Texas @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 15, 2012 ) Texas 2, NY Yankees 3

The Texas Rangers came into the Bronx looking to clearly establish themselves as the top team in the American League and a World Series favorite. It hasn’t exactly worked out like that. The New York Yankees’ pitching staff has quieted the best offense in baseball, holding the Rangers to a total of four runs while taking the first three contests of the four-game set. The Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the mound looking for the sweep on Thursday.

Texas couldn’t touch Hiroki Kuroda on Tuesday, managing two hits in the 2-0 shutout. It also failed to get much done against Freddy Garcia and the New York bullpen in Wednesday’s 3-2 setback. Josh Hamilton hit a pair of solo home runs for the Rangers and has been hot lately while the rest of the lineup has struggled. Adrian Beltre and Michael Young are in deep slumps while Ian Kinsler has yet to record a hit in the series. The Yankees’ pitching has had something to do with that, as the unlikely duo of David Phelps and Derek Lowe helped kick off the series on Monday.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FSSW (Texas), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Derek Holland (7-6, 4.92 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Ivan Nova (11-6, 4.70)

Holland snapped out of a funk last time out, striking out nine and holding the Detroit Tigers to one run on three hits in 7 2/3 innings. The left-hander had been pounded for nine home runs and a 7.00 ERA over his previous four turns. Holland was battered by the Yankees for seven runs on nine hits in six innings on April 23. He recorded only one strikeout and walked four in that turn. The 25-year-old is 0-5 with a 9.26 ERA in his career against New York.

Nova emerged from his own haze last week, striking out 10 and yielding two runs over 7 1/3 innings to beat Toronto. The 25-year-old had been reached for 16 runs on 21 hits in 10 1/3 innings over his previous two outings. Nova missed the Rangers earlier this season but has made three career starts against them, going 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA. Hamilton and Kinsler are a combined 4-for-9 with a homer and three RBIs against Nova.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees 2B Robinson Cano sat out Wednesday with a stiff neck. He is day-to-day.

2. Hamilton has hit safely in 12 of the last 13 games, totaling five home runs in that span to reach a career-high 34 on the season.

3. New York 3B Eric Chavez has been red-hot lately, recording multiple hits in six straight games. He is 14-for-23 (.609) in that span.