Series Preview: Texas Rangers (40-27) @ San Diego Padres (24-43)

This is how the Rangers can turn it around. Following back-to-back series wins against San Francisco and Arizona, they swept the Astros and now face the last place Padres. A series win here would get them a 9-3 record in the four interleague series which is a very good sign for a team trying to turn it around. Yes, they aren’t the best teams but if Texas can’t beat these teams who would they beat?

San Diego is struggling mightily and might be one of the teams with the worst luck in baseball this year and their talent isn’t good enough to compensate which is why they sit way back in the NL West.

The Rangers have historically struggled in San Diego, although they have never played a regular season game at Petco Park and haven’t played in San Diego since 2001.

Series at a Glance

Texas Record: 37-27 (1st AL West)

San Diego Record: 24-43 (5th NL West, 18 GB)

Lifetime Series: 12-10 San Diego

Record at San Diego: 2-6

Notable Transaction: January 6, 2006: The San Diego Padres traded Billy Killian, Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka to the Texas Rangers for Adrian Gonzalez, Terrmel Sledge and Chris Young.

(Sidenote: Yikes.)

Probable Starters:

Monday 9:05 CT TEX: LHP Matt Harrison (8-3, 3.54 ERA/3.61 FIP) – SDP: RHP Jason Marquis (1-1, 1.46 ERA/3.69 FIP)

Tuesday 9:05 CT TEX: RHP Scott Feldman (0-6, 6.50 ERA/4.51 FIP) – SDP: RHP Edinson Volquez (3-6, 3.20 ERA/4.23 FIP)

Wednesday 5:35 CT TEX: RHP Yu Darvish (8-4, 3.57 ERA/3.88 FIP) – SDP: Anthony Bass (2-7, 4.88 ERA/3.84 FIP)

Projected Padres Lineup
1 RF Will Venable (L)
2 2B Logan Forsythe
3 3B Chase Headley (S)
4 LF Carlos Quentin
5 1B Yonder Alonso (L)
6 CF Cameron Maybin
7 C Nick Hundley
8 SS Everth Cabrera (S)

Bench
C John Baker (L)
1B/OF Mark Kotsay (L)
IF/OF Alexi Amarista (L)
IF/OF Jesus Guzman
OF Chris Denorfia

Bullpen
CL RHP Huston Street
SU RHP Luke Gregerson
SU RHP Dale Thayer
MID LHP Joe Thatcher
MID RHP Brad Brach
MID LHP Alex Hinshaw
LR RHP Brad Boxberger

(source MLBDepthCharts)

For more information on the Padres see FanSided’s Padres page, Chicken Friars.