Texas @ Los Angeles preview
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Last Meeting ( Aug 5, 2013 ) Texas 5, LA Angels 2
The Texas Rangers fared well in their first game without slugger Nelson Cruz. They look to continue their recent success Tuesday, when they visit the American League West-rival Los Angeles Angels for the middle contest of their three-game series. Cruz, who leads Texas with 27 home runs, was one of 12 players to receive a 50-game suspension Monday for their involvement in the Biogenesis scandal and will miss the remainder of the regular season. He is, however, eligible to return for the postseason should the Rangers qualify.
The club took a step toward that goal Monday, posting a 5-2 triumph in the series opener to move one-half game ahead of the Cleveland Indians for the AL's second wild card spot. Texas also pulled within two games of the division-leading Oakland Athletics as it posted its seventh win in eight contests. The Angels continue to fade as they lost for the eighth time in 11 games and fell into fourth place in the West, 13 games behind Oakland and 11 behind Texas for the wild card.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Yu Darvish (10-5, 2.66 ERA) vs. Angels RH Garrett Richards (3-4, 4.18)
Darvish is coming off another stellar effort, as he scattered five hits while recording a career high-tying 14 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings in Thursday's victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old native of Japan has produced three scoreless outings and another in which he yielded just one run over his last five starts but is just 3-2 in that span. Darvish improved to 5-1 lifetime against the Angels when he allowed only three hits and fanned 11 over six scoreless frames on April 24 in Los Angeles.
Richards will be making his seventh start of the season and third in a row. The 25-year-old defeated the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, allowing two runs and four hits in seven innings. Richards is 1-0 with a 5.79 ERA in seven career games - three starts - against the Rangers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Richards has allowed two runs over 12 innings in two starts since replacing RHP Joe Blanton in the starting rotation.
2. Angels 2B Howie Kendrick left Monday's game in the fifth inning with a hyperextended left knee and is day-to-day.
3. Los Angeles released RHP Ryan Madson, who still is recovering from Tommy John surgery and has not pitched in the majors since 2011 with Philadelphia.
PREDICTION: Rangers 7, Angels 3