The line has not come out, but regardless what the line is I am going to take Baltimore. Tomorrow morning is a big game for Baltimore because they do not want to start a losing slide. They will be fired up for this game after allowing Hamilton hit 4 HR's on their own turf. They were a little worn out after the Boston series and this day of rest will really help them regather themselves. Baltimore should be pissed off about the two embarrasing losses and the Rangers doing slip and slide on their tarp. They really need to show this league if they can hold up with the best team in the AL.
I have backed Chen in his last couple outings as I really like the way this kid pitches. It really helps that Texas has never hit against him because he switches things up a lot. He has a lot of confidence on the mound and he knows this is his first REAL test of his short career. Last week his defense really fucked him over and got him into a high pitch count early. I think his defense makes the the simple plays this time so he can go 7 innings strong. He stays calm when there are runners on base and sticks with his style.
Colby Lewis on the other hand is overrated in my opinion. Im sure Texas will be an away favorite because of the hype around their offense and their record. Baltimore has been in a real slump offensively these last two games and the perfect pitcher is on the mound to break out of this slump. Lewis has really struggled against the Orioles losing to them last year at Camden Yards giving up two home runs and 5 runs in the loss. In the last three years Lewis has gone 0-2 at Camden Yards with a 5.68 ERA giving up 9 runs and 15 hits in 12.2 IP while opponents are batting .294. He is also 7-6 with a 5.32 ERA while giving up an average 1 homerun per 6 IP in day games in the last three years. Lewis has pitched well this year, but his last outing he showed his true colors which I think continues over to Thursdays start. I'm sure he was already thinking about the horrible outings he has had at Camden Yards in the past couple years and now he has to wait another day to pitch which pitchers do not like. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Baltimore teams that have shelled Lewis have not been good by any means. He is going to see a much better and potent line up than in the past. This team has heart and I dont think they lose three straight to the AL champs. Much bigger game for Baltimore.
Baltimore
(No matter what the line is)
Take note that the Rangers are hitting .308 ag ainst lefties with a .364 OBP. In comparison the Orioles are hitting .243 against righties with a .303 OBP. I look for Colby Lewis to return to his form and out pitch Chen who is facing a Texas team who has scored 24 runs in the past two nights and are averaging 5.67 runs per game...
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