Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
TEX	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	4	8	0
LAA	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	0

Gore (6-9, 4.55) gets the ball for Texas in Monday's series opener at Angel Stadium, first pitch at 6:38 PM PT, making his first start since coming back from paternity leave. He looked plenty sharp in his last turn, tossing 6 scoreless innings against the Giants before stepping away, and the Rangers need that version of him with a playoff spot on the line. Detmers (3-8, 4.12) takes the ball for the Angels, back in the rotation full-time after working out of the bullpen last season — a move that's produced uneven results all year.

Show fees

FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Rangers(59-59)

LWWWW

4

-1.5+160-104o8.5+133

Angels(45-73)

LLWWL

1

+1.5-163+104u8.5-130

Best BetRangers -115

Pregame

The price on Texas sits close to a coin flip even though the standings gap is enormous, which says plenty about how banged-up the Angels' pitching is right now. The Rangers have won 4 of their last 5 and are playing with playoff urgency, while Los Angeles is just trying to survive the year. Backing Texas here is backing the team with something real to lose.

Detmers' last time out was a step back: 4 innings, 3 earned runs, a loss to Baltimore. He's throwing behind an Angels pitching staff that's been stripped for parts — Kikuchi is still working back from shoulder surgery and got roughed up in a Triple-A rehab outing this week, Bachman is shelved with forearm inflammation, and the bullpen has no real margin for error. Books have taken notice, with the total getting bet up pregame as the market leans toward a track meet.

MacKenzie Gore

(7-9)·4.26 ERA

Aug 4 vs Giants

ND

6.0IP

0ER

4K

3BB

99P

08/10 Lineup

Reid Detmers

(4-8)·3.62 ERA

Aug 5 @ Orioles

L

4.0IP

3ER

5K

1BB

81P

08/10 Lineup

That's the backdrop for a series that means very different things to each side. Texas is clinging to a wild card cushion with Cleveland, Detroit and Minnesota all breathing down its neck while also chasing Houston in the AL West, while the Angels are playing out the string with little beyond pride and roster evaluation left on the table.

Texas Rangers

(59-59)

Aug 9Lvs Orioles5-10

Aug 8Wvs Orioles5-1

Aug 8Wvs Orioles2-1

Aug 5Wvs Giants6-0

Aug 5Wvs Giants5-4

Los Angeles Angels

(45-73)

Aug 9L@ Marlins3-12

Aug 8L@ Marlins0-7

Aug 7W@ Marlins4-3

Aug 6W@ Orioles4-1

Aug 5L@ Orioles2-5

Texas' offense has had its say lately, hanging 6 runs on San Francisco and taking 2 of the first 3 from Baltimore before the series finale slipped away, 10-5. The Angels, meanwhile, have been outscored 0-7 and then 3-12 to close out their last road trip — the kind of slide that hands Detmers a get-right spot, if the rotation behind him can hold up its end.

Texas Rangers

(10)

• 10-Day-ILJosh Jung (3B) — Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Wednesday that Jung (calf) has been making slow progress in his recovery and will remain out for at least 10 more days, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.08/05
• 10-Day-ILKyle Higashioka (C) — Higashioka is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox.07/21
• 15-Day-ILJakob Junis (RP) — Junis (adductor) threw out to 90 feet Friday and expects to toss a bullpen session Monday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.08/08
• 60-Day-ILDanny Jansen (C) — Jansen (forearm) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Tuesday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.08/09
• 60-Day-ILJack Leiter (SP) — The Rangers transferred Leiter (ankle) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.08/09
• 60-Day-ILJose Corniell (RP) — The Rangers placed Corniell on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with an elbow injury, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.07/30
• 60-Day-ILJalen Beeks (RP) — The Rangers transferred Beeks (forearm) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.07/21
• 60-Day-ILMichael Helman (CF) — Texas transferred Helman (hand) to the 60-day injured list Friday.06/19
• 60-Day-ILRobert Garcia (RP) — The Rangers transferred Garcia (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.06/01
• 60-Day-ILCarter Baumler (RP) — Baumler (intercostal) has been shut down from his rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.05/23

Los Angeles Angels

(7)

• 10-Day-ILSebastian Rivero (C) — Rivero (hand) began a rehab assignment Saturday and has gone 3-for-7 with a home run in his first two rehab contests.07/29
• 15-Day-ILSam Bachman (RP) — The Angels placed Bachman on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to right forearm radial nerve inflammation.08/05
• 60-Day-ILYusei Kikuchi (SP) — Kikuchi (shoulder) tossed 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out seven batters in his rehab outing with Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.08/10
• 60-Day-ILYoan Moncada (3B) — Moncada (knee) has been rehabbing at his home and hasn't started baseball activities, MLB.com reports.07/22
• 60-Day-ILJack Kochanowicz (SP) — Kochanowicz's Tommy John surgery on his right elbow was deemed "successful," per MLB.com.06/27
• 60-Day-ILRobert Stephenson (RP) — The Angels announced that Stephenson underwent ligament and flexor repair surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and is likely to miss the remainder of the season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILAnthony Rendon (3B) — The Angels placed Rendon (hip) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08

None of that changes the calendar math for either side. Texas needs innings it can trust from arms like Gore's while it fights off Houston and a stacked wild card field; the Angels need Detmers to give them length so an overworked bullpen doesn't have to bail him out again. Monday's opener in Anaheim is a quiet measuring stick for a Rangers club that can't afford to slip.