Who takes opener between Rangers, Halos?
With the exception of Cole Hamels, the Rangers haven’t enjoyed much stability in the rotation this year. As the summer approaches, though, that could change in a hurry.
Not only will Yu Darvish return to the mix in a few days, veteran Derek Holland could be trending in a positive direction again. That’s music to the ears of manager Jeff Banister entering tonight’s series opener against the Angels. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI don’t feel quite as bullish about Texas, listing the host squad as a -101 underdog. Los Angeles enters as a 1.5-run favorite.
Holland (3-3, 5.63 ERA) hopes to build on what the 5-0 Hamels accomplished in yesterday’s 9-2 win over the Astros. If the southpaw comes anywhere close to the level he reached a week ago, it shouldn’t be an issue. He held the A’s to a pair of runs across six innings, halting a lengthy personal slide. Holland also tends to enjoy a great amount of success vs. the Halos, going 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA in four meetings since the beginning of 2015.
Mike Scioscia isn’t exactly hamstrung in reference to the mound, either. Nick Tropeano (2-2, 3.20) limits foes to two runs or fewer in 75 percent of his starts. The righty finally received some offensive assistance in his most recent assignment, too, as Los Angeles (20-24) banged out 12 hits in an 8-1 rout of the Dodgers.
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The Rangers (25-19) are playing too well to let such a thing happen in a few hours. Indeed, the much-beleaguered staff posted a 1.00 ERA in the just-completed sweep of Houston. Considering the Angels’ inability to string together base knocks with regularity, we’re fully prepared for a low-scoring affair.
MONDAY MLB FREE PICK: ANGELS/RANGERS UNDER 9.5 RUNS
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