Texas Rangers Host NY Yankees for Short Two-Game Series
The Texas Rangers get a chance to prove they are indeed among the top American League clubs when they host the New York Yankees for two games starting Tuesday.
Seven weeks from now the Texas Rangers should be appearing in the MLB postseason for the first time since back-to-back showings in 1998-99. How far the club can go once it reaches the playoffs is another story altogether, and that's assuming Texas can hold the 8-game lead it takes into play Tuesday.
Speaking of the number eight, the next eight games could be a good barometer for Texas' playoff chances and postseason success. And it all begins with a quick two-game set against the New York Yankees.
The earliest MLB betting numbers for Tuesday's contest favored the Rangers in the 130-140 range. The total started at 9½ before a half-run was quickly lopped off.
Texas has made it to the postseason three times in franchise history, with 1996 being added to the 1998-99 campaigns. All three times the Rangers met the Yankees in the ALDS with New York winning nine of the 10 games played. That dominance by the Bronx Bombers has spilled over into the regular season battles as well, especially when the pinstriped crew comes to the Lone Star State.
The Yankees have won 24 of the last 35 games they've played at Rangers Ballpark. Texas entered the season a respectable 19-19 in New York since 2001, then promptly got swept at Yankee Stadium when the squads met in mid-April. The Yanks outscored the Rangers 17-6 in the series going off as 170-220 MLB betting favorites in each contest.
This is obviously a different Texas team than the Yankees have been beating up on the past 10 seasons. It's even a different team than the one that left New York in April with a 5-7 record in the early going and last in the AL West. Texas has gone 59-40 since that time in taking command of the division; New York is 60-39 by comparison.
What makes the 2010 Rangers different from previous Texas teams is pitching. Ron Washington's staff ranks third in the AL with a 3.78 ERA with some of that certainly due to improved defense behind the Rangers hurlers. The Texas offense is also no longer the one-dimensional lineup of bashers. That Rangers are running away, literally and figuratively, from the rest of the AL with 138 stolen bases on the season and ranks fourth in runs scored with a 4.97 per game average.
Lefty CJ Wilson (16-6, 3.30) will take the mound for the Rangers in Game 1, with Texas on a four-game win streak in his starts. He's coming off his worst outing since mid-May however, lasting just three innings with 85 pitches, walking four and giving up four runs last Wednesday in Seattle. Texas rallied to win the game as 145 favorites, 11-6.
New York got to him for five runs (three earned) in a 5-1 win on April 16. That was the opener of the first series between the two clubs this season, just Wilson's second start of the year, and his first career start at Yankee Stadium. The Rangers were 190 underdogs in the game.
Wilson will be opposed by AJ Burnett (11-11, 4.93). The right-hander was originally to have pitched the Sunday night game against the Red Sox before a tight back during warm-ups held him out. Burnett's last trip to the hill was an ugly 8-6 loss at home to Toronto on Aug. 2 as 180 chalk. He was charged with all eight Blue Jays runs, lasting just 4 2/3 innings and throwing 95 pitches.
Burnett blanked Texas over seven frames in the Bronx on April 17, striking out seven in New York's 7-3 win carrying a minus 170 baseball betting line.
It's going to be another hot one in the D-FW area on Tuesday, with afternoon highs expected to top 100ºF. The thermometer should still be well into the 90s at game time. No chance of rain is in the forecast, with only a slight breeze blowing in from right field.
The short series ends Wednesday night with ESPN broadcasting Game 2 of the matchup. Javier Vazquez (10-10, 4.63) is in line to chunk for the Yankees with Cliff Lee (3-3 with Texas, 12-7 overall, 2.44) up next for the Rangers.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
The Texas Rangers get a chance to prove they are indeed among the top American League clubs when they host the New York Yankees for two games starting Tuesday.
Seven weeks from now the Texas Rangers should be appearing in the MLB postseason for the first time since back-to-back showings in 1998-99. How far the club can go once it reaches the playoffs is another story altogether, and that's assuming Texas can hold the 8-game lead it takes into play Tuesday.
Speaking of the number eight, the next eight games could be a good barometer for Texas' playoff chances and postseason success. And it all begins with a quick two-game set against the New York Yankees.
The earliest MLB betting numbers for Tuesday's contest favored the Rangers in the 130-140 range. The total started at 9½ before a half-run was quickly lopped off.
Texas has made it to the postseason three times in franchise history, with 1996 being added to the 1998-99 campaigns. All three times the Rangers met the Yankees in the ALDS with New York winning nine of the 10 games played. That dominance by the Bronx Bombers has spilled over into the regular season battles as well, especially when the pinstriped crew comes to the Lone Star State.
The Yankees have won 24 of the last 35 games they've played at Rangers Ballpark. Texas entered the season a respectable 19-19 in New York since 2001, then promptly got swept at Yankee Stadium when the squads met in mid-April. The Yanks outscored the Rangers 17-6 in the series going off as 170-220 MLB betting favorites in each contest.
This is obviously a different Texas team than the Yankees have been beating up on the past 10 seasons. It's even a different team than the one that left New York in April with a 5-7 record in the early going and last in the AL West. Texas has gone 59-40 since that time in taking command of the division; New York is 60-39 by comparison.
What makes the 2010 Rangers different from previous Texas teams is pitching. Ron Washington's staff ranks third in the AL with a 3.78 ERA with some of that certainly due to improved defense behind the Rangers hurlers. The Texas offense is also no longer the one-dimensional lineup of bashers. That Rangers are running away, literally and figuratively, from the rest of the AL with 138 stolen bases on the season and ranks fourth in runs scored with a 4.97 per game average.
Lefty CJ Wilson (16-6, 3.30) will take the mound for the Rangers in Game 1, with Texas on a four-game win streak in his starts. He's coming off his worst outing since mid-May however, lasting just three innings with 85 pitches, walking four and giving up four runs last Wednesday in Seattle. Texas rallied to win the game as 145 favorites, 11-6.
New York got to him for five runs (three earned) in a 5-1 win on April 16. That was the opener of the first series between the two clubs this season, just Wilson's second start of the year, and his first career start at Yankee Stadium. The Rangers were 190 underdogs in the game.
Wilson will be opposed by AJ Burnett (11-11, 4.93). The right-hander was originally to have pitched the Sunday night game against the Red Sox before a tight back during warm-ups held him out. Burnett's last trip to the hill was an ugly 8-6 loss at home to Toronto on Aug. 2 as 180 chalk. He was charged with all eight Blue Jays runs, lasting just 4 2/3 innings and throwing 95 pitches.
Burnett blanked Texas over seven frames in the Bronx on April 17, striking out seven in New York's 7-3 win carrying a minus 170 baseball betting line.
It's going to be another hot one in the D-FW area on Tuesday, with afternoon highs expected to top 100ºF. The thermometer should still be well into the 90s at game time. No chance of rain is in the forecast, with only a slight breeze blowing in from right field.
The short series ends Wednesday night with ESPN broadcasting Game 2 of the matchup. Javier Vazquez (10-10, 4.63) is in line to chunk for the Yankees with Cliff Lee (3-3 with Texas, 12-7 overall, 2.44) up next for the Rangers.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
