Game 81: Rangers vs. Phillies

Game 81... it's the halfway point. And the question remains as to whether the Rangers will hit this point above or below 500. They are 40-40 and the Phillies are 43-37. Today is Hank Blalock bobble head night and tomorrow is Josh Hamilton Sports Illustrated replica cover night. Tonight they have 20,000 bobbles and tomorrow only 10,000 SI covers. I have tickets to both games.

This is the Hank Blalock bobble head. I have been looking forward to grabbing the thing. The Rangers really do have a hard time getting to 2 games over 500. Maybe I will be fortunate enough to witness the event of two over? It could happen. Here's the match-ups for this series, at least for right now. The Rangers aren't necessarily hot, going 5-5 in the last ten games, and the Phillies are so far from hot, they might as well be playing in Antarctica. The Phillies are 2-8 over there last ten. I still believe the Rangers can play well against anybody. It is harder to do when Hamilton is out of the lineup and Bradley is out of the lineup and Blalcok is out of the lineup...

• Game 1: Gabbard vs. Myers (Quick Pick: Gabbard)
• Game 2: Padilla vs. Hamels (Quick Pick: Padilla)
• Game 3: Hurley vs. Moyer Quick Pick: Moyer)

Now, Bradley is back in the lineup ad I am not sure what to make of Hamilton coming back in the lineup last night and then leaving with an injury to his hand. Lord willing, it is minor and he can come right back.

Gabbard has three starts at home, and he is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA. Opponents have hit him for a .323 batting average and connected for 21 hits in 16 innings. He also walked 6 over that stretch. Gabbard hasn't gone 6 innings in a long time (April 16th) and continues to have walk trouble... he has 3 or more walks in 6 of his 11 starts this season, including 3 in a 2 innings outing and 6 in a 2.2 innings outing. He has four starts where he hasn't gone 5 innings. Despite the ba numbers, the Rangers are 7-4 when he starts. What that basically means is he gets some run support. A lot of run support. He did grab his second win of the season against Washington. He as never faced the Phillies.

Oh, and despite losing the game last night, the Rangers still won the Silver Boot.

And if you thought Gabbard was having a tough season, check out Myers. He is 3-9 with a 5.51 ERA. He has given up 12 HRs in 45.1 innings on the road. So, welcome to Arlington, where the ball truly does have wings. On the road, Myers is 0-6 with a 7.54 ERA and opponents slap him silly with a .345 batting average. I really wonder if he will make it 5 innings tonight. I hope I get a taco (in the fifth inning, if the Rangers score, all the fans win a taco from Taco Bell). Now, despite his awful numbers (and they are awful), he does eat up innings. In his 16 games, he has gone 7 innings or more 7 times. And only 6 times he has been held to less than 6 innnings. He has never faced the Rangers, but the current roster is 6-26 (231 BA) with 1 double, 2 HRs, and 7 RBIs off Myers.

Forecast: I think my quick pick is on target. Myers can't win on the road. He stinks and he has handed out so many souviners that coming to a hitting park is going to not make those numbers any better. Gabbard grabs a second win in a row for himself and gets the Rangers back over 500, just in time for the halfway mark. Score: 8-5, Rangers.

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Game 80: Rangers at Astros

The Rangers have almost won another Silver Boot. They currently own the better record, three games to two, and have an outscoring edge of 11 runs (32-21) coming into the conclusion of this series.
This one almost doesn't seem worthy of looking at, since Millwood is going to be the winner. He has a hunger this year that really wasn't there last year. He would probably say different, but you can easily see it in his demeanor. He pitched with frustration last year. He pitches with hunger this year.

So, who is the better pitcher? Millwood or Wa-Rod? I tell you what, I will save the best for last.

I guess that means Wandy Rodriguez is first. The guy looks good. Hes got a 2.81 ERA but only a 2-3 record to show for it. He has 9 starts and averages 5.2 innings (actually, it is 5.7037, but I am rounding to the nearest out) per start. He has only hit six innings of work four times and seven innings twice. He seems to get poor defense when he takes the mound and averages one unearned run per game (16 earned runs - 25 total runs given up). In two career starts against the Rangers, he is 2-0 with a 4.76 ERA in 11.1 innings. He has not given up HR to the Rangers and K'd 10 and walked four. The Astros are 4-5 when Wa-Rod takes the hill. Despite being 1-2 at home, he has a better ERA at 2.10. The Rangers have a .250 batting average against Rodriguez.

Ranger to Watch:

• Ian Kinsler: 5-6 (833 BA); 3 doubles and 1 RBI

As a team, the current Ranger roster is 11-41 (268 BA) with 6 doubles and 2 RBIs.

Millwood is 6-3 against Houston in his lifetime with two complete games in ten starts. Houston hits .242 off of him and he holds a 3.48 ERA. Only three HRs given in 64.2 innings. Nice. He has not faced Houston this season, but since his return from the DL, Millwood has been everything you could ask in a pitcher. He is 3-0 and has lowered his ERA to 4.61 since his return. The Rangers are 4-1 over the five game stretch... and he has gone at least 6 innings in each of his starts. Should I mention the three quality starts? Probably not relevant.

Chacon is stupid. You don't grab anyone by the throat and throw them to the ground. PERIOD. And at the very least, you don't do it to your boss. That is the definition of stupid. This guy made $3,825,000 in 2007. I couldn't find his 2008 change, but I'm sure he was making some good cash.

Astros to Watch:

• Mark Loretta: 12-34 (353 BA); 2 doubles, 1 HR, and 3 RBI
• Ty Wiggington: 7-22 (318 BA); 4 doubles and 2 RBIs
• Brad Ausmus: 4-13 (308 BA)

The current Astros roster is 47-168 (280 BA) with 14 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HRs, and 18 RBIs.

Forecast: Reality check... Rodriguez looks better than Millwood for this one. But then there is the lady luck factor... and let's be honest, Rodriguez hasn't been lucky this season despite his good performance. And with that in mind, and the Silver Boot in mind... Rangers win it with gifted runs, 6-3.

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Game 79: Rangers at Astros

How do I love the "Astros" logo... I mean, Astro is the dog from "The Jetsons"... so it only seems right to have him apart of the Houston Astros. Right?
Can Scott Feldman really go up against Oswalt? Now that doesn't seem right. Feldman is a 1-3 pitcher with a 4.61 ERA and Oswalt is 6-7 with a 4.84 ERA. But the real difference is Oswalt is a stud who knows how to grab a win the Majors and Feldman... well, the Rangers don't win when he takes the hill.

He pitched well enough in his last outing, though, and should have got the win... and the Rangers did win partially because of his 7 innings two run performance. Could this be a new trend for Feldman?

Hamilton is not going to play tonight. Blalock is going to be out at least another week with yet another injury. Max Ramirez is going to catch tonight. Bradley? Yeah, I don't know what's dragging him out so much.

Oswalt is a career 4-4 against the Rangers in ten starts. He has an even 4.00 ERA and the Rangers hit him a .291 batting average. He last a start earlier this season to the Rangers, giving up 6 runs in 6 innings.

Rangers to Watch:

• Michael Young: 10-34 (303 BA); 4 doubles and 6 RBIs
• Frank Catalanotto: 5-17 (294 BA); 1 RBI
• Marlon Byrd: 4-13 (308 BA); 1 HR and 2 RBIs
• Roman Vazquez: 4-12 (333 BA); 2 doubles

Feldman has no record in 5.1 innings against the Astros. Those innings are compiled up four appearances in which he has a 6.75 ERA and the 'Stros have a .300 batting average on Feldman.

Feldman only has two wins in his last 10 starts (this is, the Rangers win 2 out of 10 times), but his last start, the Rangers did win. Feldman is 0-3 with a 7.33 ERA on the road in four starts. OUCH.

The current Astro roster is 7-16 off Feldman, which is a .438 batting average. But only two of them have RBIs on Feldman.

Forecast: I don't really know what to think except that the Rangers are going to drop this game and fall behind on the Silver Boot. I really hope I am wrong on this one, but here it goes: Astros win this one hands down by a 8-2 edge.

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Clinton Lumberkings vs. Beloit Snappers

Low-A: at Clinton 5, Beloit 8
Loss: Tatusko (1-5, 5.48)

Up 5-1 after six, Clinton gave up five runs in the 7th and a 9th-inning insurance run. The Lumberkings dropped to 4-18 in June and have a league-high eight losses when leading after six innings.

Blake Beavan (2.97 ERA) completed six innings and held the Snappers to one unearned run. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out three. After walking just one batter in his first six starts, he’s walked six in his last five. Six walks in five starts! He must be throwing with his eyes shut.

Mitch Moreland drove in four with a single and two triples. Cristian Santana singled and hit his 7th homer.

Catcher Carlos Dominguez endured an absolute nightmare of a game: four errors, two passed balls, 0-4 throwing out potential base stealers.

Clinton placed pitcher Julio Santana on the DL and acquired LHP Joseph Ortiz from Arizona. The 5’7”, 175-pounder from Caracas pitched 27 innings and struck out 38 against 8 walks in the Dominican Summer League last year. He tossed a scoreless inning in his US debut on Sunday. Now he’s in Clinton. We’re looking at mid-July for his Major League debut at this rate. Ortiz is 17, nearly 15 months younger than Engel Beltre.

Beavan also had an 11-3 Ground Ball to Fly Ball Ratio... six baserunners in six innings. That's pretty nice, too.

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Game 78: Rangers at Astros

Rangers at the Astros... the Silver Boot (pictured below)... probably a trophy that nobody really cares about outside of Texas, but still, it does make the six game series a bit interesting and gives both teams a bit of pride, not to mention something to focus on in the midst of the season.Silver Boot standings go as followed:

• Rangers lead this season series (2008) by two games to one.
• Rangers have outscored the Astros 26-15 this season.
• Since 2001: Astros have won more by an edge of 23-22.
• Since 2001: Rangers have outscored the Astros, 274-217.
• In seven seasons of the Silver Boot, the Rangers have won 4 to the Astros 3.

Go to Lone Star Series for the complete stats.

Today's matchup is Hurley vs. Moehler. Tomorrow's and Thursday's matchups have recently changed... It is now Feldman vs. Oswalt (hello lose column) and then Millwood vs. Rodriguez (win column).

Today, I don't have a gut feeling right off the bat on this game. There really isn't too much pitcher vs. batter stats between these two pitchers, so I will simply go with what I got.

First we go to Hurley. He has two ML starts which the Rangers have both lost. Hurley got no-decisions, so he hasn't done bad, when you think about it. He did give up four runs in six innings in his ML debut, but followed up that performance with a really decent job of two runs in five innings. In his second game, he gave up only five hits and two walks. Here's a trend with Hurley: three homeruns in 11 innings. With the Atlanta game, he struck out five. Look for him to get better and better with striking out hitters. The more elbow grease, the more K's Hurley is going to get. And a 4.91 ERA in two ML starts is nothing to be ashamed of... by any means. Will he grab the win today? We'll see.

We still need to look at Moehler. Moehler has a career 5-4 record on the Rangers with two complete games and one shutout. The Ranges knock him for a .278 batting average, so he will give up some hits. He's also handed out eight homeruns in 61.2 innings and holds a 4.96 ERA against the Texas rivals. The Astros have lost four of his last six starts.

He is currently 3-3 with a 4.35 ERA and has started eight games this season all his wins and loses have come from the starting rotation. Opponents are hitting .271 against him this year. He has steadily gotten better over his last three seasons.

Rangers to Watch:

• Ramon Vazquez: 4-5 (800 BA); 2 doubles and 2 RBIs
• Frank Catalanotto: 2-5 (400 BA); 1 HR and 1 RBI

As a team, the current Ranger roster is 13-33 against Moehler.

Forecast: I do like the Rangers chances in this one. I am not terribly sure why, but I think Hurley is going to be very successful in the Majors. He may not be able to stop the HR ball against him this year, but he will figure it out. And even with him giving up the long ball, he still has the stuff to grab the win. He's getting better with each start. Today is a game the Rangers win, and it is a win with Hurley's name on it. Score: 7-4, Rangers.

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FC Dallas 4th of July Spectacular

FC Dallas
July 4th, 2008

Greetings!

For the highest readability, start your letter with a short sentence.

Message Headline

By breaking up the body of the letter into logical topics, your readers can focus in on the topic that they deem most relevant.

Select your wording carefully. Most people scan their emails very quickly. Keep your paragraphs to seven lines or less. If you have more information, include a link to your website where your readers can get further details.

Thank your customer, tell them how valuable they are to you, but don't go overboard. Insincerity is easy to spot.

Sincerely,

FC Dallas

FC Dallas

I had to post this... it was just funny to read and I know they didn't mean to send it... but still, it is pretty hillarious. Johnny Out.

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Game 77: Texas at Washington

This was a series the Rangers should have swept. The 14 innings loss was a bit tough. But it almost seems like the Rangers made up for it with the 13-3 win last night. This is a day game and the Rangers are 8-15 during day games. They hit a .255 batting average and a fourth worst ERA at 5.09 in the Majors for day games. The 1.66 WHIP is the worst in the Majors.

The Nationals are 10-13 during day games and are below average on just about all accounts in the stats department.

Want some good news, Ranger fans? How about Padilla being 2-0 in three day game starts this season. I would say that is AWESOME! Now, Padilla has 14 games against Washington (10 starts) and has a 3-4 record on Washington. He has a 3.99 ERA and opponents are .280 off him. He is 6-1 away from home this season. When he pitched his complete game shutout on 4/27/08, he started a stretch where he would go 7-1 and the Rangers would go 9-1 when he starts. He also saw his ERA drop from 4.97 down to the 3.73 that it is now. A win today would put him at 10 wins, and still a fair amount of time before the All-Star break.

Now, Padilla does have Washington hitters numbers. The current roster is battig .200 off him. The numbers are just so pathetic, that I feel it would be wrong to post them.

John Lannan has never faced a Rangers hitter. And this guy STINKS at home. He is 1-4 with a 5.76 ERA at his house. Granted, he is 4-8 overall, his 3.36 ERA is very respectable. He could be trade material after the All-Star break. The Nationals are 0-5 in his last five starts, and Lannan is 0-4 during that stretch. He has pitched 6 innings or more in his last four starts and he gave up two runs in each of his last four starts. Opponents are batting .295 off him at home. I guess he doesn't like Washington much.

Upcoming Series - Rangers at Houston:

• Tuesday: Hurley vs. Moehler
• Wednesday: Feldman vs. Chacon
• Thursday: Millwood vs. Oswalt

Forecast: Rangers wrap up the series with a win. Padilla doesn't bean anyone and Rangers bats do enough, score: 5-3.

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Game 76: Texas at Washington

In honor of the post yesterday, I just thought it would be good to have the Rangers go up against Washington. I mean, they are going up against Washington, but the skipper is Washington, so...
And then there is this guy named "Mock"... Wow, the possibilities are endless with a name like Mock. I will restrain myself, though.

Mock has one career start in the Majors. That was a game on June 8th where he was hammered for 7 hits and issued 3 walks in 4.1 innings of work against San Francisco. In that game, he gave up 4 runs and left with the loss and a 8.31 ERA. He did throw 70 pitches over that stretch. Two batters grounded into a double play, which kind of makes sense since he put a lot of runners on. It just increases the opportunity to turn one. Opposition batted .412 and had an OBP of 50% and a slugging of .529... Wow... talk abut a rough introduction to the Majors.

Gabbard is nearing a total amount of innings that a full season in the rotation would bring. He has 29 starts, 154.1 innings, a 4.55 ERA and a 8-7 record for a career. His OBP is dropping and currently rests at .295... another thing that is dropping is his K/9, which last season was 6.09 and this year is 4.56 (and that is a substantial amount). In 81.1 innings last year, Gab had 41 walks (roughly one per two innings), and this year, it is higher. He has 32 in 47.1 innings, or three in four innings. Figure in the high batting average opponents have on him, and it really is a wonder why his ERA is only 4.94...

He has never pitched against Washington or any of their players.

In the last 10 starts for Gabbard, the Rangers are 6-4, but Gabbard is 0-3 in his last four starts.

Forecast: I noticed that Gabbard isn't all that good in Arlington. His ERA is higher at home, so it may benefit the Rangers to have him pitch more on the road. And today, Gabbard will benefit from being on the road. Rangers win this one in a landslide, 12-4.

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Game 75: Texas at Washington

Washington and Texas. Washington bites. Texas doesn't.
Speaking of biting, I don't think you have seen Redding's numbers against the Rangers. Check out these pretty things: 8.2 innings and 17 runs - 21 hits - 4 walks - 17.65 ERA - .477 BAA - 2.88 WHIP. And in four games (two starts) he is only 0-1. I was expecting something like 0-3...

Millwood is 15-5 with 4 complete games and 2 shutouts against Washington with a 3.60 ERA. His 3-0 record since returning from the DL is remarkable. Since the Internet is hating me today... I am just going to wrap it up. I would have really have checked out pitcher vs. batter stats.
The Rangers have bought in to Washington's way of play. And they couldn't be much happier. When was the last time we saw a player with the coaches mug on it?
This is just a reminder... in case the record doesn't say the obvious.
Forecast: You know, it is not the Internet that is hating me today, but my keyboard is a bit of a pisser, too. Anyway, the Rangers will probably win this one, since Millwood has nothing but success on the Nationals and Redding has nothing but FAILURE. Rangers win it, not by a mile, but by four runs, 6-2.

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Clinton Lumberkings vs. Kane County Cougars

Low-A: Clinton 2, at Kane County 6
Loss: Tatusko (1-4, 5.74)

Blake Beavan (3.31 ERA) held the Cougars to one run over five innings on four hits, two walks and two strikeouts. Kane County touched Ryan Tatusko for four runs in the 8th, and a couple of errors didn’t help. Renny Osuna and All-Star hero Tim Smith both doubled and singled.

Kyle Murphy’s tenancy in Spokane didn’t last long. He’s in Clinton. Last year’s 19th rounder batted .165/.275/.230 between Spokane and Arizona in ’07. Murphy could spend the evening of July 1st playing ball in his home town of Beloit, Wisconsin.

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Whew!

This one almost slid away from us. Good thing we have Michael Young.
Johnny Out.

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Game 74: Rangers vs. Braves

This is my favorite logo of the three I put up here. It's got some flavor! Today concludes the series between the Braves and Rangers. They will see each other again in three years, unless the format of interleague play is changed to maybe the format that the NFL does it, in which case a tougher schedule given to the better teams and a lighter schedule given to the lesser fortunate teams. That would make sense, but then, sometimes things are made to not make sense.
Now, today we have Morton vs. Feldman. And I have to be honest... I do not feel optimistic about the Rangers chances for two reasons. The Rangers bite on day games... and Feldman has been biting for quite some time... so combine the two and you get a horrendous performance from the Rangers today. YIKES!!!

So, let's take a look at Feldman. Feldman, to me, doesn't look all that bad... at least on paper. He has a 4.84 ERA (league average is 4.19) and a 1-3 record. He's only 25 years of age and hasn't been used as a starter until this season. He was first brought up in 2005 and in one way, is having more success this year than he previous two (when you look at OPP), but his WHIP is still higher than that of 2006, so he is still getting a substantial amount of baserunners, if you consider 1.27 high, which it really isn't all that bad. He has given up more HRs than all his previous seasons combined. He has never pitched against the Braves.

The Rangers have lost the last six games tht Feldman has started and eight of the nine starts that Felman has done in his career. Feldman has never faced any of the Braves batters.

Yeah, that was a different Morton in the first matchup picture. A look at Morton... he's only had one ML start/appearace which was on June 14th against the Angels in which the Braves won 9-4. He went six innings and gave up three runs on five hits and a walk. The Angels hit .217 and it goes to wonder that Morton has a 4.50 ERA. He hasn't given up a ML homer just yet. Look for that to happen today.

Beginners luck? It could be... or he could just be another awesome pitcher in the Braves system. They just seem to crank them out. The Rangers do to, except we just ship them off to other teams.

Forecast: The Braves tend to struggle in Arlington, if my memory serves me right. And if my memory is correct, then they should struggle today. I could be completely wrong. The Braves could own the Rangers in Arlington. But I like my memory whether it is right or not... so, Feldman gets a little lucky, Bradley is back in the lineup, and the Raners score a little early and hold on to it, 6-4.

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Game 73: Rangers vs Braves

Throwback logos. Eric Hurley vs. Jo-Jo Reyes... Rangers lead in the series 1-0.
Hurley has one career start. He's 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA. The Rangers lost his start to Kansas City. That's about all I am going to say about Hurley. If you want some really cool information on Hurley, check out this link: Eric Hurley

Reyes came up last year from the minors. Last year he went 2-2 in ten starts and eleven games and finished with a 6.22 ERA. Opponents hit him for a .286 average. Milton Bradley is the only Ranger to have faced him, going 1-2. This season is a bit better for Reyes, as he is 3-4 with a 4.42 ERA. He has lost 3 of his last 5 starts, but he pitches better on the road with a 3.32 ERA. Batter hit him currently with a .265 batting average, and despite the bad luck, his ERA has dropped over his last four starts from a 5.84 ERA down to the current number. In his last four starts, he has pitched at least 6 innings and three have gone 7 innings or more.Here's some pictures of the Rangers playing professional slip and slide in NY during the Mets series. Man, that looks like fun.

Forecast: I think this could actually be a good game. I was writing off the Rangers on the last two games of this series, but now I believe the Rangers have a valid shot for this one. Rangers win it with some bats, 8-3, Rangers.

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Game 72: Rangers vs. Braves

Wow. These are my two favorite teams. I love the Rangers... but my #2 team is the Atlanta Braves. And that's even with them having Mark Teixeira. And so, this is a series that I will be watching closely. And prayerfully, I will be able to get to see a game.

Tim Hudson comes into this game with a 7-4 record and a 2.76 ERA. His WHIP is 1.14, which is really good. He has a 6-5 record against the Rangers in his career and a 4.01 ERA. Historically, the Rangers have hit him with a .241 batting average. On the road, Hudson is 2-3 this season with a 2.96 ERA. His last start against the Rangers was in 2005, where he picked up a loss going 2.2 innings and puking up 5 runs. Talk about a bad day. The current Ranger roster is batting .268 (26-97) against Hudson.

Rangers to Watch:

• Michael Young: 9-25 (360 BA); 1 double and 2 RBIs

To be honest, no other Ranger is worth bragging about. Josh Hamilton (0-3) should be entertaining to watch tonight against Hudson. I think he will create a batting average on Hudson and not just leave it at zero.

Vicente Padilla is 8-3 with a 3.89 ERA and a WHIP of 1.45 coming into tonights game. At home he is 2-2 with a complete game shutout. His ERA in Arlington is 3.27 and opponents are hitting him for a .248 batting average in the hitters park. In his career against Atlanta, he is 5-8 with a 3.67 ERA in 95.2 innings. Atlanta historically has hit him for a .272 batting average. In fourteen starts, Padilla has pitched 6 innings 10 times. When he pitches 6 innings or more, he is 7-2.

Braves to Watch:

• Chipper Jones: 11-33 (333 BA); 2 doubles, 1 HR, and 4 RBIs
• Mark Kotsay: 8-23 (348 BA); 2 doubles, 1 HR, and 3 RBIs (out)
• Mark Teixeira: 2-2 (1000 BA); 2 HRs and 3 RBIs (BEANBALL candidate)

I really think Tex is in danger of being thrown at... and it would be suited, like a "welcome back to Arlington, loud-mouth"... it will be definitely the matchup to watch tonight.

The dot race... Big Brown is the winner. Why not, right?

I thought to add this to the series. Blalock should be coming back soon. It's been heard that he is currently in Frisco or Oklahoma grabbing some playing time. I think it is Oklahome, though. I do not know any more than that.

Forecast: These two teams seem evenly matched. And that will make it all the more worthy of watching. Hudson and Padilla both should do a good job, so after seven innings are done, and things get handed over to the bullpen... who will go to work to preserve their starters good work? Atlanta has the better pitching, by far... and the Rangers have the better offense... but not by far. It is rather close to Atlanta's. Bullpen blows it for the Rangers, 6-4. Johnny Out.

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Game 71: Rangers at Mets

The final game of the series. John Maine Street goes up against Millwood.

The next series is the Rangers vs. the Braves. It is a return of Tex to Texas. And here are the matchups:

• Hudson vs. Padilla (could Tex get beaned by the bean specialist?)
• Reyes vs. Feldman (will Feldman still have a job as a starter?)
• Morton vs. Gabbard (isn't Morton Horton's friend?)

OK, on the last one, I didn't have any real question, so I just through that one together. And yes, Morton is Horton's mouse friend. Anyway, I sent a wager request to a friend of mine in Atlanta to see if she wanted to talk some SMACK about the Rangers/Braves series. I'm trying to figure out a way to go to one of those games.

Maine did some nasty work the last time he pitched against the Rangers. He has one career start against them, and didn't get the decision. He did give up two solo HRs in 6.1 innings, walking three and K'ing 4. Yeah, those two HRs were the only hits he gave out, and so he has a 2.84 ERA and a BAA of .095... so those numbers look pretty good. He's 7-6 for Atlanta when he starts, but his actual record is 6-4 with a 3.60 ERA for the season.

Maine pitched against the Rangers on September 13th of 2005, and the Braves won that game 4-3. That game was in Texas. The current Ranger roster is 7-21 (333) with 3 doubles and 5 RBIs. Hamilton, Bradley and Byrd are the ones who have done the damage on Maine.

Kevin Millwood is a career 7-5 in 19 starts and a total 22 appearances. He has a career 122.2 innings against the Mets with a 3.38 ERA and a .227 BAA. The Rangers are 3-0 since his return from the DL and Millwood has pitched 6 innings in each of his last three starts. He has a 4.91 ERA and a 4-3 record. Hitters are batting .312 off of Millwood this season, but only hit a HR in 11 innings on him (6 in 66 innings).

The last time Millwood went up against the Mets was back on July 16th, 2004 when Kevin Millwood pitched for the Phillies. Millwood needed 105 pitches to get through 7 innings. He gave up one run on three hits and four walks, while striking out 6. Box Score

Mets to Watch:

• Luis Castillo: 18-54 (333 BA); 1 double, 1 triple, and 4 RBIs
• Marlon Anderson: 11-34 (324 BA); 4 doubles and 3 RBIs
• Jose Reyes: 5-12 (417 BA); 1 double
• Moises Alou: 5-11 (455 BA); 2 doubles, 1 RBI
• Damion Easley: 5-7 (714 BA); 1 double, 1 HR, and 2 RBIs

Other notable things would be Brian Schneider has 2 HRs in 27 at bats, Carlos Delgado has 5 RBIs in 5 at-bats and that the current roster is 62-213 (291 BA), 13 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HRs, and 23 RBIs. That's a little more than one RBI per 10 at-bats. Pretty tough. If Millwood should face 30 batters, the run total would 3.24 runs. More than likely to be 3, though.

Yes, I just had to do something with that awful Sidney Ponson pic. Doesn't that just look painful? Seriously, what does that do for your pitch?
Forecast: This is going to be a great game. The only thing REALLY going against the Rangers is that it is a day game. And the Rangers couldn't put together a children's puzzle in a day game. They just don't have any glue and can't stick a stamp on a honey poster. Score: Mets win it 4-2.

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