haselman was lifted
for a pinch-hitter in the 10th, Texas was forced to use reserve INF
Scott Sheldon as a catcher, Sheldon's first major league appearance
at the position.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Anaheim Clubhouse
Texas Clubhouse
Ouch! Pudge to miss season with broken thumb
RECAPS
Arizona -1
Cleveland -1
Minnesota 4
Boston 2
Tampa Bay 4
Detroit 2
NY Yankees 4
Baltimore 3
Chi. White Sox 7
Kansas City 6
Anaheim 6
Texas 5
Seattle 6
Oakland 4
Houston 7
Cincinnati 5
Los Angeles 4
Colorado 1
San Francisco 3
San Diego 0
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Ivan Rodriguez promises to be ready next year.
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