Sunday, March 21, 1999

Rangers 5, Reds 4

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        • Record: 9-10

        • The arms: Starter Steve Parris' afternoon went smoothly until his fifth-inning encounter with two-time American League Most Valuable Player Juan Gonzalez, who hit a three-run, tape-measure home run over a palm tree beyond the left-field wall.

        “He (Parris) couldn't get his fastball by the big guy,” manager Jack McKeon said.

        “He made (Gonzalez) look sick on two breaking balls earlier.”

        • The bats: Sean Casey, who entered the spring with one triple in 312 regular-season at-bats, drove in a first-inning run with his second triple of the spring.

        Hal Morris' first Grapefruit League homer made the score close in the ninth for the Reds, who have lost eight of their last 10 games.

        • The rest: Shortstop Jeff Branson, trying to win a utility infield role, made a nice diving catch of Ivan Rodriguez's fourth-inning line drive.

        • Up next: Today at 1p.m. against Texas at Sarasota, Fla.

        Opening Day starter Pete Har nisch will pitch against Aaron Sele in a game televised by Fox Sports Ohio.

        Box score:

 CINCINNATI      AB  R  H BI  TEXAS           AB  R  H BI
 STYNES 2B        5  1  0  0  T GOODWIN CF     4  1  2  0
 MORRIS 1B        4  2  2  2  MCLEMORE 2B      3  1  1  1
 CASEY DH         5  1  2  1  S GREEN CF       1  0  0  0
 HAMMONDS CF      4  0  2  1  GREER LF         3  1  3  1
 TUCKER RF        3  0  0  0  CUYLER LF        0  0  0  0
 M LEWIS 3B       4  0  1  0  J GONZALEZ DH    3  1  2  3
 SWEENEY LF       4  0  2  0  HUBBARD PH       0  0  0  0
 FORDYCE C        4  0  1  0  I RODRIGUEZ C    2  0  0  0
 BRANSON SS       4  0  1  0  ZAUN C           2  0  1  0
                              L STEVENS 1B     3  0  1  0
                              SASSER 3B        1  0  0  0
                              ZEILE 3B         3  0  0  0
                              DRANSFELDT SS    1  0  0  0
                              R KELLY RF       3  0  0  0
                              ZYWICA RF        1  0  0  0
                              CLAYTON SS       3  1  1  0
 TOTALS          37  4 11  4  TOTALS          33  5 11  5
 CINCINNATI              200 000 002-- 4
 TEXAS                   100 040 00x-- 5
 DP--CINCINNATI 1. LOB--CINCINNATI 8, TEXAS 6. 2B--CASEY, T 
 GOODWIN. HR--J GONZALEZ (OFF PARRIS), MORRIS (OFF 
 CRABTREE). CS--CUYLER.
                                   IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR
  CINCINNATI
 PARRIS (L)                    4 2-3  11   5   5   0   2   1
 SULLIVAN                      1 1-3   0   0   0   0   0   0
 HUDEK                             1   0   0   0   2   0   0
 G WHITE                           1   0   0   0   0   2   0
  TEXAS
 HELLING (W)                       5   7   2   2   2   2   0
 MUNOZ                             2   2   0   0   0   1   0
 CRABTREE (S)                      2   2   2   2   0   1   1
 T--2:18. A--3,246.
 

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