Texas @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 27, 2016 ) NY Yankees 2, Texas 3

The Texas Rangers are looking very much like the best team in the American League and they have the record to prove it. The Rangers just got done picking off one AL East team and will try for another when they open a 10-game road trip by visiting the New York Yankees on Monday for the first of four contests.

Texas put 23 runs up while taking two of three from the Boston Red Sox over the weekend and is 27-8 since May 20 to open up a commanding lead in the AL West. The Rangers (49-27) should have nothing but confidence heading out on the road after going 8-2 on a 10-game trip from June 10-19 and are trying to reach 50 wins before the end of June for the second time in team history. The Yankees are toiling around .500 and had a three-game winning streak come to an end with a 7-1 loss to the major-league worst Minnesota Twins on Sunday. New York is already hearing rumblings about trades and is looking at a brutal stretch leading into the All-Star break with a 10-game road trip following the series against the Rangers.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Chi Chi Gonzalez (2015: 4-6, 3.90 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Ivan Nova (5-5, 5.18)

Gonzalez spent plenty of time in the majors last season and is getting another chance with three of Texas’ starters on the disabled list. The 24-year-old was 3-6 with a 5.04 ERA for Triple-A Round Rock in 14 starts but managed to hold major league hitters to a .202 batting average in 14 appearances last season. Gonzalez did not see the Yankees in 2015 and went 2-3 with a 2.87 ERA on the road.

Nova is having a hard time since taking over CC Sabathia’s spot in the rotation and failed to make it through six innings in either of his last two outings. The Dominican Republic native was ripped for a total of 11 runs – 10 earned – and 18 hits in nine innings, with both of those starts coming against Colorado. Nova is better in his career against Texas, owning a 3-2 record with a 4.85 ERA in seven games – six starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira hit a solo home run on Sunday to snap a career-long string of 147 straight homerless at-bats.

2. Texas OF Ian Desmond has hit safely in eight straight games and homered in three of the last six.

3. New York CF Jacoby Ellsbury is 2-for-16 in his last four starts.

PREDICTION: Rangers 8, Yankees 6