Los Angeles Angels vs. Texas Rangers

No matter the location, Arlington or Anaheim, the Texas Rangers have had little trouble in face-to-face matchups with the Los Angeles Angels this season.

After taking five of six in two series at Rangers Ballpark, the season series shifted to Angel Stadium for the first time this year on Monday as the Angels upheld the home field by posting a 9-4 victory.

The Texas Rangers responded with an 8-5 decision on Tuesday, which sets up the series rubber match on Wednesday. It is fitting that the teams came into the series tied atop the AL West and the game on Wednesday will decide who is in first, for now.

The teams are deadlocked in first with matching records of 46-36, but if all things are equal to this point, they may not be in the series finale.

Vladimir Guerrero may not be in the lineup after leaving Tuesday’s loss with a strained muscle behind his right knee. The Los Angeles Angels will definitely miss Guerrero’s bat as he has been hitting .341 (15 for 44) with three homers and 11 RBIs over his previous 12 games.

Guerrero missed the first month and change of the season due to injury and injuries are no stranger to the men taking the hill on Wednesday attempting to give their teams sole possession of first place.

Going for the visiting Rangers will be Vicente Padilla (6-4, 4.75), who was originally scheduled to be the starter on Tuesday, but instead was pushed back in favor of Dustin Nippert.

Padilla was roughed up against Los Angeles last week when the teams faced each other on June 29, allowing five runs on 10 hits and left with no outs in the sixth, ones of his shortest outings of the season.

Ervin Santana (1-4, 7.43) has been battling through injuries and ineffectiveness all season after a storybook 2008 season in which the veteran captured 16 wins. Santana came off the disabled list for the second time this season last Friday and the results were not encouraging as he allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits in five innings. Santana picked up the loss to run his record at home to 0-2 with a 12.12 ERA.

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