Rangers face off with the Cubs tonight. It’s hard to know what the Rangers will really do, as far as a win or loss, simply due to how they do not have Mark Teixeira and Hank Blalock in the lineup. To add insult to injury, Kinsler hasn’t really been on target. And really that can be said of the rest of the Rangers in the lineup, minus Young and Sosa. What I like about this series is that it is the first time Sosa has played against his former team, and it is the first time the Cubs have come to Arlington. I like both of those things. And what I like even better is that Sosa has 599 homeruns and can clock his 600th homerun against the team he has played for majority of his career. I guess I should add that I have tickets to tonight’s game. I want more than any material item in this world for Sosa to hit that milestone tonight. A look at tonight’s game:
Robinson Tejeda takes the mound for the Rangers tonight. Tejeda is 2-3 at home this season (5-7 for the season) with a 6.03 ERA. The opposing team is batting .300 against him. I can tell you this: He won last time I saw him pitch this year, so one of the two wins are with me in attendance (I think I give him a little boost). He has, however, lost four of his last five starts and raised his ERA from 4.53 to 6.49. That’s not what I would call good pitching. He’ll turn it around tonight. Current Cubs hitters are 2-18 against Tejeda, with 1 HR and 1 RBI. They have three walks and have whiffed five times. The OBA is .111 and their OBP is a .238 average. Cliff Floyd and Aramis Ramirez have one hit a piece.
Sean Christopher Marshall is pitching for the Cubs. He has only five games to show for the season and has a decision for each and every one (3-2). His ERA is a solid 2.12 this season and an even better 2.08 on the road. To make things even worse, his ERA is 1.74 in the month of June, so this kid just keeps getting better and better. His opponents are batting .170 on the road and .227 this month. The current Ranger is roster is batting ZIP against him. However, that only consists of five at-bats: two by Lofton and Byrd and one by Jamey Wright. You can’t really expect Wright to have a hit, since he is a pitcher. Marshall pitched last season in the majors, and compiled a 5.59 ERA in 125 2/3 innings. He also finished with a 6-9 record last year. Notably, his strikeouts are up from last year and his walks are down from last year (1.31 K/BB in 2006 and 3.86 K/BB this year). Last year, he gave up a HR every 6.28 innings. This year, it is one every 11 1/3 innings.
The reason I keep bringing up last years starts for Marshall is that I believe his numbers will move closer to that as the season goes along. It could start tonight. It could start in his next start or the next after that… I don’t know. It will happen. Either that, or this season could be a fluke season where his numbers are simply amazing and then he will revert back to reality in 2008. I don’t really think that this will be a fluke season. He’s too young for something like that. Maybe the Rangers can take him to school tonight, but with our bats not really being there, it could be an average night for him as this season moves along.
At night, Tejeda is 4-5 with a 6.65 ERA. Tejeda has done well against Chicago this season (actually, it’s the White Sox, but I’ll take what I can get), having a 1-0 record and 1.29 ERA in 7 innings.
Sammy Sosa will do some damage tonight, that much I am certain. How much damage? I don’t really know if it will be against the starter Marshall or the bullpen, but he will knock in at least one RBI. And I predict #600 this evening, only because I want him to slap that out while I am watching in person. How cool would that be? Let me tell you, VERY COOL, very cool indeed.
The Cubs record is 31-37 and the Rangers is 26-43 (the MLB lowest). The Cubs are the favorite going into this game. The Cubs have lost their last two and the Rangers won their last game. Cubs are 31-37 on grass and 14-17 at night. The Rangers are 24-41 on grass and 18-31 at night. Both teams are 5-5 in their last ten. Texas has won three of its last four. Marshall has won his last three starts and the Cubs have a 3-2 record in their last five (4-5 in their last nine).
The forecast for the Rangers: Rangers take this one by playing POWERBALL late in the game. Three homeruns for the boys in blue, one by Sosa as the Rangers power their way to a win: 6-4.
Robinson Tejeda takes the mound for the Rangers tonight. Tejeda is 2-3 at home this season (5-7 for the season) with a 6.03 ERA. The opposing team is batting .300 against him. I can tell you this: He won last time I saw him pitch this year, so one of the two wins are with me in attendance (I think I give him a little boost). He has, however, lost four of his last five starts and raised his ERA from 4.53 to 6.49. That’s not what I would call good pitching. He’ll turn it around tonight. Current Cubs hitters are 2-18 against Tejeda, with 1 HR and 1 RBI. They have three walks and have whiffed five times. The OBA is .111 and their OBP is a .238 average. Cliff Floyd and Aramis Ramirez have one hit a piece.
Sean Christopher Marshall is pitching for the Cubs. He has only five games to show for the season and has a decision for each and every one (3-2). His ERA is a solid 2.12 this season and an even better 2.08 on the road. To make things even worse, his ERA is 1.74 in the month of June, so this kid just keeps getting better and better. His opponents are batting .170 on the road and .227 this month. The current Ranger is roster is batting ZIP against him. However, that only consists of five at-bats: two by Lofton and Byrd and one by Jamey Wright. You can’t really expect Wright to have a hit, since he is a pitcher. Marshall pitched last season in the majors, and compiled a 5.59 ERA in 125 2/3 innings. He also finished with a 6-9 record last year. Notably, his strikeouts are up from last year and his walks are down from last year (1.31 K/BB in 2006 and 3.86 K/BB this year). Last year, he gave up a HR every 6.28 innings. This year, it is one every 11 1/3 innings.
The reason I keep bringing up last years starts for Marshall is that I believe his numbers will move closer to that as the season goes along. It could start tonight. It could start in his next start or the next after that… I don’t know. It will happen. Either that, or this season could be a fluke season where his numbers are simply amazing and then he will revert back to reality in 2008. I don’t really think that this will be a fluke season. He’s too young for something like that. Maybe the Rangers can take him to school tonight, but with our bats not really being there, it could be an average night for him as this season moves along.
At night, Tejeda is 4-5 with a 6.65 ERA. Tejeda has done well against Chicago this season (actually, it’s the White Sox, but I’ll take what I can get), having a 1-0 record and 1.29 ERA in 7 innings.
Sammy Sosa will do some damage tonight, that much I am certain. How much damage? I don’t really know if it will be against the starter Marshall or the bullpen, but he will knock in at least one RBI. And I predict #600 this evening, only because I want him to slap that out while I am watching in person. How cool would that be? Let me tell you, VERY COOL, very cool indeed.
The Cubs record is 31-37 and the Rangers is 26-43 (the MLB lowest). The Cubs are the favorite going into this game. The Cubs have lost their last two and the Rangers won their last game. Cubs are 31-37 on grass and 14-17 at night. The Rangers are 24-41 on grass and 18-31 at night. Both teams are 5-5 in their last ten. Texas has won three of its last four. Marshall has won his last three starts and the Cubs have a 3-2 record in their last five (4-5 in their last nine).
The forecast for the Rangers: Rangers take this one by playing POWERBALL late in the game. Three homeruns for the boys in blue, one by Sosa as the Rangers power their way to a win: 6-4.
1 Random Thoughts:
ESPN had a "Sammy Watch" going on during Tuesday's game. Alas, Sammy didn't seem to be able to do anything except strike out. :-(
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