Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels

The Texas Rangers looked at their home series with the Los Angeles Angels as a way to re-claim first place and show that their team was different than the Rangers’ teams from the past.

They had better getting going then.

Texas (40-35) dropped the first game of their three-game series with Los Angeles (42-32), fell 2 1/2 games behind the Angels in the AL West and guaranteed that the Rangers would stay second banana even if they take the next two games in the series.

The Rangers once held a 4 1/2 game lead on the Angels after they swept them in Arlington last month, but the Los Angeles Angels today are a different team than they were then.

Los Angeles claimed a gritty 5-2 victory on Monday night to win their sixth straight contest, and 13th in 16 tries, while Texas dropped their third in a row. A win on Tuesday would match the Angels’ season-high of seven straight wins set June 12-19.

The real question which will show that the Angels are indeed the Angels of old will be how Joe Saunders (8-4, 3.66) throws. Rangers Ballpark has been a house of horrors for Saunders as he has lost four straight starts in Arlington, posting a 0-4 record with a 10.29 ERA there.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Saunders is on a personal hot streak, looking to win his third straight decision, having gone 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA over his last three games, including surrendered a run over six innings in an 11-3 victory over the red-hot Colorado Rockies.

Even though they will not ascend to first place, the Texas Rangers need to win these next two games to send a message to their rivals that they are not going anywhere. With this in mind, Texas will turn to Scott Feldman (5-2, 4.06) thinking that he is due for a victory. Feldman last won on June 3, going 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA during that time after starting 5-0.

Feldman faced Los Angeles earlier this season and held them scoreless, but did not get a decision in the May 17 4-0 Texas victory.

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