Texas (2-6) +145, o/u 9 ½ at Los Angeles Angels (4-3), 10 p.m. Eastern
by Ultimatecapper.com Staff
The Texas Rangers are already in need of a couple of wins as they head into the second game of a nine-game road trip Tuesday night vs. the Los Angeles Angels.
Texas dropped five of seven games during a season-opening homestand, then fell to the Angels 5-2 in a series opener Monday night, garnering just five hits against L.A. starter John Lackey and two relievers.
The Rangers are already 3 ½ games out of first place, and although it’s way too early to panic, the specter of a disastrous start to this season looms. After two more games in Los Angeles, Texas heads to Oakland for three games and then to Seattle for three more.
The Angels have won three of four games since losing two of three in Seattle to open the season.
Los Angeles dominated the season series with the Rangers in 2005, winning 15 of 19 games. The over went 12-7 in those games. And the Angels have beaten Texas eight games in a row in Anaheim.
Tuesday’s Texas starter Rick Bauer was called up from AAA last week after R.A. Dickey gave up six home runs to the Tigers. Bauer is 1-6 in nine career Major League starts with a 4.41 ERA. He pitched in five games with Baltimore last year, and has never started a game vs. the Angels.
Bauer spent most of last year with AAA Ottawa, where he compiled a 3-8 record with a 4.00 ERA. Bauer started 10 games for the Lynx, allowing 119 baserunners (hits + walks) in 74 innings pitched.
Jeff Weaver is scheduled to make his second start for the Angels since coming over from the Dodgers in the off-season. In his first start of the season last week, Weaver allowed five earned runs and 11 baserunners in 6 1/3 innings in a loss at Seattle.
Weaver went 14-11 for the Dodgers in ’05, with a 4.22 ERA. L.A. was 19-15 in games Weaver started, and the over was 16-17.
Weaver hasn’t started a game vs. the Angels since pitching for the Yankees in 2003.
The Texas bullpen has been pretty good so far this season, allowing 10 earned runs and 34 baserunners in 28 innings pitched.
Los Angeles relievers have combined to allow eight earned runs and 31 baserunners in 25 innings thus far this season.
The Rangers are averaging just 3.6 runs per game so far in 2006, while the Angels are scoring 4.3 runs per game. Texas hitters have drawn 19 walks while striking out an alarming 53 times so far in ’05, while Los Angeles batters have taken just 13 walks and struck out 43 times.
Projected home-plate umpire Jim Reynolds called 35 games behind the plate in 2005. Those games averaged 9.1 runs, while the over went 16-17-2.
The over is 4-3 in Angels games this season, but just 1-3 in Anaheim. The over is 2-5 in Rangers games.
The Ultimatecapper Pick: The Angels have owned Texas athome. Take Los Angeles here.
