GAME:
Los Angeles Angels (78-83) at Texas Rangers (90-71)
DATE/TIME:
Sunday, September 29 - 3:05 PM EST
WHERE:
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, Texas
LINE:
N/A
TOTAL:
N/A
The Texas Rangers have put themselves in position to secure a wild card, and a victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Sunday will assure them of extending the season by at least one more game. The Rangers have ripped off six consecutive victories to move into a tie with Tampa Bay for the second wild card, one game behind Cleveland. Yu Darvish will take the mound for the Rangers in search of his sixth straight victory over the Angels.
There are myriad possibilities for wild-card tiebreakers, but the Rangers are focused on beating Los Angeles for an eighth straight time in Texas. "It doesn't change what we need to do; we need to come in and win a game," Texas closer Joe Nathan said. "We don't want to have to rely on somebody to help us all the time." The Angels are 4-14 against the Rangers this season and are coming off a ragged five-error performance in Saturday's loss.
TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), FSSW (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Jason Vargas (9-7, 4.01 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Yu Darvish (13-9, 2.82)
Vargas recorded his third complete game in his last outing, tossing a four-hit shutout at the Oakland Athletics. It snapped a four-start winless drought for Vargas, who was knocked around for 19 runs over 20 1/3 innings during the skid. Vargas has not factored in the decision in three starts against the Rangers this season and is 4-6 with a 4.35 ERA in 18 appearances (16 starts) against them.
Darvish has only one win over his last eight starts and lasted only 5 1/3 innings in his last outing, allowing two runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings against Houston. The major-league leader with 269 strikeouts, Darvish has won all three starts against the Angels this season while giving up six runs in 18 innings. He is 6-1 with a 3.83 ERA in nine career starts against Los Angeles.
WALK-OFFS
1. Darvish is 7-6 and is holding opposing batters to a .196 average in 18 home starts.
2. Angels CF Mike Trout, who needs four RBIs to reach 100, is 8-for-26 with three homers against Darvish.
3. Rangers CF Craig Gentry is 15-for-33 over his last nine games but is 3-for-19 versus Vargas.
PREDICTION: Rangers 4, Angels 3