Posts Tagged ‘Texas Rangers’

November 1st, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Join us at Cappers Info, as we make our World Series picks for Game 5 of the Fall Classic between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers.

Matchup: San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers Game 5
Date: Monday, November 1st, 7:27 ET
Location: Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, TX
Game Line: Texas -175
Over/Under 6 (o-130)

Giants Notes: If the Giants could just figure out how to win one of the next three games, they'll be coming back to the Bay with the team's first championship in 53 years. Even though this was a rotation that was heralded due to the great play of RHP Tim Lincecum, RHP Matt Cain, and LHP Jonathan Sanchez, it was the scary good pitching performance of LHP Madison Bumgarner that might have put the Fall Classic away once and for all on Halloween night in the Lone Star State. Bumgarner might only pitch in this series one time, but he might have stolen the MVP Award as well as a rookie. He clearly turned in the best pitching performance of series, going eight shutout innings and fanning six, allowing just three hits and two walks. Bumgarner faced just three batters over the minimum in those eight innings, while closer Brian Wilson went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth with two K's to seal the deal. DH Aubrey Huff went yard in the third inning to start the scoring, and a solo homer by C Buster Posey put away any chance that the Rangers had of making a comeback in the 4-0 win for the visitors. SS Edgar Renteria is now batting .429 in the series, while Huff is up to .357. Game 1 was supposed to be a game in which Lincecum had to be flawless just to compete with greatness. However, he got away with an incredibly mediocre start, particularly by his standards. Lincecum went just 5.2 innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits with two walks, striking out just three Rangers. However, his batting order really picked him up on that epic Wednesday night, as San Fran logged an 11-7 victory. It was a great time for the G-Men to score the most runs in a game that they put together for their top right hander since winning 15-2 over the Milwaukee Brewers on July 7th.

Rangers Notes: The Rangers might have been a scrappy club all season long that figured out how to win games when they really needed to, but this mountain is probably going to prove to be too hard to climb. The offense was really shut down on Sunday night, as one again, no one on the team produced more than one hit, and there were only five base runners in total. Once again, Texas wasn't able to really get its speed game involved on the base paths, and once again, the end result was a lackluster result on the scoreboard itself. Perhaps even more frightening on that Halloween night was the fact that the bullpen once again proved to be shoddy at best. This unit did throw five innings, but it allowed two runs and really took any chance away from the lineup of coming back to produce. The damage was done with RHP Tommy Hunter left though, as his two runs allowed on five hits in four frames was just too much to get away with on this night. On Monday, it will probably be the swan song for LHP Cliff Lee. The southpaw is probably throwing in his last game as a member of the Rangers, as he will become a free agent immediately when the season is over with. This will be his first and only outing at home of the playoffs and will need to be another remarkable start for Texas to live another day and force this series back to San Fran. Lee allowed six earned runs and seven in total in just 4.2 innings of work, easily marking the shortest outing with the fewest strikeouts, the most hits allowed, and the most runs allowed in his postseason. He had thrown 24 innings in the playoffs prior to that shaky outing in Game 1 of the World Series, and had struck out 34 batters to show for it after allowing just two runs.

The Final Word: For a team that has looked absolutely dominating in this series, we find it hard to believe that the Rangers are going to choose right now to get their bats rolling. This was expected to be a pitcher's dream in Game 1, and though we got the polar opposite then, we'll get exactly what we bargained for in Game 5. Unfortunately for Lee and the faithful in Arlington, this will be the last game of the season as well, as one blunder will lead the Giants to the title.

Free World Series Picks: San Francisco Giants +165
Prediction: San Francisco 2 – Texas 0

 
October 30th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Join us at Cappers Info, as we make our World Series picks for Game 4 of the Fall Classic between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers.

Matchup: San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers Game 4
Date: Sunday, October 31st, 7:57 ET
Location: Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, TX
Game Line: Texas -135
Over/Under 9 (o+105)

Giants Notes: The Giants picked a particularly poor time to go flat in Game 3 of the World Series. After exploding both in Games 1 and 2 of the Fall Classic, the bats just simply failed San Fran in Game 3. No man in the lineup mustered more than just one hit on the day, and only five hits were recorded in total. The only two runs of the game came courtesy of solo homers, one by OF Cody Ross and one by OF Andres Torres. OF Pat Burrell was particularly awful, going 0-for-4 for four strikeouts. Burrell is now 0-for-9 in this series and has eight strikeouts. It was a poor outing on Saturday for LHP Jonathan Sanchez as well, as he gave up four runs and six hits in 4.2 innings in the worst start of his postseason. Now, it will be up to another lefty, LHP Madison Bumgarner to right the ship in this very crucial Game 4. Bumgarner, a rookie, has pitched extremely well in the postseason. He earned the 'W' in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves in the close out game of the series, and though his Game 4 start against the Philadelphia Phillies was nothing to write home about, he did pitch two scoreless innings in relief to help nail down the final game of that series as well. Bumgarner can't end the World Series on Sunday night, but what he can do is put the Rangers in a world of hurt. This lefty was absolutely phenomenal on the road this season, going 6-3 with an amazing 1.91 ERA. Batters also only hit .250 against him away from Candlestick Park this year.

Rangers Notes: Texas knew that it really needed to come up with a grand showing in its first ever World Series game at home, and that's exactly what it came up with. It was the first game in this series in which the bullpen was spotless, throwing 1.1 innings of shutout ball, and it was also the first time that the team was able to really play from ahead for an extended period of time. The offensive firepower came from a very unlikely source though, as 1B Mitch Moreland knocked a three run dinger in the second inning to get the scoring started. OF Josh Hamilton also went yard in the fifth to open up the lead to 4-0. Both SS Elvis Andrus and 3B Michael Young had a pair of singles on the day. RHP Colby Lewis did the rest. Lewis picked a great time to arguably come up with the start of his life. He pitched 7.2 strong innings of work, giving up two solo homers and three other hits on the day to notch his first ever World Series 'W'. The temptation to start LHP Cliff Lee has to have been there at least for a little bit in the back of manager Ron Washington's mind, especially knowing that he could turn around and pitch Game 7 as well if need be, but knowing that he is going to be able to use his best bullet in the gun in Game 5 and will be guaranteed the chance to use him in this series at least once more made the decision a lot easier. RHP Tommy Hunter hasn't been the greatest pitcher in this postseason, but the one thing that he is certainly traditionally able to do well is pitch at home. Arlington has treated Hunter very well, as he went 7-0 with a 3.06 ERA this year there in 11 starts and one brief relief appearance at the end of the regular season. Hunter does have a 6.14 ERA this year in the playoffs in two starts, but all that Washington is asking him to do on this night is to keep the Rangers in the game, and hope that the bats and extended bullpen will be able to do everything else.

The Final Word: This is a really short line on a team that has played very well at home and has a renewed sense of confidence about it after the Game 3 victory. At some point, the Rangers are going to start hitting again with runners in scoring position, and if that happens, there is a good chance that Bumgarner could get chased early. We'll take our chances on the home prowess of Hunter even though he hasn't pitched all that well in the postseason.

Free World Series Picks: Texas Rangers -135
Prediction: Texas 6 – San Francisco 2

 
October 28th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Join us at Cappers Info, as we make our World Series picks for Game 3 of the Fall Classic between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers.

Matchup: San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers Game 3
Date: Saturday, October 30th, 6:57 ET
Location: Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, TX
Game Line: Texas -145
Over/Under 8.5 (o-110)

Giants Notes: After scoring just 30 runs in the first two rounds of the postseason, the Giants have suddenly watched their bats come alive. They have plated a whopping 20 runs over the first two games of the World Series, and they have picked up runs in bunches, scoring at least three runs in three different innings over the first two games. Both 1B Aubrey Huff and SS Edgar Renteria are batting .429 to lead the G-Men in batting for this series, but 3B Juan Uribe leads the team with five RBIs. The bullpen got over a very shaky ninth inning against the Rangers on Wednesday night by coming out and throwing 1.1 of perfect baseball to shut the door on Texas in Game 2. LHP Jonathan Sanchez is going to be the man tabbed with the job of essentially putting this series away on Saturday night in the Lone Star State. The lefty will be facing Texas for the second time in his career, but his only appearance came out of the bullpen. In 2009, he got two outs without allowing a base runner and picked up the win in doing so here in Arlington. So far in the playoffs, things are going from good to bad to worse for Sanchez. He allowed just one run in 7.1 innings of work in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, but turned around and gave up eight hits and five runs in just eight innings in two starts against the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. Sanchez will once again be making a start on the road, where he hasn't won since September 5th and is just 0-2 in five starts since then. The good news for this lefty is that he does have 19 strikeouts in the postseason, but he had 11 of those in his first start.

Rangers Notes: The rookies to the Fall Classic, the Rangers are in a heck of a lot of trouble right now. They are in a spot where they have absolutely imploded in two straight games, and they have to come back home knowing that they probably have to win all three games just to essentially give themselves a chance of coming back to Arlington with the World Series trophy in hand in another week or so. One thing is for certain, and that's that the bullpen is absolutely going to have to get better. This unit was bad in Game 1, giving up four runs in just 3.1 innings of work, but on Thursday, things got significantly worse. A good start by LHP CJ Wilson ended with him coming out with a blister, and that's when the fun really got started for the Giants. After LHP Darren Oliver pitched a scoreless inning, the eighth was a total calamity. After getting the first two outs via strikeout, a hit, four straight walks, a single, and two extra base hits plated seven runs to cripple any chance of making a comeback. Texas has already left 25 men on base in this series and is coming off of a game in which it batted 0-for-8 as a team with runners in scoring position. Only 1B Mitch Moreland is batting better than .250 in the regular lineup in this series, and SS Elvis Andrus, 3B Michael Young, OF Josh Hamilton, OF Vladimir Guerrero, and OF Nelson Cruz combined to go just 5-for-35, a .143 batting average in San Fran. Now, RHP Colby Lewis takes the bump on Saturday night, hoping to continue his good fortunate from the ALCS. Lewis won the clinching game of the series, going eight strong innings against the best lineup in baseball, that of the New York Yankees. He allowed just one run on three hits and struck out seven, the most he has K'd in a game since September 21st.

The Final Word: The Rangers just look like a defeated team right now. The Giants have mojo and swagger, while Texas just looks like a team that has been through the mill. You know what they say about beating the defending champs… It takes everything out of you. The Tampa Bay Rays looked that way after beating the Boston Red Sox in 2008. Now the Rangers look the part after beating the Yankees this year. The heart and hustle from this squad is gone. All that's left is a beaten down team with very little confidence. Back the Giants to effectively end the World Series on Saturday.

Free World Series Picks: San Francisco Giants +135
Prediction: San Francisco 8 – Texas 2

 
October 26th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Join us at Cappers Info, as we make our World Series picks for Game 1 of the Fall Classic between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers.

Matchup: Texas Rangers @ San Francisco Giants Game 1
Date: Wednesday, October 27th, 7:57 ET
Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
Game Line: San Francisco +105
Over/Under 5.5 (o-110)

Rangers Notes: The Rangers must think that they are in the driver's seat in this game, as they think that LHP Cliff Lee is going to be the man to get the job done in at least Game 1, if not also in Game 4 and possibly Game 7 of this series. And why not? Lee pitched a great game in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays, a phenomenal game in Game 5 to close them out, and a virtually perfect performance on the hallowed ground of Yankee Stadium in a backbreaking Game 3 of the ALCS. This southpaw just keeps getting better and better as well. Lee has thrown 24 innings in these playoffs, and he has only allowed 13 hits, two runs, and one walk, and he has 34 strikeouts to boot. Opposing batters are only hitting .151 against him in these playoffs, and his ERA has dropped to a miniscule 0.75. The hitters really haven't let this team down either in the postseason. The Rangers are getting great play from OF Nelson Cruz. He is batting .375 to lead the team, and he is also tops on the team in runs (11) and home runs (5). 2B Ian Kinsler has three dingers and five total extra base hits, and he leads the team in run production with nine RBIs. Only one regular batter, OF Josh Hamilton, is batting under .250 for the playoffs, and he has eight RBIs as well. Stealing bases has been key for the Rangers as well. This team built on hustle and hard play, and SS Elvis Andrus has stolen seven of the 15 bases for them in 11 postseason tussles. Texas has only been caught stealing twice. If it comes down to the bullpen, the Rangers have been very, very iffy. This unit has allowed 13 runs in 28.2 innings of work for just a 4.08 ERA.

Giants Notes: RHP Tim Lincecum has taken on the best that baseball has to offer in these playoffs, and he has passed almost every single test. If not for the no hitter pitched on the same day by Philadelphia Phillies RHP Roy Halladay, Lincecum's complete game shutout probably would have gone down as the greatest postseason pitching performance that we have seen since Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series. However, Lincecum didn't stop there. He turned around and outpitched the man that overshadowed him on the first day of the postseason, beating Halladay in Game 1 of the NLCS. Though Lincecum got the loss in the rematch with Halladay in Game 5, he got a hold in the close out game of the series. If the Giants are going to beat the odds to win the World Series, OF Cody Ross is going to be the man to thank. Ross has four home runs in the postseason, and the rest of the team only has one. Ross also has eight RBIs, while the next highest total on the team is OF Pat Burrell's four. C Buster Posey is the only man aside from Ross to be batting over .300 in the postseason. Only four men are batting at least .250. The trick for San Francisco has been the bullpen. Closer Brian Wilson has coined the phrase "Fear the Beard," and he has certainly been a man to fear in these playoffs. Wilson is 1-0 with four saves and a perfect 0.00 ERA in 7.1 innings of work in the playoffs.

The Final Word: An interesting note… This is the lowest 'total' in baseball history, regardless of whether it was a regular season or postseason game. Though common thoughts would suggest that this benefits the team that can make things happen on the base paths, especially with a dominating pitcher on the mound, we tend to disagree. Lincecum has beaten the best there is in the game, and with just one bloop here and there and perhaps a well overdue blast from someone aside from Ross, the Giants can take Game 1.

Free World Series Picks: San Francisco Giants +105
Prediction: San Francisco 3 – Philadelphia 1

 
October 25th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Join us at Cappers Info, as we make our World Series picks for Game 2 of the Fall Classic between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers.

Matchup: Texas Rangers @ San Francisco Giants Game 2
Date: Wednesday, October 28th, 7:57 ET
Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
Game Line: San Francisco -125
Over/Under 7 (o+100)

Rangers Notes: The Rangers have to wonder what hit them after they jumped out of the blocks with a 2-0 lead in the first two innings of the World Series on Wednesday night. RF Vladimir Guerrero, who would normally be the designated hitter when playing at home, had a good day at the plate, as he went 1-for-4 with two RBIs in Game 1. However, he also made two of Texas' four errors on the day. C Bengie Molina, a former member of the Giants, had a pair of hits. The undoing for this team was the fact that LHP Cliff Lee allowed seven runs, six of which proved to be earned in just 4.2 innings of work. It was a shocking result for a team that relied so heavily on its ace en route to its first World Series. If Texas has anything to fall back on, a nice rally that included three runs in the ninth inning might be something worth noting even though it fell well short of the seven necessary to come back and win Game 1. On Thursday night, LHP CJ Wilson will look to shake his rocky ALCS off in his first ever appearance in the Fall Classic. This is also Wilson's first game against the Giants in his career as well. Last week against the Yanks, this southpaw was torched for eight earned runs and nine in total in just 12 innings of work. He was the loser in Game 5 against LHP CC Sabathia, and the team also lost when he was on the bump in Game 1 as well. Perhaps Wilson's problem is that he has thrown so many innings this year. He is already at 222.1 innings of work, and for a man that was a reliever for the majority of the rest of his career, this is culture shock to his arm.

Giants Notes: If you had told Giants bettors that they were going to watch RHP Tim Lincecum allow four runs in 5.2 innings of work on Wednesday night, each and every one of them would be saying that Game 2 would be a must win in this series after a bad Game 1 loss. That just wasn't the case though, as the bats that have been in hibernation finally picked a great time to wake up. Beating up Lee wasn't something that was expected at all for a team that only scored 30 total runs in 11 postseason games. Four hits, three of which were doubles and three RBIs for 2B Freddie Sanchez immediately makes him the leader in the clubhouse for the MVP award in the series. 1B Aubrey Huff had three hits as well. The kill shot though, came in the fifth inning, when 3B Juan Uribe blasted a three run homer to cap off a six run fifth inning that not only chased Lee, but effectively ended the game as well. The big concern for manager Bruce Bochy is that six different arms in his bullpen had to be used to close out a game that was never really that close late on, and that could come back to hurt on Thursday night. Still, RHP Matt Cain is a pitcher to be trusted. He has yet to allow a run in the playoffs, and he is only seeming to get stronger and stronger in spite of the fact that he has thrown 240 innings this year. Cain only has one start against the Rangers in his career, and that was last season. He allowed just one run on three hits and struck out eight in eight innings of work to earned a win.

The Final Word: The Rangers have to start to wonder what in the heck they have to do to win a game here at Candlestick Park. All-time, they are 0-10 here now, including this Game 1 defeat. These are short, short odds for a home team in the postseason. We might not have the better team 1 to 25, but we do have the better arm and home field advantage in this game. Because of that, our World Series free picks are clearly on the G-Men.

Free World Series Picks: San Francisco Giants -125
Prediction: San Francisco 6 – Texas 3

 
October 15th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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The MLB postseason is finally here! Here at Cappers Info, we have all of the ins and outs that you need to know before making your picks in the League Championship Series that being on Friday. Use this as a reference not only for betting games in this series, but for futures World Series bets as well.

MLB Playoff Pick #1: Philadelphia Phillies (-250 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. San Francisco Giants: Neither one of these offenses has really done anything to wow us at this point, but both pitching staffs have been absolutely phenomenal. We tend to believe that the bats of the Phils are bound to wake up at some point. Guys like 1B Ryan Howard, 2B Chase Utley, and SS Jimmy Rollins aren't going to be batting right at or below the Mendoza Line for the entire postseason, and inevitably, a spark is going to happen at some point. The Phils have a distinct edge in the fourth game in this series thanks to the fact that Joe Blanton is significantly better than any fourth man that the G-Men will throw out there. We'll take our chances with RHP Roy Halladay and RHP Roy Oswalt at home in Games 1 and 2 due to the fact that these men have combined for just one loss for their team in the City of Brotherly Love since July. Heck, Oswalt has never led his team to a loss at home as a member of the Phils. It's hard to sit here and lay this type of lumber against guys like LHP Jonathan Sanchez, RHP Matt Cain, and RHP Tim Lincecum, but it's easy to do when you have the arms to counter that. Philly just needs to hold home field advantage in this series to be okay. We tend to believe that the hosts take four of the first five games in this series, but that Game 4 edge is going to cripple the Giants when push comes to shove. We're worried about the Philadelphia bullpen, but this unit only had to pitch four innings in the entire first round against the Cincinnati Reds… four spotless innings. If we knew that the bullpen was going to be virtually flawless for the Phils, we'd lay -400. As it is, the easy pick is Philadelphia in 6 games.

MLB Playoff Pick #2: New York Yankees (-170 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Texas Rangers: Before you make your MLB picks in this series, you have to ask yourself one very important question: Is heart and hustle really good enough to beat the New York Yankees? In a game, sure. Even two, possibly three. We'd believe it. But there's just too much pop in this New York lineup to be beaten, right? The starting pitching for the Rangers clearly looks overmatched in at least the first two games, and it's really hard to say that there's a distinct advantage for LHP Cliff Lee against one of the best postseason pitchers ever in LHP Andy Pettitte. New York isn't going to make the same mistakes in the field that the Tampa Bay Rays did, which is going to cut down on the blunders that Texas can capitalize on. The lineup for the Yanks just has too much for most of these Rangers pitchers to overcome. In the three games in the ALDS, the Bronx Bombers had nine men bat at least .273, and only OF Brett Gardner had a relatively lousy series at .200. Oh, the man batting .273… some 3B Alex Rodriguez guy. It's horrible for the Rangers to think that they needed to use Lee earlier this week to close out the Rays and not be able to use him until Game 3 in this series. By then, the ALCS might effectively be over. Don't be shocked if this series is a sweep, but it certainly isn't going back to Texas once it leaves there. Put away your antlers. The Evil Empire is ready to strike once again. Yankees in 5.

 
October 5th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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The MLB postseason is finally here! Here at Cappers Info, we have all of the ins and outs that you need to know before making your picks in the four series that begin on Wednesday. Use this as a reference not only for betting games in this series, but for futures World Series bets as well.

MLB Playoff Pick #1: Atlanta Braves (+160 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. San Francisco Giants: There's just something we like about the Braves right now. A feel good story always seems to rule the day, at least early in the playoffs. Case in point… Remember the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 and the Colorado Rockies in 2007? These were teams that really sort of snuck up on everyone to make the playoffs, and when they finally got there, they did a ton of damage. Neither one won the World Series, but both did at least get there. Tim Hudson has been pitching out of his mind right now, and though the Braves don't have a bullpen full of names, if the rest of the starters can just stick with the powerful arms for the Giants, the pen can do its job. Remember the name Brian McCann. With Chipper Jones out of the lineup, it will be up to McCann, who led the team in homers with 21, to try to lead the way. Atlanta has a real chance to steal one of these first two at home, especially with its two aces on the mound, and if that happens, San Fran must watch out. The Braves had the best home record in baseball with 56 wins.

MLB Playoff Pick #2: Philadelphia Phillies (-300 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Cincinnati Reds : We know that absolutely anything can happen in the playoffs, but it's been over two months since any of the four big starters, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, and Joe Blanton have been beaten at home by any team in baseball. We don't really love Cincinnati's odds, particularly in the first two games in the City of Brotherly Love. We admire the grittiness of this team, but when push comes to shove, Cincinnati is the one team that really doesn't look like it belongs in the playoffs, as it took out a lousy division and really doesn't have the pitching rotation to keep up with any of the eight teams, let alone that of perhaps the best staff in the game. Unless Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson implode, this series shouldn't be all that difficult. The Phillies are the one team that really sprinted to the finish line this year, and if that momentum keeps going, this could be a very, very short series.

MLB Playoff Pick #3: Texas Rangers (+150 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Tampa Bay Rays : Be careful what you wish for, Tampa Bay! The Rays worked hard to get home field advantage throughout the American League playoffs, and they got just that, but now, they're probably going to have to figure out how to beat Cliff Lee at least once, if not twice, in order to get to the ALCS for the second time in team history. We don't love Tampa Bay's odds. Not only was Lee absolutely on fire in the postseason last year, but in Game 2, James Shields leaves us with no confidence, as he was one of the worst money pitchers amongst the teams in the playoffs and has been pitching horribly down the stretch. To top it off, there will be absolutely no home field advantage in Tampa Bay, as we know that the fans aren't showing up for the first two games of this series in the middle of the week and the middle of the afternoon. This is a very dangerous spot for the team with the best record in the AL, and we are here to exploit that.

MLB Playoff Pick #4: Minnesota Twins (+150 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. New York Yankees: These two teams might be a heck of a lot more evenly matched than the oddsmakers are letting in on. The Bronx Bombers might have a nightmarish lineup to try to face, but beyond CC Sabathia, is there really a pitcher in this rotation that you're ready to back up the truck on and back in MLB betting action? There certainly isn't from our standpoint. If this becomes a bullpen series, we love Minnesota's chances even though the Yanks have arguably the best closer ever both in terms of regular season and postseason accomplishments in Mariano Rivera on their side. Matt Capps, Jon Rauch, Jose Mijares, and Brian Fuentes are all absolutely studs out of the pen, and Rod Gardenhire knows how to use them. Justin Morneau won't be available at all during this series with his post concussion complications, but who cares? Even without one of the best hitters in baseball, the Twins have been on a roll. That should continue with a great series victory over the defending champs.

 
March 7th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

As a part of our MLB betting previews for the 2010 season, Cappers Info poses ten questions that should be on the minds of all baseball fans in the AL West as they prepare to make their MLB picks for the year.

Check Out all of our World Series odds at the bottom of this post

1: Will Cliff Lee be able to work his magic back in the American League? The biggest splash of the offseason came when the Mariners swung a three-way deal with Toronto and Philadelphia and ultimately landed LHP Cliff Lee in the exchange. Lee was only a .500 pitcher during the regular season, but he lit the world on fire in the playoffs. Now that he's back in the AL though, things could be considerably different. He won't be asked to be an ace though, as RHP Felix Hernandez already has that role in Seattle already locked down.

2: Can someone step up for the Halos and take command as the ace of the staff? The biggest question here is who has the ability to do it? RHP Jered Weaver and LHP Joe Saunders both won 16 games last year, but the leader of this staff was RHP John Lackey. Now, Lackey is playing in Beantown, which could leave a gaping hole in this rotation. If Weaver can't prove to be an ace in every sense of the word, Manager Mike Scioscia is going to be begging his front office to make a move to keep pace in this division.

3: Will CF Josh Hamilton returning to his slugging form in 2010? It's hard to realize that Texas won 87 games last year in spite of the fact that its best slugger only popped ten home runs for the entire season. Still, the Rangers blasted the third most home runs in the MLB last year, and getting some more power from the middle of their lineup will only help boost the cause in 2010. You'd better believe that Hamilton is ready to turn back into a 30+ home run hitter in the launching pad in Arlington.

4: What was GM Billy Beane doing when he signed RHP Ben Sheets to a $10M deal? Ultimately, this risk isn't as big as everyone has made it out to be. If Sheets ultimately fails to produce off of his surgery-filled 2009, the A's are going to be out $10 million in a year in which they probably weren't competing for a playoff spot anyway. If Sheets does get off to a good start though, Beane has either found himself an ace to keep for the duration of the year, or is could just be used as another pawn to bring some more prospects to Oakland.

5: Chone Figgins: Is he the difference-maker to either Seattle? Putting Figgins up right beyond RF Ichiro Suzuki in the lineup really just doesn't seem fair. Now, we're talking about two guys who make a ton of contact and put balls in play, can hit for power, and can run like the wind. For a team that hovered under four runs per game for a good chunk of the season and finished at just 3.95 runs per game, expect to see plenty of games led off by Ichiro with a single, a steal of second, and Figgins either pushing him to third with a sacrifice or knocking him home with another single.

6: What about the Angels? What does losing Figgins do to them? Anaheim now has a huge hole in the left side of its infield that could've been filled by Matt Sweeney this year, but he was traded to Tampa Bay in the Scott Kazmir deal of last season. Now, Macier Izturis is going to have to take over at the hot corner, which will take away an option off of Scoscia's bench as well. If there are any injuries in this infield, there just isn't enough depth to take the Halos afloat.

7: Does Scott Feldman have another great season in him? After winning just seven games in his previous four seasons in the majors, Feldman finally stepped up and had the year of his life in 2009, going 17-8 with a 4.08 ERA to lead the Rangers. Now that RHP Kevin Millwood has left for Baltimore, that will heap even more pressure on the 27-year old to perform as the undisputed ace and leader of this pitching staff.

8: Will DH Vladimir Guerrero provide Texas will some bulk in the heart of the order? Last season, the Rangers took a chance on the thought-to-be washed up Andruw Jones, who turned around and blasted 17 homers. It's pretty clear that Vladdy can't play in the field much anymore, but he still has one of the most powerful swings in baseball, and he'll still be an incredibly tough out. Look for Guerrero to provide a great level of protection for guys like 3B Michael Young and RF Nelson Cruz.

9: Can CF Ken Griffey Jr. be the calming influence necessary to keep OF Milton Bradley in check? Seattle had better hope so, or Bradley may tear apart this entire locker room just like he did in Chicago. There just had to be some better options out there for the Mariners in the outfield, but hopefully for the Mariners' sake, Bradley can focus in more on improving his lousy .257 batting average from last season instead of trying to avoid being a clubhouse cancer with Griffey standing by his side.

10: Bottom Line: How will the standings look in the AL West when the season is said and done… This is the question that we will pose for all six divisions and is the one of most importance. As we discussed last week, if Nolan Ryan's edict comes true, the Rangers are going to be the team to beat in a very competitive division. There are just too many flaws on both Seattle and Anaheim for this to pan out properly for either squad… Rangers, Mariners, Angels, Athletics.

 

Odds to win World Series at BetUS Sportsbook (as of 3/8/10)
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Seattle Mariners +1400
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim +1600
Texas Rangers +2000
Oakland Athletics +6500
 
2010 World Series Odds @ Diamond Sportsbook (as of 3/8/10)
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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim +1800
Texas Rangers +2200
Seattle Mariners +3000
Oakland Athletics +7000
 
Current Odds To Win The World Series @ 5Dimes (as of 3/8/10)
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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim +1700
Texas Rangers +2500
Seattle Mariners +2600
Oakland Athletics +8000
 
March 4th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

 When you've got eight All-Star appearances, four of which you were the starting pitcher, had a season where you had a 1.69 ERA, the best hits per nine innings ratio in baseball history at 6.555, the fourth best K/9 in baseball history at 9.548, the second most starts in the modern era, the fifth most innings pitched in the modern era (5,386), 222 career complete games, 61 career shutouts, and you struck out just  a few batters in your time (like 5,714 of them), people tend to listen when you talk.

But when you say your team is going to win 92 games and take down the division when that squad hasn't been to the playoffs since 1999 and has only won one postseason game in franchise history, people may think you're a little bit wacky.

I, on the other hand, am not one to ever disagree with the great, Nolan Ryan.

Ryan told the media on Wednesday that he would be "disappointed" if the Texas Rangers didn't knock off the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Oakland Athletics to win the AL West this year.

"A lot of people won't agree with me," Ryan said. "… But I also think that we have a balanced ballclub, and I think our club is coming together in a way that I think they're ready to make that move."

On one hand, it doesn't seem so unrealistic to think that the Rangers could improve by just five wins from last season's fantastic total of 87. If you're looking at it on paper though, things may not look so easy.

Just look at what's around them. Texas is mired in a division where all four teams have a season win total projection of at least 79.5 by the oddsmakers at BetUS Sportsbook. The Mariners clearly made the splash of the offseason in this division when they picked up LHP Cliff Lee from the Phillies in a three-way deal that included Toronto's RHP Roy Halladay going to the City of Brotherly Love. No one expects the Halos to be as good as they have been in recent years, but they're still a team managed by Mike Scioscia, thus should never be counted out.

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Save OF Josh Hamilton, no one really underachieved expectations last year. Sure, the 2008 Home Run Derby star will probably hit more than ten homers this year, but can SS Michael Young be counted on to bat .322? Will CF Marlon Byrd's replacement duplicate his .283 average and 20 home run output? Will RHP Scott Feldman be able to win 17 games again? Will someone be able to produce like RHP Kevin Millwood has in years' past?

These are all fantastic questions that beg to be answered for Texas. However, I'll pose some oppose questions that are equally important…

Will 2B Ian Kinsler, a man that has had a lifetime .279 hitter really only bat .253 again this year? Will RHP Rich Harden be able to step into the rotation and pitch like the man who had a 1.77 ERA in the second half of the season with the Cubs in 2008 as opposed to the one that had a 4.09 ERA last year? Why can't DH Vladimir Guerrero return to his '08 form in which he knocked 27 homers and drove in 91 RBIs in '08? Who's stopping a bullpen which had almost every one of its members post a sub-4.00 ERA last year?

Last season, the Rangers kept the pressure on both the Red Sox for the AL Wild Card and the Angels for the AL West crown in spite of the fact that it only had the 10th best offense (4.84 runs per game) and the 18th ranked pitching staff (4.38 ERA) in baseball. Things not only can get better, but they will get better for a team that lost six of its L/8 games on the season.

The recipe is absolutely right for success in the Lone Star State… If for no other reason, would you like to be the batter that has to stand in the box as an angry Ryan is whistling a 98 MPH fastball at your head or be on the wrong side of a patented headlock?

92 wins? You got it boss. They say "Don't mess with Texas." This year, that slogan should change to "Don't Mess with the Rangers."

Why?

Because Nolan Ryan said so.