American League division leaders square off in the second game of a crucial series at the Ballpark in Arlington.
Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers
Minnesota was nearly no-hit in a 4-0 road loss to the Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington last night, but the team has still won eight of 11 and 21 of 28 games. The Twins carry a 4 1/2-game lead into tonight’s contest and hopes for a better offensive performance in the second game of the series, as they were one-hit for the 24th time in club history on Monday. “You definitely don’t want to get no-hit,” All-Star catcher Joe Mauer said. “It’s nice to get a hit up there but we want runs.” The club is now 17-7 against the AL West division and will look to improve upon its 11-7 mark on Tuesdays this evening. The staff ERA of 2.76 against the division is the lowest of any American League team and the team was 19-21 versus the division in 2009. Minnesota is a solid 14-7 in August (+610) and the total is 10-11 O/U in those contests. The Twins have played six games after being shutout this season, posting an even 3-3 mark (-210) and a 9-9 record over the last three years (-160).
The Cleveland Browns are not the biggest story in town after NBA star LeBron James left the Cavaliers for Miami in the offseason. But they too will have a much different look this season under second-year head coach Eric Mangini and with Team President Mike Holmgren now on board. Gone are former quarterbacks Derek Anderson (Arizona) and Brady Quinn (Denver) in favor of veterans Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace along with rookie Colt McCoy. Cleveland also brought in TE Benjamin Watson and WR Bobby Engram to help stabilize a young receiving corps that is led by Chansi Stuckey, Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi. Delhomme is expected to be the starter for the regular-season opener and will not have a receiver like he did in Carolina with Steve Smith, but he will need to play a key role in developing the youngsters.
Cincinnati currently leads the NL Central division by 3 1/2 games with six weeks to go, as the team starts a three-game series against the Giants. The Reds captured a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon giving the team its eighth win in nine games and guaranteed a winning nine-game West coast road trip. “You can’t help but notice we haven’t done much winning in Los Angeles,” first baseman Joey Votto said. “For us to be the team that finally breaks that streak and gets a winning series on the road, it’s a good thing.” The pitching staff has been fantastic since June 17, posting a 3.15 ERA, which is the third-best mark in the majors over that span. Offensively, the club leads the NL with a .272 average and scoring 4.96 runs per game. The Reds are 15-5 in August (+1,020) and 10-4 as a road underdog of +100 to +125 this season (+760).
Houston salvaged the final game of a three-game series in Florida with a 2-1 victory at Sun Life Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Astros now move on to Philadelphia where they have a 12-7 all-time record at Citizens Bank Park and a 26-16 overall mark against the Phillies since the start of the 2004 season. Tonight’s contest is the fourth game of 10-game road trip against the NL East, as the club is 9-14 versus the division this season. The starting staff has carried the load recently, posting a 2.54 ERA in the last 13 games, with the team compiling a 7-6 record in that span. Houston is 34-55 against right-handed starters this year (-1,000) and the total is 44-41 O/U in those contests. It’s also important to note the team is 5-8 as a road underdog of +125 to +150 in 2010 and a dismal 22-36 in this situation the last three years (-580).
Cincinnati had its season-high seven-game win streak snapped in Saturday’s 8-5 loss to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The Reds lead is now 3 1/2 games in the NL Central race with the Cardinals grabbing a victory over the Giants. “You get spoiled winning,” Baker said. “When you’re winning a lot, you think you’re going to win every game even though you know you’re not.” The club is 4-4 on the West Coast this season, but is still a dismal 17-36 on the West Coast over the last five seasons, which included a 12-game losing streak at today’s venue. Cincinnati has compiled a 22-11 record since the All-Star break that gives them the second-best record in the majors over that span. The Reds have also produced a 14-2-1 mark in their last 17 series. It’s important to note the team is just 8-11 when playing winning opponents in the second half of the season (-330).
