Series Preview: Texas @ Sox

Texas Rangers (32-46)
AL WEST: 16.5 GB
STREAK: L-1 LST 10: 7-3
AVG: .259 (10th) ERA: 5.34 (13th)
RUNS: 409 (3rd) HRs: 99 (1st)

Probable Pitching Matchups:
GM1 Fri 7EST Wright (1-1, 7.43) vs. Wakefield (7-8, 4.52)
Wake needs a good outing like Pacman Jones needs an image makeover, and what better time to get one than against the horsehide-ripping, bat-flipping Rangers.

Uh, maybe not.

Luckily he'll be opposed by recently rehabbed Jamey Wright, who after a 2+ inning outing against the D-Rays on April 10th spent the next 2+ months on the DL with a (stop me if you've heard this before ) a shoulder injury. Gulp.
MY PICK: Sox in a slugfest

GM2 Sat 7EST Tejada (5-7, 6.57) vs. Beckett (11-1, 3.07)
Tejada baffled Boston with a 7-inning, 2-hit masterpiece in early April, but he's facing the best pitcher in either league tonight, so I don't foresee a repeat performance.

Did I mention Boston has the best pitcher in baseball going for them?
MY PICK: Sox

GM3 Sun 2EST Loe (4-6, 6.02) vs. Tavarez (5-5, 4.60)
Julie needs to rebound from the disaster in Seattle, and he'll have a chance to atone for himself against the equally erratic lanky right Kameron Loe.
MY PICK: Sox win another slugfest

GM4 Mon 7EST Millwoood (4-7, 7.06) vs. Gabbard (1-0, 6.48)
Millwood was supposed to be the savior of the staff when signed to a huge deal before last season, yet two stints on the DL this year and a 2-19 record in a year and a half isn't what the Rangers had in mind for their $60 million investment.

Gabbard-who knows.
MY PICK: Sox could lose this one

Season Series: Sox lead, 3-2

Key Players: (* Mark Teixera is on the DL)

• Sammy Sosa .255/13HR/62BI-- he recently became the 5th member of the 600 HR club, and somehow the once-exiled superstar has made it back to the game as a valuable contributor to an offensive powerhouse; he's 4th in the AL in ribbies and has hit in six straight games at a .391 (9-23) clip
• Michael Young .296/45R/42BI-- last time Boston played Texas, the career .300 hitter was baatting .240; but thanks to a hot June (.384, hit in 20 of 24 games) his average is right back where it's accustomed to being
• Ian Kinsler .241/14HR/50R/45BI-- the young second baseman is 7th in the AL in homers and leads the Rangers in longballs and is second in runs scored behind Kenny Lofton
  

Preview:
To say the Texas Rangers like to hit is akin to saying Lindsay Lohan likes to snort blow, drink like a fish and act like an obliterated tramp in public.

That is to say, it's redundant.

Five players on the team have 9 or more homers, and an astounding 17 players have hit at least one home run for the team. By contrast Boston has three players with 9+ homers, and just 13 who have homered for them. Texas has also hit 19 more homers total than Boston, yet have lost 17 more games than the Sox.

And the moral is, kids: homers don't necessarily translate into victories.

What does is quality pitching, something the Sox had in abundant supply (until they hit Seattle), and a commodity that the Rangers have been lacking since, oh, the mid-70s.

Once again a pathetic pitching staff is preventing the offensively explosive Rangers from climbing atop the standings in the AL West, as an incredible six regulars have an ERA of 5.90 or greater, and two starters, Bruce Chen & Kevin Millwood, have ERA near or over 7.00. Yikes.

Oh, and they're defense is pathetic, too (2nd most errors in the league, behind Tampa Bay.)

Hopefully the Sox can put the combination of home cooking and superior pitching to work in sweeping the Rangers out of town.

But the way the Rangers hit the baseball, coupled with the recent ragged pitching of the likes of Wake, Julie and Gabbard, could mean setting our goals a little bit lower.

We'll settle for taking three out of four.

GO Sox!