Texas @ Florida preview
Sun Life Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 16, 2010 ) Texas 6, Florida 3
The Texas Rangers didn’t have too long to celebrate Michael Young becoming the franchise’s all-time hits leader on Wednesday night. Instead, the Rangers had to worry about the state of their rotation.
Tommy Hunter suffered the latest setback, leaving in the third inning with a strained right hip flexor muscle on Wednesday. And the Rangers, who are on a four-game winning streak, have to send long reliever Dustin Nippert to the mound for Thursday’s three-game series finale against the Florida Marlins, who will counter with right-hander Ricky Nolasco.
Nippert, who is starting in place of Rich Harden, got the nod over left-hander Matt Harrison because of the Marlins’ heavy right-handed lineup.
It will be Nippert’s first start this season, but he has been in similar situations in the past. Last year, Nippert started 10 games, going 3-3 with a 4.65 ERA. As a reliever, he was 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA.
Nippert had his longest outing this season back on May 14, when he threw 47 pitches over three innings against the Blue Jays. His last appearance came June 10 against the Mariners, when he went 1 1/3 innings and threw 22 pitches.
The Rangers intend to let Nippert go as long as he can with a pitch count of about 50-60. Nippert has been effective out of the bullpen this season, as he has recorded a strikeout in 18 consecutive outings. That’s the second-longest strikeout streak by a reliever in Rangers history.
Young made a little history of his own Wednesday night, hitting an opposite field double and a single up the middle to surpass Ivan Rodriguez for most career hits in a Rangers uniform. Josh Hamilton and Julio Borbon added solo home runs in the 6-3 Texas victory.
The Marlins, meanwhile, struggled at the plate with only four hits. Florida scored two of its three runs on RBI groundouts from Hanley Ramirez, while Chris Coghlan brought in the other run with a double in the fifth inning. The 3-4-5 hitters – Ramirez, Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla – combined to go 0-for-11 with three strikeouts.
Nolasco is coming off his shortest outing of the season. He gave up five runs on nine hits, including three solo home runs, over 2 1/3 innings in a losing effort against Tampa Bay. In his previous start against the Mets on June 6, Nolasco also struggled, lasting 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
With Nippert and Nolasco respectively starting, it could be a slugfest to determine whether the Rangers leave South Beach with a sweep, or the Marlins salvage the series finale.