Tonight marks the beginning of the most important 10-game stretch to date for the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers converge on Anaheim, California trailing the AL West leading Angels by a game-and-a-half. The Rangers and Angels will play three games in Anaheim, followed by four games in Arlington next Monday through Thursday.
Tonight, Chris Young toes the rubber for the Rangers. He'll be facing the weakest link in the Angels rotation, Paul Byrd. Give tonight's game to the Rangers. On Tuesday, Chan Ho Park, he of the dubious 7-1 record faces Angels ace Bartolo Colon. The Angels get game two. The rubber game on Wednesday features the Gambler against Jarrod Washburn. Texas clearly has the upper hand in the finale with Rogers toeing the rubber but Texas has been abysmal this year against left-handed pitching. What would seemingly be a Ranger strength is off-set by the Angels pitching Washburn. Wednesday's game is a push.
For me, rather than getting too high or low on the basis of this three-game set in Anaheim, I'm going to view these seven games between now and next Thursday as one extended series. If the Rangers could take five of seven, it would be awesome. I could live with four of seven. But anything less than four will be a disappointment during a crucial mid-season stretch.
Mark Teixeira is phenomenal. Yesterday, he took the Major League lead in home runs by clubbing his 20th of the year. He is on a +50 pace in home runs on a year when home runs are down. Perhaps as impressive has been his Gold Glove caliber play at first base. Tex is the total package.
One overwhelming sentiment among the DFW press is the Rangers selection of John Mayberry, Jr. with their number one draft pick two weeks ago is the heir apparent to the first base spot with the Rangers. The press corps reasoning is since Tex's agent is Scott Boras, his asking price will be through the roof when he hits free agency following the 2007 season.
That's a long way off -- I simply want to relish the opportunity to watch an MVP in the making day-in, day-out. He may not be a Ranger come 2008, but the privilege to watch him for the next two-and-a-half years is going to be great!
