Game 44: Rangers vs. Yankees

Yes, I took the last game of the Tiger series off and the sweep of the Astros off. But don't you think I will be slacking against the Yankees. It is probably a safe bbet to say that I will pick the Rangers in each and every game of the series. And I will manipulate any and all stats to prove why the Rangers will win in each game. If anything, we can play Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock until the numbers work in my favor... Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock
The Rangers come into this series with the best record in the American League. The Yankees are 1.5 games behind the Rangers. The Rangers have won 10 of their last 13 games, with the three loses coming from Detroit. The Yankees have also won 10 of their last 13 games, but are 1-2 in their last three games. The Yankees are third in their division, trailing Boston and Toronto. The series consists of Harrison vs. Hughes, Millwood vs. Chamberlain, and Holland vs. Burnett. Ex-Ranger Mark Teixeira has 13 HRs. Ian Kinsler has 12, Hank Blalock has 11, Nelson Cruz has 11 and Chris Davis has 10. Johnny Damon also has 10, and he is the only other Yankee to have double digits in the long ball catagory.
Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes could be pitching for his spot as a major league starter Monday. Hughes (2-2, 7.06 ERA) rebounded from an ugly outing at Baltimore on May 9 by allowing three runs in five innings in each of his last two starts. He beat the Orioles on Wednesday as he struck out a career-high nine in an 11-4 victory. In Hughes’ only previous appearance against the Rangers, the right-hander - then 20 years old - had a no-hitter through 6 1-3 innings in Arlington on May 1, 2007. But he had to leave the game with a hamstring injury.

Harrison (4-3, 4.71 ERA) has one career start against the Yankees, where he pitched 6.1 innings, gave up two runs on five hits, which gives him a 2.84 ERA against the Yanks. Harrison had two back-to-back complete games before his last start, where he gave up five runs in five innings to the Tigers. He also had won four straight games going into the Detroit game.
Forecast: I am going to keep it simple today. The Rangers have the better team, better pitching and Hughes is trying to stay in the rotation for the Yankees... but I don't think it is going to happen. His last start for a while, he gets pummelled by the Rangers. Score: 9-2, Rangers.

Home Plate