Tampa Bay @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2024 ) Tampa Bay 2, Texas 13

The Texas Rangers have been winning, even if they haven't been doing much scoring.

The Rangers will try to get their bats going when they host the Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game series starting Friday in Arlington, Texas.

Rangers right-hander Tyler Mahle (0-0, 5.40 ERA) faces Rays right-hander Zack Littell (0-1, 1.50) in the opener.

Texas is coming off consecutive 1-0 wins to take two of three games in Cincinnati. It was the first time in Rangers history the club has won consecutive 1-0 games. The Rays hit the road after a 4-2 start at home, including a 4-2 loss on Wednesday to Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Rangers' offense -- expected to be formidable in 2025 -- has yet to spark. Texas enters the series with 18 runs scored, tied for the second fewest in the American League. The Rays' and Rangers' lineups have the fewest strikeouts among AL teams with 41 and 44, respectively.

Tampa Bay leads the AL with a 2.00 team ERA through its first six games. Texas is third at 2.90.

Veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar, who signed with the Rangers after deciding he wasn't ready to retire after 13 major league seasons, has three hits and an RBI in three games. His presence has allowed the Rangers to start Evan Carter at Triple-A after the young outfielder struggled at the plate this spring.

"You try to control things you control, and a lot of that is your individual performance," Pillar said. "When you come into a place like this, where the expectation is to win every single day, the focus on you becomes way less. That's a perfect place for me to be as I just go out and do my job, be one of nine guys and not be so concerned about what I did, but how I can help this team win a game."

The Rays' pitching has been outstanding through the first week. As a staff, Tampa Bay has walked six batters, the fewest in franchise history through the first six games of a season. The next-closest team, the St. Louis Cardinals, has handed out 13 walks. The Rays' 12 earned runs are tied for the club's second-fewest allowed in the first six games of a campaign.

"We just got to it and played baseball, so I'm proud of the guys for that," Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the team's opening homestand at its temporary home in Tampa. "Now, we can get on the road for three days, come back, and I'm guessing it'll feel that much more like home when we get back here."

Mahle allowed a run on two hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday in his first start of the season. He is still on a pitch count after returning from Tommy John surgery late last season. He has never faced Tampa Bay in his career.

Littell gave up a run on four hits and no walks while striking out seven in six innings and took the loss in his first start on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies. He is 0-2 with a 5.74 ERA in eight appearances (three starts) lifetime against the Rangers.

--Field Level Media