Rangers @ Orioles Preview
Over the last week the Baltimore Orioles have fallen back 4.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox. The Orioles have had a tough schedule recently coming off a series loss to their third place rivals the New York Yankees and now going into a series with the Texas Rangers who are only .5 games from leading the AL West. This clash between American League east and west is going to be one not to miss.
The Rangers have been staying neck and neck all year with the Oakland Athletics as they have been battling for supremacy in the AL West. The Rangers would love an easy series to pull them ahead, but instead they have a very good Orioles squad to look forward to. Texas has a rough road trip before the All-Star Break with this four game series and then heading to Detroit for their next series. These are tough teams they will have to beat if they want to be leading the AL West heading into the mid-season break.
Like the Rangers the Orioles had been staying neck and neck with the Red Sox, but have simply had a tougher schedule than the Sox over the last week and dropped some games under pressure. The Red Sox are now 4.5 games ahead of the Orioles. Baltimore has some catching up to do and would love to start by winning the opener of this four-game series.
Rangers batters will be seeing a former teammate take the mound against them today. Scott Feldman will be starting for the Os. This will only be his second start in a Baltimore uniform since getting acquired from the Chicago Cubs. Feldman, though, spent the majority of his career as a Rangers starter.
In his only start with the Orioles, Feldman has secured one road win over the Chicago White Sox. In that game he allowed two runs in six innings, with six strikeouts and zero walks. Feldman is not a stranger to facing his old squad, however. While playing for the Cubs he pitched against the Rangers and shut them out over seven innings earning the Cubs a big win.
Derek Holland will be starting for the Rangers. Holland is 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA on the road this season. He recently was able to shutout the Yankees while playing away.
The Orioles are the slim favorites to win this game with a moneyline set at -110 over at Bovada. The Rangers moneyline is EVEN. The game starts at this evening at 7:05 p.m. ET.
