Anything can happen in one game. But I like our chances against Saunders. 4.66 career SIERA; 4.3 this season. His xFIP is similarly bad.

Plus, the splits favor us greatly. We've hit lefties better than righties this year (108 wRC+ against lefties). And Sauders is appreciably worse against righties this season and over his career (.360 wOBA against righties and 4.8 xFIP against righties this season). We're also an appreciably better offense at home (wRC+ of 116 on the season, 4th in MLB). Kinsler and Cruz have also been much, much better at home this year.

And it's likely that Gentry will start CF. That means we have the awesome defensive duo of Gentry/Hamilton in the OF. And Gentry has hit amazingly well against lefties this year.

On paper, we should give Yu quite a bit of run support tomorrow.

i don't want to see hamilton play for texas any longer so i hope they lose

At least your honest!

Then don't watch wings. Go be a Yankee fan.

I don't think we see Gentry in center. Other than that, I like what you're doing here.

Win one.

@Wings. You have officially taken the cake as the most obnoxious poster on this board. Not one thing you've ever posted has had one bit of substance. Furthermore, not one person gives a single fuck if you don't watch tomorrow.

Part of me hopes we lose tomorrow because a few of our players need surgery and have earned the right to get it sooner rather than later.

Wouldn't mind a deep run though. And if a loss here means one season of "IS YU DARVISH CLUTCH?!" then please win Rangers.

Everybody liked our chances Tuesday in OAK against Blackley too. We all know how that turned out.

"Everybody liked our chances Tuesday in OAK against Blackley too. We all know how that turned out."

You're right. The Rangers only won 93 games this year. It's over. Just wave the white flag of surrender. There's no way Yu Darvish could possibly beat the mighty Orioles. I don't even know why they're playing the game.

What's happened to this site recently?

"Everybody liked our chances Tuesday in OAK against Blackley too. We all know how that turned out."

We destroyed Blackley. If we put up a 5 spot in 3 three innings against Saunders then I like our chances.

"We destroyed Blackley."

>>>>>>What game were you watching? 1 run on 3 hits in 6 innings in a game the Rangers had to have. Really encouraging.
-------------
"You're right. The Rangers only won 93 games this year. It's over. Just wave the white flag of surrender. There's no way Yu Darvish could possibly beat the mighty Orioles. I don't even know why they're playing the game.

What's happened to this site recently?"

>>>>>>Uh, the Rangers, the "most talented team in baseball" went 43-40 since early July, and blew the division to a team of rookies and spares hitting .220-.240ish. The fanbase is understandably upset.

Yu vs. Saunders at RBIA is a favorable matchup. You know what else is favorable? A 4-game lead in the West with 6 to play. That didn't work out so well.

Many fans and writers have spent the better part of the season sweeping bad losses under the rug, but this collapse is an eyesore that people won't simply ignore until the team starts to win baseball games again. But not to fear, if they beat the O's the overreaction will swing back the other way.

Saunders is a soft-tossing lefty with a K/9 of only 5.77 - very similar to Jason Vargas whom the Rangers have had some success against (4.69 ERA last 4 seasons vs TEX).

@OP why do we think Gentry will play? We already know that #Leadership will be in the lineup and Mitch is out. Murphy and Napoli are almost a lock to start. I thought they wanted Soto to catch for Yu, meaning no place for Gentry. I hope I'm wrong, unless Yu just feels a lot better w/ Soto in which case we wouldn't hear about it anyway.

Wash has said that Soto is Yu's catcher so I don't think he'd change that now. I'm a big fan of Napoli, but I don't think he's our catcher tonight. I'd hate to see him sit, but MY will not be warming the bench which makes him the odd man out.

If we have a Hamilton/Gentry/Cruz outfield tonight, I will do a happy dance, but I think it's unlikely. Too bad.

Is Sanders the best they have? I guess maybe that's just where their rotation is right now, but if we've killed him in our park so often, why in God's name do you put him in? It's a bit like starting Yu if we were facing Seattle. BUT I AM NOT LOOKING A GIFT HORSE IN THE FACE. It's not a masterpiece of trickery, is it? Damn, this game has made me paranoid...

Buck doesn't need to stick with Saunders for long. He can match up his bullpen, flip the lineup early, and counter late with his setup/late inning guys.

Wash can't get sucked in and PH before the 7th...but he probably will.

Soto will be at catcher, Nap at first and MY/Beltre at third/DH.

Saunders is a spare and Texas is much better at home. This is about as favorable a matchup as one could hope for. Texas can pull this out.

I don't understand why some of you even watch the Rangers. This stuff is ridiculous.

David Murhpy has to play. I don't want to see Gentry.

If Beltre is healthy, he will be at 3rd, MY at 1st, Napoli at DH. If Beltre isn't healthy, he will be the DH, MY at 3rd, Napoli at 1st. Wash will always put MY at 1st over Nap (as he should).

Quote from Darvish:

"Of course, I'm ready," Darvish said. "If I wasn't ready, I wouldn't be named to pitch that game. I'm just going to try to approach it like any other start and try to win."

I love this guy!

Why does Murphy have to play? He's a downgrade defensively to Gentry and his numbers vs lefties over the past month are atrocious.

The lineup will be:

2B Ian
SS Elvis
CF Hamilton
DH Beltre
RF Cruz
3B Young
LF Murphy
1B Napoli
C Soto

Nap might be moved up a little in the lineup, but I don't see Murphy sitting in a one game playoff given Wash named him a FT player. Gentry remains inexplicably unconsidered by Wash, but so it goes. I'd rather see Hamilton sit than Murphy at this stage, but that definitely won't happen.

Gentry will play today, but it will be late in the game as a PH/PR/Defensive replacememt and nothing else.

Shocked if I'm wrong here, and Wash doesn't usually shock me.

Righty heavy lineup. Saunders is terrible against righties. Just need to execute.

With all due respect:

Saunders. 4.66 career SIERA; 4.3 this season. His xFIP is similarly bad.

Shove your numbers up your ass.