Tuesday MLB: L.A. Angels (42-32) at Texas Rangers (40-35)
It seems order has been restored to the AL West, as the preseason favorite Angels are back on top and the Rangers, who held first for weeks, seem to be sinking into mediocrity.
Los Angeles moved 2 1/2 games ahead of Texas with a 5-2 victory Monday in the opener of this three-game series. The Angels were swept in their last visit to Arlington from May 15-17, but have now won 13 of 16 and six in a row. Actually, it was interleague play that really got the Halos going, as they went 14-4 against the NL.
Texas, which was in first place for 43 days, has lost three straight and its offense is struggling. The Rangers are 10-15 in June and have totaled five runs in the past three games. The club’s total of 90 runs in June is the worst in the American League, and the lineup leads the AL in striking out. The Rangers’ batting average and on-base percentages for the month are the worst in the majors.
In fact, if Texas doesn’t have a big game tonight, it will finish with the worst batting average for one month since hitting .183 in September, 1972, their first season out of Washington. A big part of that has been the absence of the injured Josh Hamilton, who might be able to return this weekend.
The Los Angeles offense is rolling. The Angels led all MLB teams in interleague play with 118 run scored and tied Detroit for the home run lead with 29. L.A. trailed only Tampa Bay in batting average. The Angels batted .297, while the Rays hit an even .300. All this was done mainly without star Vladimir Guerrero, who was reduced to a pinch-hitting role in half of those games because there is no DH in NL parks.
“We’ve had a good flow going, everybody jumping in and contributing,” Torii Hunter said. “We’ve been generating some power, too. We’ve got some guys here who can go deep.”
Guerrero is a career. 395 hitter against Texas with 63 RBIs in 88 games.
Texas actually has opened as the -117 money line favorite for tonight’s game on WagerWeb.com. Rangers starter Scott Feldman (5-2, 4.06 ERA) might be pitching for his spot in the rotation as he is 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in eight games, including six starts, at home. He threw six scoreless innings in a start against the Angels on May 17 that the Rangers eventually won, 3-0.
L.A. starts Joe Saunders (8-4, 3.66 ERA). He struggles big time in Arlington, with career numbers of 0-4 with a 10.29 ERA in four career starts in Arlington. He has won his past two starts overall, however.
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