Tweet
Rangers Wrap Rays Series, Begin 10-Game Road Trip
Like a top-ranked golfer without a major title, the Texas Rangers close out the final full week in April and begin May as the best team in baseball. Their series finale with the Tampa Bay Rays will catch the spotlight of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball crew (8 p.m. ET), and the same cameras will be on them Monday in Toronto when the Rangers begin a 10-game road trip against the Blue Jays.
Tampa Bay and Texas have started to build a pretty good rivalry after meeting in the ALDS each of the past two seasons, both times with the Rangers emerging victorious. The Rays got a small measure of revenge in Friday's series opener, jumping out to a 4-zip lead in the top of the first en route to an 8-4 triumph as +135 underdogs.
Friday's victory extended Tampa Bay's streak to six games. The Rays haven't had much luck at Rangers Ballpark the past few years, entering the series just 3-9 in regular season action since the start of the '09 campaign. Joe Maddon's crew was looking to extend the win streak on Saturday when the Rays were slated to send Jeff Niemann to the mound opposite Texas' Colby Lewis. The Rangers were priced at -155 for the contest with a 9-run total; results were still pending at press.
Sunday night's clash features mound matchup between a pair of young left-handers as David Price gets the call for the Rays against Texas' Derek Holland in the 8:00 p.m. (ET) start.
Price is off to a 3-1 beginning to '12, and coming off his second career shutout this past Tuesday vs. the struggling Los Angeles Angels. While the shutout was indeed nice, Price's best stat of the night was walking just one batter in the outing. The former Vanderbilt standout entered that game having issued nine free passes over his first 15 frames of the season.
His control will be something to keep an eye on in the early stages of Sunday's game as Price has had his share of troubles with the Rangers lineup. Including his postseason work the past two years, Price owns a 5.29 ERA in nine career outings vs. Texas, with Tampa Bay 3-6 in those games. Two starts in Arlington have yielded a 15.63 ERA, though the Rays did manage to grab a win in one of those contests.
Holland is coming off a rough go against the New York Yankees this past Monday when he walked four and allowed all seven runs in a 7-4 defeat. Like Price, he'll be facing a lineup that he's struggled against over his brief career; five regular season assignments vs. Tampa Bay have netted a 6.51 ERA for Holland, but Texas has won three of the games.
Most of Holland's postseason work vs. Tampa has been out of the bullpen. The one October start he made against the Rays was Game 2 of last year's ALDS, a 5-IP, 1 ER effort to help Texas to the 8-6 victory.
Dan Bellino, in just his third full season umpiring in the bigs, will be south of the dish calling the balls and strikes for Sunday's affair. All three of his previous plate assignments this season finished 'under' the total.
Darvish & Drabek Duel On Monday
Monday's matchup for Texas begins the first of three 10-game road trips the club will endure this season. Another is coming up in early June when the Rangers tour Anaheim, Oakland and San Francisco.
Yu Darvish will be making the fifth appearance of his rookie campaign for Texas on Monday while Toronto sends Kyle Drabek to the hill at Rogers Centre (7:00 p.m. ET).
Darvish has improved with each trip to the mound, and really flashed some of his potential last Tuesday against the Yankees. The right-hander worked into the ninth while keeping New York off the plate, finishing with 10 strikeouts – and most importantly, just two walks – in the Rangers' 2-0 win as -135 chalk.
Texas is now a perfect 4-0 when Darvish pitches, with the total's splitting 2-2 'over/under' in the outings.
Drabek has also been flashing some of his potential this year, helping Toronto to a 3-1 record in his four assignments while compiling a 2.25 ERA. The lone defeat came last Wednesday in Baltimore where the 24-year-old pitched well enough to win (6 IP, 2 ER) but received no support from his offense in the Orioles' 3-0 triumph.
His only experience vs. the Rangers came in an April 2011 contest in the Lone Star State. Drabek tossed six frames and surrendered three runs, all earned, picking up the 6-4 victory.
Toronto won six of the 10 meetings against Texas in 2011, and the Blue Jays are 7-3 in the last 10 clashes at Rogers Centre.
Like a top-ranked golfer without a major title, the Texas Rangers close out the final full week in April and begin May as the best team in baseball. Their series finale with the Tampa Bay Rays will catch the spotlight of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball crew (8 p.m. ET), and the same cameras will be on them Monday in Toronto when the Rangers begin a 10-game road trip against the Blue Jays.
Tampa Bay and Texas have started to build a pretty good rivalry after meeting in the ALDS each of the past two seasons, both times with the Rangers emerging victorious. The Rays got a small measure of revenge in Friday's series opener, jumping out to a 4-zip lead in the top of the first en route to an 8-4 triumph as +135 underdogs.
Friday's victory extended Tampa Bay's streak to six games. The Rays haven't had much luck at Rangers Ballpark the past few years, entering the series just 3-9 in regular season action since the start of the '09 campaign. Joe Maddon's crew was looking to extend the win streak on Saturday when the Rays were slated to send Jeff Niemann to the mound opposite Texas' Colby Lewis. The Rangers were priced at -155 for the contest with a 9-run total; results were still pending at press.
Sunday night's clash features mound matchup between a pair of young left-handers as David Price gets the call for the Rays against Texas' Derek Holland in the 8:00 p.m. (ET) start.
Price is off to a 3-1 beginning to '12, and coming off his second career shutout this past Tuesday vs. the struggling Los Angeles Angels. While the shutout was indeed nice, Price's best stat of the night was walking just one batter in the outing. The former Vanderbilt standout entered that game having issued nine free passes over his first 15 frames of the season.
His control will be something to keep an eye on in the early stages of Sunday's game as Price has had his share of troubles with the Rangers lineup. Including his postseason work the past two years, Price owns a 5.29 ERA in nine career outings vs. Texas, with Tampa Bay 3-6 in those games. Two starts in Arlington have yielded a 15.63 ERA, though the Rays did manage to grab a win in one of those contests.
Holland is coming off a rough go against the New York Yankees this past Monday when he walked four and allowed all seven runs in a 7-4 defeat. Like Price, he'll be facing a lineup that he's struggled against over his brief career; five regular season assignments vs. Tampa Bay have netted a 6.51 ERA for Holland, but Texas has won three of the games.
Most of Holland's postseason work vs. Tampa has been out of the bullpen. The one October start he made against the Rays was Game 2 of last year's ALDS, a 5-IP, 1 ER effort to help Texas to the 8-6 victory.
Dan Bellino, in just his third full season umpiring in the bigs, will be south of the dish calling the balls and strikes for Sunday's affair. All three of his previous plate assignments this season finished 'under' the total.
Darvish & Drabek Duel On Monday
Monday's matchup for Texas begins the first of three 10-game road trips the club will endure this season. Another is coming up in early June when the Rangers tour Anaheim, Oakland and San Francisco.
Yu Darvish will be making the fifth appearance of his rookie campaign for Texas on Monday while Toronto sends Kyle Drabek to the hill at Rogers Centre (7:00 p.m. ET).
Darvish has improved with each trip to the mound, and really flashed some of his potential last Tuesday against the Yankees. The right-hander worked into the ninth while keeping New York off the plate, finishing with 10 strikeouts – and most importantly, just two walks – in the Rangers' 2-0 win as -135 chalk.
Texas is now a perfect 4-0 when Darvish pitches, with the total's splitting 2-2 'over/under' in the outings.
Drabek has also been flashing some of his potential this year, helping Toronto to a 3-1 record in his four assignments while compiling a 2.25 ERA. The lone defeat came last Wednesday in Baltimore where the 24-year-old pitched well enough to win (6 IP, 2 ER) but received no support from his offense in the Orioles' 3-0 triumph.
His only experience vs. the Rangers came in an April 2011 contest in the Lone Star State. Drabek tossed six frames and surrendered three runs, all earned, picking up the 6-4 victory.
Toronto won six of the 10 meetings against Texas in 2011, and the Blue Jays are 7-3 in the last 10 clashes at Rogers Centre.
Comment