The Texas Rangers took the first game of the four-game set last night and clinched a playoff berth, but the Los Angeles Angels are still in the hunt for an AL wild card spot. The battle between these MLB powerhouses will continue tonight.
Every game for the rest of the regular season is free on MLB.TV, so scroll to the bottom for the live stream and radio broadcast.
Texas (87-72) needs one more win to clinch the AL West while the Angels (83-76) trail the Houston Astros by one game in the wild card race. The Rangers will send left-hander Martin Perez (3-6, 4.77 ERA) to the mound to face Angels' right-hander Jered Weaver (7-12, 4.76 ERA) at 8:05 p.m. ET tonight.
Rangers first-year manager Jeff Banister is a top candidate for AL Manager of the Year for his work in Texas in 2015. The club has been on an absolute roll since the All-Star break, going 45-25 and supplanting the Astros for first place in the division this month.
The Angels have slipped up a bit in the second half. They're 34-36 since the break and would be in much more trouble if they didn't rip off seven straight wins in the past week. However, they've dropped their last two and are in desperate need of a win if they want to keep their playoffs hope alive.
The New York Yankees have already claimed a wild card spot, so the Angels will battle the Astros and the Twins for the second berth.
The good news is that Weaver pitched six strong innings (one earned run on four hits and three walks) in his only start against the Rangers this season. Perez has also only made one start against the Angels, but surrendered three earned runs on five hits and four walks in a loss earlier this month.
Texas has won seven of their last 10 and scored 63 runs over that span. Their offense has been on a tear, ranking fourth in the MLB with 731 runs scored. Second half revivals from Shin-Soo Choo and Adrian Beltre have been a big part of their success, along with the acquisition of Cole Hamels.
Los Angeles has also won seven of their last 10 and scored 50 runs in those contests. However, they'll need Mike Trout and Albert Pujols to step up in the season's final three games if they want to make the postseason for the second straight year.
Click here for the lineups.
Check out the live stream for tonight's game here as well as the radio broadcast here (TEX) or here (LAA).
