Angels @ Rangers (September 14th-17th)

[Molina00]

Projected Matchups
Game 1: Kelvim Escobar (10-13, 3.57 ERA) vs. Edinson Volquez (1-4, 6.75 ERA)
7:05 PM Central on FSN-HD

Game 2: Jered Weaver (11-2, 2.30 ERA) vs. Robinson Tejeda (4-3, 5.22 ERA)
7:35 PM Central on KDFI

Game 3: John Lackey (11-10, 3.53 ERA) vs. Adam Eaton (5-4, 4.69 ERA)
7:05 PM Central on KDFI

Game 4: Ervin Santana (14-7, 4.50 ERA) vs. Vicente Padilla (13-9, 4.44 ERA)
1:05 PM Central no TV

Game 1 Matchup Notes
Escobar: Kelvim has pitched very well over his last 3 starts allowing only 4 earned runs over 23 innings, and has pitched 7 or more innings in each of his last 5 starts. He has struggled in 2 starts against the Rangers this year losing both allowing 11 runs on 16 hits over 10.2 innings of work.

Volquez: Edinson has not pitched well in his 3 starts since shutting out the Mariners over 7 innings. In his last 3 starts he has gone 0-3 with an ERA of 11.57. This is Volquez's first start of the year against the Angels.

Game 2 Matchup Notes
Weaver: Exluding his start against the Mariners on August 29th where he allowed 5 runs in 4.1 innings, has been awesome in 5 of his last 6 starts going 4-1 with a stellar 1.42 ERA. This is Weaver's 2nd career start against the Rangers. In his first start against them on August 3rd, he allowed 3 runs on 8 hits over 6 innings in a no decision.

Tejeda: In 5 starts since being recalled from Triple A Oklahoma, Tejeda has been solid posting a 3-0 record with an awesome 2.35 ERA. In his only other start against the Angels on May 24th he allowed 5 runs on 6 hits over 3.1 innings.

Game 3 Matchup Notes
Lackey: He has already made 3 starts against the Rangers this season, going 1-1 with an ERA of 5.20, although he has allowed 13 total runs in 17.1 innings of work against Texas.

Eaton: Adam pitched well in his last start against the Mariners going 6 innings and allowing just 2 runs. He also struck out 5 and didn't walk a batter. His 2 August starts against the Angels were polar opposites. In his first, he pitched just 2/3rds of an inning after being ejected for hitting an Angel batter. In his 2nd start he went 7 innings allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits.

Game 4 Matchup Notes
Santana: He has struggled a bit over his last 4 starts going 2-1 with an ERA of 5.93 ERA. In 2 August starts against the Rangers, Santana is 1-0 with 9 runs allowed over 13 innings of work.

Padilla: Vicente has had a very rough September going 0-1 with an ERA of 7 in 3 starts so far, but he looked like he snapped out of his slump in his last start allowing just 2 runs over 7 innings against the Tigers. Padilla is 1-0 with a 7.47 ERA in 3 starts against the Angels this year.

[Molina00]

No score after 1 inning so far. Volquez and Escobar both matched each other with perfect first innings.

[Molina00]

The Angels got their first of the day from Howie Kendrick but it was an otherwise quick inning for Volquez. Now 2 scoreless innings in the books for Edinson.

[Molina00]

Escobar got 2 quick outs to start the bottom of the 2nd then DeRosa drew the 2-out walk to keep the inning alive. Ian Kinsler follows by striking out swinging. That was the 2nd strikeout of the inning by Escobar. He also struck out Carlos Lee leading off the inning.
The game is scoreless through 2 innings so far.

[Molina00]

Volquez got 2 quick outs to start the inning before a Maicer Izturis double, that made him the first player in the game to get into scoring position. Orlando Cabrera followed by flying to rightfield to end the inning. Now 3 scoreless innings for Volquez.

[Molina00]

Laird leads off the bottom of the 3rd by flying out to leftfield.
Nelson Cruz follows with a walk.
Matthews hit into the double to end the inning.

Still scoreless through 3 innings.
Each team with 2 baserunners so far. The Angels with 2 hits, the Rangers with 2 walks.

[Molina00]

Volquez is on fire tonight. He very quickly retired Vlad Guerrero and struck out both Garrett Anderson and Juan Rivera for a 1-2-3 fourth inning.

[Molina00]

Bottom of the 4th
Michael Young grounds out to secondbase for the first out.
Mark Teixeira grounds out to shortstop for the second out.
Carlos Lee singles to leftfield. Runner on 1st, 2 out.
Carlos Lee goes to 2nd on a wild pitch by Escobar. Runner on 2nd, 2 out.
Hank Blalock draws the walk with an 8 pitch at bat. Runners on 1st and 2nd, 2 out.
Mark DeRosa singles into centerfield. Lee scores, Blalock to 2nd. Runner on 2nd, 2 out. Rangers lead 1-0.
Ian Kinsler grounds out back to the mound to end the inning.

Rangers lead 1-0 after 4 innings.

[Molina00]

Volquez is running into some 5th inning trouble. He got Kendrick to leadoff the inning but Kennedy followed with a single and Jose Molina homered to give the Angels a 2-1 lead. Chone Figgins then singled.

Runner on 1st with 1 out. Angels lead 2-1.

[Molina00]

Bottom of the 6th just ended and the Rangers still trail 2-1.
Hector Carrasco pitched the last 2 innings for the Angels giving up 2 hits and a walk but held the Rangers scoreless. Volquez pitched solid innings before being pulled in favor of Rick Bauer who pitched a scoreless 6th.

[Providence A's]

score some runs already...that way you don't have to see k-rod act like he just saved the planet from complete annihilation...classless showboating guy IMHO

[Molina00]

Rick Bauer set down the Angels 1-2-3 in the 7th including a strikeout of Adam Kennedy.

[Molina00]

see k-rod act like he just saved the planet from complete annihilation

That sounds like a TV series pitch.

[Molina00]

Bottom of the 7th
Gerald Laird grounds out shortstop for the first out.
Nelson Cruz singles to rightfield. Runner on 1st, 1 out.
Gary Matthews Jr. grounds into a force out. Runner on 1st, 2 out.

Pitching Change: Scot Shields replaces Hector Carrasco.

Michael Young grounds into a force out to end the inning.

Angels lead 2-1 after 7 innings.

[Molina00]

Top of the 8th
Pitching Change: Joaquin Benoit replaces Rick Bauer.

Maicer Izturis grounds out to shortstop for the first out.
Orlando Cabrera pops out in foul territory for the 2nd out.
Vladimir Guerrero pops out in foul territory for the 3rd out.

It's a 1-2-3 innings for Benoit.

Angels lead 2-1 going into the bottom of the 8th.