Game 131: Rangers vs. Indians

Hopefully, the Rangers are going to get HOT. And I am not talking about 107° F at 10PM either. I am talking about great pitching and solid hitting. And by great pitching, I mean somewhere around 4 runs or less per nine innings. Is that too much to ask for? I guess it depends on the day...
Anyway, I am going to this game. The last time I went to a game where Padilla started, the Rangers won with a walk-off GRAND SLAM. Is that going to be the flavor for this game? Not likely, but it would be nice to grab a W... whether walk-off or otherwise, I'll take it.

Padilla is 12-7 with a 4.96 ERA. I still think the ERA is a tad high, but I'll take it anyway. He's given up the long ball six times in his last three starts. And he had nine days off between starts (8/9 to 8/19) and was rough out in his last outing. The question lingers in my head: is he healthy right now? I don't want to go and say send him to the DL... the last thing the Rangers need right now in trying to finish over 500 for the season is send another starter, a key starter in the rotation right now, to the DL.

He has five starts against the Tribe and is 2-2 with a 7.09 ERA. They slap him a hard .316 batting average but only have two HRs in the 26.2 innings. Padilla has lost his last two starts, but the Rangers won when he started in the previous four games. A good note is that Padilla is still good for innings. Twice in his last 13 starts has he pitched less than six innings. One of those two short outings sent him to the DL... and the other one was on 8/9, which was also injury related.

Indians to Watch (the usual suspects):

• Victor Martinez: 4-11 (.364 BA); 3 doubles and 3 RBIs
• Jhonny Peralta: 4-10 (.400 BA); 1 double, 1 HR, and 5 RBIs
• Grady Sizemore: 4-10 (.400 BA); 1 double, 1 triple, 1 HR, and 2 RBIs

Anthony Reyes has never pitched against Texas, but he comes into this game with a 4-2 record with a 3.66 ERA. He's pitched a total of 32 innings between St. Louis and Cleveland. He was a relief pitcher with the Cardinals and has moved to the starting rotation for the Tribe, where he has a 2.60 ERA as a starter. He has a career record of 12-25 with a save in 56 games. Chances are... he'll still stay on fire and spit out a good game.

Notable Rangers:

• Josh Hamilton: 1-3 with 1 HR and 1 RBI

Yep. That's it. Hamilton is it for the Rangers he has faced, but then, what could you expect.

Forecast: Well, Padilla will obviously know that I will be at the game, so it is a win for the Rangers. Stats don't matter when other "rules" come into play. Seriously, though, I think the Indians have a much better chance in this one... but then, stranger things. Score: 3-2, Indians.

Home Plate