Sunday Night Baseball: Rangers at Angels
Published on July 22 at 2:52 p.m. Eastern.
By Brian Edwards
The Texas Rangers (56-37, +144) will attempt to add cushion to their six-game lead in the American-League West when they go for the sweep at the Los Angeles Angels in Sunday’s prime-time affair in Southern California.
Ron Washington’s club has cruised to 6-1 and 9-2 victories in the first two of this three-game set. The Rangers captured a 9-2 win Saturday afternoon as minus-118 favorites.
Adrian Beltre cracked his 18th homer and Mike Napoli went deep with a pair of solo shots. Ian Kinsler also homered and doubled in a 2-for-5 performance with three RBIs. Yu Darvish threw seven strong innings and struck out 11 en route to his 11th victory.
Most books opened this game as a pick ‘em with a total of eight ‘over’ (minus-115). Gamblers can take the Angels on the run line (minus 1 ½ runs) for a monster plus-175 return (risk $100 to win $175).
As of Saturday afternoon at 2:45 p.m. Eastern, most books had adjusted Texas to a minus-120 ‘chalk’ with the total remaining at eight. Some books have the total at a flat price (minus-110 either way), while others have it shaded ‘over’ or ‘under’ at a minus-115 rate.
Matt Harrison (12-4, 2.87) will get the starting nod for the Rangers, who have seen the ‘under’ cash at a 12-5 clip in his 17 outings. Harrison has been dynamite all season long, compiling an 8-2 record and 2.76 ERA in 10 road assignments. The ‘under’ has gone 6-4 in his road starts.
L.A. will counter Harrison with Dan Haren, who is 6-8 with a 4.86 ERA. The veteran right-hander has been on the disabled list since July 4 with soreness in his back. Haren is 2-5 with a 4.53 ERA in nine home starts this year.
The Angels are an abysmal 2-7 with Haren on the mound at home. The ‘under’ has gone 5-4.
Texas has the second-best record in the majors thanks in large part to sluggers Adrian Beltre and Josh Hamilton. Beltre is hitting .319 with 18 homers and 61 RBIs, while Hamilton is batting .298 with 28 homers and 78 RBIs.
The Rangers own a 27-21 road record, while the Angels are cashing tickets at a 26-19 clip in their home games.
The ‘under’ is 52-40 overall for L.A., 27-17 in its home games.
The ‘under’ is 50-40 overall for the Rangers, 26-21 in their road games. The ‘under’ has hit in 13 of their last 16 contests.
The Angels have posted a 17-13 record in 30 previous games against left-handed pitching, while the Rangers have gone 40-23 versus righties.
ESPN will provide television coverage tonight at 8:05 p.m. Eastern.
