RedHawks' Shelton just misses cycle
RedHawks 13, Tucson 7
RedHawks' Shelton just misses cycle

By Matt Patterson

Published: August 5, 2008

Oklahoma RedHawks first baseman Chris Shelton will likely always remember this baseball season as one filled with ups and downs.

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Shelton began the year with Oklahoma City, spending about a month with the team to start the season before being called up to the Texas Rangers. After about two months, Shelton was outrighted to the RedHawks on July 6 after Texas decided it was the right time to give 22-year-old prospect Chris Davis a shot at the majors.

Shelton showed some of what earned him the promotion Monday afternoon in a 13-7 win over Tucson. Shelton went 4-for-5 with three RBIs. He was a triple away from the cycle and nearly had it on his last at-bat before holding at second base.

"I saw a little bit of a bobble, but I wanted to make sure I didn't get thrown out at third,” Shelton said.

With right fielder Nelson Cruz and his 37 home runs out of the lineup with an injury, more pressure will fall on Shelton and the rest of Oklahoma's lineup to produce runs. Shelton isn't approaching it that way.

"We just have to continue to do what we do,” he said. "If we go out and do anything more than what we're capable of we find ourselves getting into trouble and having bad at-bats. That's one thing we did today; everyone had quality at-bats.”

Oklahoma has struggled at the plate since Cruz has been out of the lineup. Days like the one Shelton had Monday couldn't come at a better time.

Shelton, a Salt Lake City, Utah, native, said he never considered opting out of the Rangers' assignment back to Triple-A. The 28-year-old hit .216 with two homers and 11 RBIs in limited at-bats with the Rangers.

"The only way I wouldn't have taken it is if an opportunity for my family came up that I couldn't pass it up,” Shelton said.

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