Cruz moves past one that got away

The play was scored a triple, but many observers thought Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz should have caught the fateful flyball hit by the Cardinals' David Freese, with two strikes and two outs in the ninth inning of World Series Game 6 last year.

"He thinks he should've caught it, too, but he didn't," manager Ron Washington said before the Rangers' 3-2 exhibition loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday in front of a crowd of 8,622 at Cashman Field.

Freese's drive, which soared over Cruz's head and hit the base of the wall, scored two runs to tie it for the cardiac Cardinals, who won the classic contest in 11 innings and claimed the World Series crown in seven games.

"That play, we don't blame on Nelson," Washington said. "We're a team, and we take credit and blame for everything that happened as a team.

"We don't let one individual handle that on his own. The play was made, and we've moved on."

The 31-year-old Cruz, who helped carry Texas to the World Series with a historic postseason home run binge, was slow to react to the ball hit directly at him, but still expected to catch it.

"As soon as I take off, I thought 'I got it,' " the Dominican Republic native said. "I thought I was going to catch the ball, but the ball run pretty well and (Freese) hit it well, and it hit the wall."

Cruz said the missed catch haunted him for a while.

"At first, early after the season, it was bothering me, but not anymore," he said. "As a team, we're good at forgetting stuff, bad or good, because it's a new season and we've got to come with that mentality."

Making the catch was about the only thing Cruz didn't do in last year's playoffs.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 240-pound slugger set postseason series records for home runs, with six, and RBIs, with 13, to earn American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player honors.

The right-handed hitter launched the first walkoff grand slam in postseason history in the 11th inning of Game 2 against the Tigers and added a three-run blast in the 11th inning of Game 4 as Texas beat Detroit in six games.

"It was amazing," Washington said. "When they made a mistake, he didn't miss it, and we needed everything he gave to us."

Cruz's solo shot in Game 6 of the World Series was his eighth of the playoffs, tying him with Barry Bonds and Carlos Beltran for most homers in a single postseason.

In 33 playoff games the past two years, Cruz is batting .270 with 14 homers and 27 RBIs -- and nine of his bombs have come in the seventh inning or later, matching Bernie Williams for the most ever.

"I like that atmosphere when there's a lot of people and when the games really matter," he said. "I've been doing that since the minors."

Thriving under pressure is nothing new to Cruz, who was designated for assignment by Texas at the end of spring training 2008.

"You never want to be put on waivers," he said. "It was a wake-up call."

He's been wide awake ever since.

After clearing waivers, Cruz was outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he hit .342 with 37 homers and 99 RBIs in 103 games to earn Pacific Coast League MVP honors and another chance with the Rangers.

He hit .330 in 31 games for Texas that year and has been an integral part of the Rangers' lineup since, leading the team in homers (84) and finishing third in RBIs (241) over the last three seasons.

After the 2009 All-Star was limited by injuries to less than 129 games in each of the last three years, the goal for him this season is to stay off the disabled list.

"One thing about Nelson I want to happen is for him to stay healthy and give us 145 or 150 ballgames, and see what he can do," Washington said. "Because he certainly has a lot of potential."

n NOTES -- Texas starter Matt Harrison allowed a run on a hit with five strikeouts in five innings, and Chicago starter Chris Volstad allowed a run on four hits with three strikeouts in four innings. … Rangers owner Nolan Ryan sat in the front row behind home plate and signed autographs for a steady stream of fans between each inning.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.