Wow, I like to be wrong when it comes to predicting a Rangers loss and it turns out to be a Rangers win. I said that the Rangers need to go at LEAST 4-2 on the home-stand and since they SWEPT the Mariners, they need to step it up against the Angels. The Rangers need to gain ground on the A’s and the Angels and this little two game series is a lot more important than just the two games played. The remaining games are a lot more important than just ONE game. A sweep of the home-stand will give distance between the Angels and Rangers, who are both tied for second in the AL West.
Texas Rangers (61-58, tied 2nd) vs. The Los Angeles, California Angels of Anaheim on the west coast of the United States on the North American Continent on the Planet we call Earth (with more names coming soon to a theatre new you) (61-58, tied 2nd)
Tuesday: Ervin Santana (12-6) vs. Vicente Padilla (12-7)
Santana looks pretty good; he has a 3-1 record against the Rangers lifetime, but a 6.00 ERA. The boys in blue post a .269 average against him and have a WHIP of 1.46. Padilla is 2-0 against the halos and has a 3.15 ERA against them, despite a .300 BAA. His WHIP is 1.20, much better than Santana. Another note is that Padilla has never walked an Angel (insert pun here) and his WHIP is completely off of Angel hits. It is almost too easy to favor the Rangers in this one, but my main concern is the .300 batting average that Padilla gives up to these guys. The good thing is that they must be scattered to only have an ERA like that. How long can Padilla continue to scatter the hits and win? Still, I think he is the best guy for this job. He’s closing in on a career mark for himself. Two more wins will match a season best for him; three will set a new personal record. The Angels are fairly new to Padilla, where only two players have faced him more than 10 times (Vlad the Impaler and Orlando, FL.). Cabrera hits only .250 but Vlad hits the Rangers like no one on this planet. Vlad hits Padilla .346 with one homerun and four RBIs in 26 at-bats. To be honest, I am not all that worried now about Padilla in this one. Now, Santana… well, let’s just say the Rangers make short work of him in their limited at-bats. Matthews is 5 for 11 with four RBIs, Blalock is 3 for 11 with 3 RBIs, and Tex is 3 for 7 with a homerun and four RBIs. Tex has also walked four times against Santana. Young is 3 for 10 with an RBI. It looks good for the good guys. Forecast: Rangers win the opener of the two gamer 6-4. Note: Wilkerson and DeRosa both have yet to collect a hit on Santana.
Wednesday: Joe Saunders (4-0) vs. Adam Eaton (2-2)
Current ranger hitters have only three hits against this kid Saunders. And last I checked, three hits over seven innings just doesn’t sound like it will lead to a win. He has only four starts this season and has gone 6 innings or more every single time. The good thing is that the Rangers have two things going for them: a scouting report with good history AND they have already faced him. This will be the first time Saunders has faced an opponent twice. And that could spell victory for the Texas boys of summer. In Saunder’s only road start, he wasn’t as sharp as he is at home, but he did face the NY Yankees, the best team money can buy, and if it isn’t, then they’ll just spend some more to get them there. Still, the Yankees are a tough bunch, just ask Eaton. He made his season debut against the stripes and took it for a loss. And we can remember his appearance against the halos, lasting only for two outs, and his second loss (mind you, he had a temper mental umpire to deal against). So, obviously Eaton’s numbers aren’t realistic on the grand scheme of things. He is 0-1 against the Angels in two career starts and sports a 5.14 ERA and a 1.86 WHIP. The halos bat .333 against him as well. Eaton has seven innings pitched against them. His other start, Eaton went 6 1/3 innings, giving up only one run. Doesn’t that sound so much better, when he’s given a chance to perform? Mind you, Eaton does so much better in Ameriquest. And that’s where he will be pitching. Still, it looks like this could either be a blasting of the bats for both sides as easy as it could be stellar pitching from the two. But I am going to go out on a limb and say it will be the first instead of the second. Forecast: Halos stay tied in second with the Badges 8-6. Look for Tex to lead the hitting for the Rangers and get the offense going.
Texas Rangers (61-58, tied 2nd) vs. The Los Angeles, California Angels of Anaheim on the west coast of the United States on the North American Continent on the Planet we call Earth (with more names coming soon to a theatre new you) (61-58, tied 2nd)
Tuesday: Ervin Santana (12-6) vs. Vicente Padilla (12-7)
Santana looks pretty good; he has a 3-1 record against the Rangers lifetime, but a 6.00 ERA. The boys in blue post a .269 average against him and have a WHIP of 1.46. Padilla is 2-0 against the halos and has a 3.15 ERA against them, despite a .300 BAA. His WHIP is 1.20, much better than Santana. Another note is that Padilla has never walked an Angel (insert pun here) and his WHIP is completely off of Angel hits. It is almost too easy to favor the Rangers in this one, but my main concern is the .300 batting average that Padilla gives up to these guys. The good thing is that they must be scattered to only have an ERA like that. How long can Padilla continue to scatter the hits and win? Still, I think he is the best guy for this job. He’s closing in on a career mark for himself. Two more wins will match a season best for him; three will set a new personal record. The Angels are fairly new to Padilla, where only two players have faced him more than 10 times (Vlad the Impaler and Orlando, FL.). Cabrera hits only .250 but Vlad hits the Rangers like no one on this planet. Vlad hits Padilla .346 with one homerun and four RBIs in 26 at-bats. To be honest, I am not all that worried now about Padilla in this one. Now, Santana… well, let’s just say the Rangers make short work of him in their limited at-bats. Matthews is 5 for 11 with four RBIs, Blalock is 3 for 11 with 3 RBIs, and Tex is 3 for 7 with a homerun and four RBIs. Tex has also walked four times against Santana. Young is 3 for 10 with an RBI. It looks good for the good guys. Forecast: Rangers win the opener of the two gamer 6-4. Note: Wilkerson and DeRosa both have yet to collect a hit on Santana.
Wednesday: Joe Saunders (4-0) vs. Adam Eaton (2-2)
Current ranger hitters have only three hits against this kid Saunders. And last I checked, three hits over seven innings just doesn’t sound like it will lead to a win. He has only four starts this season and has gone 6 innings or more every single time. The good thing is that the Rangers have two things going for them: a scouting report with good history AND they have already faced him. This will be the first time Saunders has faced an opponent twice. And that could spell victory for the Texas boys of summer. In Saunder’s only road start, he wasn’t as sharp as he is at home, but he did face the NY Yankees, the best team money can buy, and if it isn’t, then they’ll just spend some more to get them there. Still, the Yankees are a tough bunch, just ask Eaton. He made his season debut against the stripes and took it for a loss. And we can remember his appearance against the halos, lasting only for two outs, and his second loss (mind you, he had a temper mental umpire to deal against). So, obviously Eaton’s numbers aren’t realistic on the grand scheme of things. He is 0-1 against the Angels in two career starts and sports a 5.14 ERA and a 1.86 WHIP. The halos bat .333 against him as well. Eaton has seven innings pitched against them. His other start, Eaton went 6 1/3 innings, giving up only one run. Doesn’t that sound so much better, when he’s given a chance to perform? Mind you, Eaton does so much better in Ameriquest. And that’s where he will be pitching. Still, it looks like this could either be a blasting of the bats for both sides as easy as it could be stellar pitching from the two. But I am going to go out on a limb and say it will be the first instead of the second. Forecast: Halos stay tied in second with the Badges 8-6. Look for Tex to lead the hitting for the Rangers and get the offense going.
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