Texas Rangers vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB Pick
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One of the most formidable lineups in baseball will try to find their mojo when the Philadelphia Phillies host the Texas Rangers on Saturday night in Game 2 of a three game interleague set at Citizens Bank Ballpark.
Date/Time: Saturday, May 21, 7:10 PM ET
Venue: Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia, PA.
Broadcast: FOX
But it might prove to be a dauntless task as the Phillies’ offensive will have to face Texas ace Colby Lewis who will take the mound for the AL West leading Rangers who have won five of eight.
The Phillies scored just a single run for the third time in four games Thursday, falling to Colorado, 7-1. They have lost five of their last six, scoring only 10 runs during that stretch.
Meanwhile, Lewis threw the first shutout of his career, allowing five just hits; none in the first four innings, in a 4-0 win over the White Sox in his last outing. It was the fourth consecutive game in which Lewis has pitched into the eighth or further. He has allowed six runs in those games, four of which have come on solo homers. In the four-game span, he has a 1.67 ERA and is 4-4 on the year with an ERA of 3.81 and 38 strikeouts.
The Phillies will need both of their former NL MVP’s, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins, to step up if they hope to pepper Lewis. Howard is hitless in his last 20 at-bats, while Rollins is 3 for 19 (.158) over his last five games. With Chase Utley and Shane Victorino both polishing the pine, the rest of the Phil’s offense must begin finding ways to manufacture runs.
As for the Rangers, they have had their own offensive struggles, and scored just a single run off Chris Davis’ one-run homer in the second inning, falling 2-1 to an under .500 Kansas City in extra innings.
The Phillies will hope they can continue to silence the Texas lumber by sending lefty Cliff Lee to the mound. Lee is winless in six starts since throwing a three-hit shutout at Washington on April 14 and walked a career-high six—bringing his season total to 13 through eight starts– Monday in a 3-1 loss to St. Louis, after walking a major league-low 18 batters last season. He pitched 6.1 innings and allowed three runs, six hits, and six walks to go along with four strikeouts in the loss, dropping to 2-4 with a 3.84 ERA. The fourth Expos draft pick is 6-3 in 10 career starts against the Rangers with an ERA of 5.55.
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The Phillies have won four of six meetings against the Rangers, sweeping a three-game set in Philadelphia from June 7-9, 2005.
Matt’s Free Prediction: Texas– I think the Phillies will struggle against Lewis, and even though I am not sure they will see him for more than six innings, the Rangers have enough depth in the pen to finish the job.
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