The Texas Rangers were supposed to be one of the worst teams in the league. However, they managed to make the Yankees look the part instead in a 4-2 win in their series opener at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees remain tied with the Toronto Blue Jays, who also lost Monday, so a win could send the Yankees to second place in the division.
Another interesting match happening on the same night is between the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis Cardinals. A win can send the Cardinals closer to the top spot of NL Central. You can view the preview of that game here. If that’s not enough, check out our MLB Free Picks for the best baseball action to bet on today. In the meantime, set your sights on this intense match between Texas and New York.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees, Major League Baseball, Betting Preview and Prediction
When: Yankee Stadium, New York
Where: Tuesday, July 22, 7:05 PM ET
Line: Texas Rangers (+150) at New York Yankees (-170); total 9.0 – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Texas Rangers
After their 4-2 win over the Yankees on Monday, the Rangers are coming into the second game of their series plagued by a couple of debilitating issues.
[sc:MLB240banner ]The first bad omen for Texas is Nick Martinez (1-6, 5.10 ERA), who is starting the next game against the Yankees. Martinez is coming off the disabled list after a nursing a left side injury, and is 0-5 in his last seven starts. His last outing saw him surrender a season-high eight runs (six earned) on seven hits with three homers in five innings. Martinez’ lone win came on May 24, in which he surrendered just one run in six innings against one of the league’s best hitting teams, the Detroit Tigers.
If Martinez can go back to his May 24 form, then he’ll have no problems pitching against the Yankees’ struggling batters.
Several Rangers players are battling injuries. Shin-Soo Choo is playing through a sprained left ankle, but finally went 2-for-5 on Monday after going hitless in his previous 21 at-bats. Alex Rios, one of Texas’ best when playing against New York is also battling his own ankle injury. If Rios can start against New York, then he will be invaluable for the Rangers. He is batting .302 this season and is on an 11-game hitting spree against the Yankees.
Texas’ designated hitter Jake Smolinski is currently day-to-day after coming out of Monday’s game with a left foot injury. Smolinski has hit .389 in July and is another important cog for the Rangers’ offense.
With some of their key batters struggling, the Rangers will be leaning on second baseman Rougned Odor. Odor has hit well this July going 17-for-61 with three doubles, two triples and three RBIs while scoring five runs.
Even with a few issues, the Rangers have recent history on their side. They’ve won four of their last five games in New York.
Betting on the New York Yankees
The Yankees are 5-1 in their last six games following a loss, and could easily rebound strong on Tuesday night.
Leading the charge for the Yanks will be Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury went 2-for-4 in the last game with a homer. He is also 8-for-16 with two homers and four RBIs since the All-Star Break.
New York is also not without its own set of injuries. Mark Teixeira will be sitting out for 3-to-4 days due to a lat strain. The injury significantly hampered his contributions in the past few games.
Starting tonight’s game from New York’s thinned pitching rotation will be Chase Whitley (4-3, 5.10 ERA). The starter has picked up three losses in his last five starts. Whitley has also surrendered 20 earned runs during that stretch while allowing five homers.
Writer’s Prediction
The Texas Rangers (+150) win again.
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