The Texas Rangers returned to winning ways Thursday with a resounding 11-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Carlos Gomez homered twice and drove in five runs to lift the Rangers to their second win in their last three games. The Angels will look to carry the momentum of that huge victory when they lock horns with the Yankees in their series opener tonight.
Pitching for Texas in the opening game of this three-game set is Yu Darvish (6-5, 3.35 ERA). The right-hander has struggled mightily of late, going 1-3 with a 4.45 ERA in his past five starts. Darvish is 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA in five career starts against the Bronx Bombers, but all three of his victories have come in Arlington. The Japanese star is 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA in two starts at Yankee Stadium.
With Darvish still a big question mark at this point, the onus is on the Rangers hitters to provide some much-needed runs tonight. One guy who’s swinging the bat well for Texas is the red-hot Gomez. The outfielder is 9-for-23 in his last six outings with five homers and 14 RBIs. Gomez will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing Tanaka as he is 3-of-5 in his career against the Yankee starter with one RBI to boot.
New York’s losing woes show no sign of abating as the Yankees suffered a disappointing 10-5 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. The Bronx Bombers have now lost eight of their last nine outings as they dropped down to 39-31 in the AL East standings. It was a disappointing result for the Yankees who lost their first season series to the Angels since 2008.
With New York struggling mightily right now, the pressure is on Masahiro Tanaka (5-7, 6.34 ERA) to deliver a quality start for the Yankees tonight. He will be facing his countryman Yu Darvish for the first time in his storied career. Tanaka looked out of sorts in his last start at Oakland, allowing five runs, including three homers on Saturday. The 28-year-old has hit a rough patch, posting a mediocre 5.97 ERA in his last five starts.
Given Tanaka’s erratic form, the Yankees’ offense will need to stand tall against the Rangers tonight. Aaron Judge is doing his utmost to provide the necessary firepower for the Yankees, belting his major-league-leading 25th homer in Thursday’s loss to the Angels. On the year, Judge is batting .331 with 57 RBIs. Judge can’t do it all alone, though, and he needs the other Yankee hitters to wake up from their offensive slumber. One guy who can provide a spark tonight is Brett Gardner. He is 5-of-11 in his career against Darvish with four homers and four RBIs.
