Rangers @ Angels: April 2nd-4th

[Molina00]

Game 1 Matchup
Kevin Millwood (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. John Lackey (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
9:05 PM Central on ESPN2

Game 2 Matchup
Vicente Padilla (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Kelvim Escobar (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
9:05 PM Central

Game 3 Matchup
Brandon McCarthy (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Ervin Santana (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
2:35 PM Central on FSN

Game 1 Matchup
Millwood: Led the Rangers in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts last season. Finished 9-5 with a 3.74 ERA in 17 starts on the road last year and has pitched well against the Angels in his career going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 3 career starts against them.

Lackey: Was the Angels ace last year winning 13 games with a 3.56 ERA and struck out 190 batters in 217 innings and pitched 2 shutouts. He did not pitch well against the Rangers last year though going 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in 4 starts against them. His home ERA last year was 0.65 points higher than his road ERA.

Game 2 Matchup
Padilla: Had a career year in 2006 posting career highs in wins, starts, quality starts, and strikeouts. In 16 road starts Padilla went 7-5 with a 4.20 ERA. He did not pitch well against the Angels however, going 2-0 with a 5.09 ERA in 4 starts against them in '06.

Escobar: Had a solid season for the Angels in '06 winning 11 games and posting an ERA of 3.61 over 30 starts. He pitched much better on the road than at home posting a 3.35 ERA vs. a 3.92 home ERA. He also struggled in 4 starts against Texas going 0-3 with a 7.16 ERA in 2006.

Game 3 Matchup
McCarthy: Brandon's game 3 start will be only the 13th start of his major league career. In his 12 career starts he has been solid posting a 4-3 record with a 4.12 ERA. He has pitched 4 times against the Angels in his career, all of them in relief, and has posted a 4.26 ERA in those games.

Santana: Ervin had a very solid sophomore campaign with the Angels last year winning a career high 16 games and posting a 4.28 ERA. He was near dominating at home going 10-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 17 starts. He struggled against the Rangers though going 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in 3 starts against them in 2006.

[Molina00]

So far, I am severely disappointed with the Rangers start to the season. In game 1 the Ranger had plenty of opportunity against John Lackey who allowed 4 hits and 4 walks over 5 innings, but wound up making it out without allowing an earned run. Millwood did not pitch bad giving up 3 runs on 5 hits striking out 5 over 5 innings, but it was certainly not ace quality. The only bright spots were Hank Blalock going 2 for 4 with a double, Ian Kinsler homering to drive in the Rangers only run, and reliever Mike Wood pitching 2.1 solid innings. The Angels went on to win the season opener 4-1.

Game 2 turned out to be even worse. Vicente Padilla started for Texas and wasn't even decent allowing 6 runs on 9 hits over 4.2 innings. Kelvim Escobar allowed 3 runs over 5.1 innings for the Angels to pick up the win in the Angels 8-3 romp over Texas. Vlad Guerrero continues to slaughter Ranger pitching by going 4 for 4 with his first homerun of the season. Besides Mark Teixeira who walked 3 times, Ian Kinsler was the only offensive highlight by homering in his 2nd straight game to start the season. He also stole his first base of the year.

Game 1 Note: Kenny Lofton stole bases in the 3rd and 4th innings of the 4-1 loss to the Angels pushing him over the 600 stolen base mark for his career.

[Molina00]

Top of the 1st
Pitching for Angels: Ervin Santana

1) Kenny Lofton: Pops out in foul territoy on the first base side.
2) Frank Catalanotto: Grounds out to second base.
3) Michael Young: Hits a deep fly to the wall in centerfield, and former Ranger Gary Matthews Junior makes a leaping catch at the wall to rob him of a homerun.

Scoreless through half an inning.

[Molina00]

Bottom of the 1st
Pitching for Rangers: Brandon McCarthy

1) Gary Matthews Jr.: Chopper to the right of the mound and McCarthy can't handle the ball. Matthews safe at first.

A pitch gets away from Laird and Matthews moves to second base.

2) Orlando Cabrera: Rips the ball to short but it bounces off of Young's glove and into leftfield. Matthews moves to 3rd, Cabrera safe at first. Goes as an error to Young.
3) Vladimir Guerrero: First pitch swing rips the ball into rightfield for an RBI single. Angels lead 1-0. Runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out.
4) Garrett Anderson: Crushes the ball off the wall in rightfield and it's a 2-run double for Anderson. Angels lead 2-0, runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out.
5) Casey Kotchman: Ground out to first but Guerrero scores from 3rd. 3-0 Angels with a runner on 3rd and one out.
6) Howie Kendrick: Hit by the pitch. Runners on the corners with 1 out.
7) Kotchman scores from 3rd to make it 4-0 and Kendrick goes the 2nd on Lofton's throw home.
8) Jose Molina: Deep fly to rightfield and Nelson Cruz makes the catch to end a horrible first inning by Brandon McCarthy.

Angels lead 4-0 after 1 inning.

[Molina00]

Top of the 2nd
Pitching for Angels: Ervin Santana

1) Mark Teixeira: Grounds out down the first base line for the first out.
2) Hank Blalock: Strikes out looking, 2 down.
3) Ian Kinsler: Fly ball to centerfield and Matthews makes the catch.

1-2-3 2nd for Santana.
Angels lead 4-0 going into the bottom of the 2nd.

[Molina00]

Bottom of the 2nd
Pitching for Angels: Brandon McCarthy

1) Reggie Willits: Walks to leadoff the inning. Runner on 1st, nobody out.
2) Gary Matthews Junior: Flies out to centerfield. Lofton throws Willits out on his way back to first for the double play. Bases empty with 2 outs.
3) Orlando Cabrera: Grounds out to secondbase to end the inning.

1-2-3 inning for McCarthy.

Angels lead 4-0 after 2 innings.

[Molina00]

Top of the 3rd
Pitching for Angels: Ervin Santana

1) Brad Wilkerson: Rips the ball down the rightfield line for a leadoff double.
2) Nelson Cruz: Single up the middle, Wilkerson to 3rd. Runners on the corners with nobody out.
3) Gerald Laird: Fly ball to deep leftfield, catch is made and Wilkerson heads home to put the Rangers on the board. Cruz on 1st with 1 out.
4) Kenny Lofton: Fly ball to deep left-centerfield, diving catch by Garrett Anderson for the out. Cruz on 1st with 2 outs.
5) Frank Catalanotto: Walks on 4 pitches. Runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 out.
6) Michael Young: Singles to leftfield, Cruz scores, Catalanotto to 2nd. Now 4-2 Angels. Runners on 1st and 2nd with 2out.
7) Mark Teixeira: Strikes out looking to end the inning.

Rangers score 2 to cut the Angel lead to 2.
Angels lead 4-2 going into the bottom of the 3rd.

[Molina00]

Bottom of the 3rd
Pitching for Rangers: Brandon McCarthy

1) Vladimir Guerrero: Ground ball to shortstop, Kinsler throws him out at first.
2) Garrett Anderson: Ground ball to secondbase, Kinsler throws him out at first. Two down.
3) Casey Kotchman: Grounds a 2 strike pitch up the middle for a 2-out single. Runner on 1st with 2 out.
4) Howie Kendrick: Grounds a single up the middle. Runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 out.
5) Maicer Izturis: Pops out to shallow centerfield to end the inning.

Angels lead 4-2 after 3 innings.

[Molina00]

Top of the 4th
Pitching for Angels: Ervin Santana

1) Hank Blalock: Chopped to short for the first out.
2) Ian Kinsler: Flies out to rightfield for the 2nd out.
3) Brad Wilkerson: Ground ball to short, inning over.

1-2-3 inning for Santana.

Angels lead 4-2 going into the bottom of the 4th.

[Molina00]

Bottom of the 4th
Pitching for Rangers: Brandon McCarthy

1) Jose Molina: Bunts down the 3rd base line and beats out Blalock's throw for a single.
2) Reggie Willits: Singles into rightfield. Runners on 1st and 2nd, nobody out.
3) Gary Matthews Junior: Ground into a double play, Molina goes to 3rd. Runner on 3 with 2 out.
4) Orlando Cabrera: Grounds out to 3rd base to end the inning.

Angels lead 4-2 after 4 innings.

[Molina00]

Top of the 5th
Pitching for Angels: Ervin Santana

1) Nelson Cruz: Strikes out looking.
2) Gerald Laird: Singles to leftfield. Runner on 1st, 1 out.
3) Kenny Lofton: Grounds to shortstop, Laird out at 2nd, Lofton safe at first. Runner on 1st with 2 out.
4) Frank Catalanotto: Strikes out looking.

Angels lead 4-2 going into the bottom of the 5th.

[Molina00]

Bottom of the 5th
Pitching for Rangers: Brandon McCarthy

1) Vladimir Guerrero: Flies out to rightfield to leadoff the inning.
2) Garrett Anderson: Singles to rightfield. Runner on 1st, 1 out.
3) Casey Kotchman: Doubles to rightfield. Runners on 2nd and 3rd, 1 out.
4) Howie Kendrick: Anderson scores from 3rd, Angels up 5-2. Runners on corners with 1 out.

Kendrick steals 2nd on a fake throw to 3rd by McCarthy.

5) Maicer Izturis: Flies out to rightfield. Runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 out.
6) Jose Molina: Flies out to deep rightfield to end the inning.

Angels score 1 run.
Angels lead 5-2 after 5 innings.

[Molina00]

Top of the 6th
Pitching for Angels: Ervin Santana

1) Michael Young: Grounds out to 3rd base.
2) Mark Teixeira: Grounds out to 1st base.
3) Hank Blalock: Grounds out to 1st base.

1-2-3 inning for Santana.

Angels lead 5-2 going into the bottom of the 6th.

[Molina00]

Bottom of the 6th
Pitching for Angels: Brandon McCarthy

1) Reggie Willits: Flies out to leftfield.
2) Gary Matthews Jr: Singles to rightfield. Runner on 1st, 1 out.

Matthews is thrown out stealing 2nd by Laird.

3) Orlando Cabrera flies out to centerfield.

Works like a 1-2-3 inning for McCarthy.

Angels lead 5-2 after 6.

[Molina00]

Top of the 7th
Pitching for Angels: Ervin Santana

1) Ian Kinsler: Flies out to centerfield.
2) Brad Wilkerson: Strikes out looking.
3) Nelson Cruz: Strikes out swinging.

1-2-3 inning for Santana

Angels lead 5-2 going into the bottom of the 7th.