So...I was really hoping for the Yankees this series. I don't love our chances against the Rays and I thought we could handle New York fairly easy.
Oh well...play the hand your dealt. First off, let's look at the post season roster. 25 players, most LIKELY to be 14 position players and 11 pitchers with the outside chance of 10 pitchers and 15 position players. We'll operate under the assumption that they will take 11 pitchers. I think this is what we're looking at for the 25 man...
CATCHERS (2)
Bengie Molina
Matt Treanor
FIRST BASE (2)
Mitch Moreland
Jorge Cantu
SECOND BASE (1)
Ian Kinsler
THIRD BASE (1)
Michael Young
SHORTSTOP (1)
Elvis Andrus
UTILITY INFIELDER (1)
Andres Blanco
OUTFIELD (5)
Julio Borbon
Nelson Cruz
Jeff Francoeur
Josh Hamilton
David Murphy
DESIGNATED HITTER (1)
Vladimir Guerrero
STARTERS (4)
Cliff Lee
CJ Wilson
Colby Lewis
Tommy Hunter
RELIEVERS (7)
Neftali Feliz
Darren Oliver
Darren O'Day
Alexi Ogando
Derek Holland
Michael Kirkman
Dustin Nippert
Just my guy feeling. Assuming that's the 25, let's look at how each of the players have fared against the players on the other side. How the pitchers have fared against the Rays position players and how the Rangers batters have fared against the Rays' pitchers.
MATT TREANOR
David Price - Never faced
Matt Garza - 2-3, 1 BB, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Wade Davis - Never faced
Rafael Soriano - 0-2, 1 SO
Joaquin Benoit - 1-2, 1 SO, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Randy Choate - Never faced
Grant Balfour - Never faced
Lance Cormier - 0-1
Dan Wheeler - 0-1, 1 SO
BENGIE MOLINA
David Price - 1-2, 1 BB, 1 2B
Matt Garza - 0-5, 1 SO
Wade Davis - Never faced
Rafael Soriano - 1-4, 1 SO
Joaquin Benoit - 5-11, 2 SO, 2 BB, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Randy Choate - Never faced
Grant Balfour - 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 SO
Lance Cormier - Never faced
Dan Wheeler - 1-5, 1 RBI, 3 SO
MITCH MORELAND
David Price - Never faced
Matt Garza - 0-3, 3 SO
Wade Davis - Never faced
Rafael Soriano - 0-1, 1 SO
Joaquin Benoit - Never faced
Randy Choate - Never faced
Grant Balfour - Never faced
Lance Cormier - 1-1, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Dan Wheeler - Never faced
JORGE CANTU
David Price - 0-6, 3 SO
Matt Garza - 2-13, 1 BB, 5 SO
Wade Davis - Never faced
Rafael Soriano - 1-6, 2 SO, 1 2B
Joaquin Benoit - 3-7, 1 SO, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Randy Choate - Never faced
Grant Balfour - 0-2
Lance Cormier - 3-6, 1 BB
Dan Wheeler - 1-6, 1 3B
IAN KINSLER
David Price - 2-6, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Matt Garza - 5-22, 3 BB, 3 SO
Wade Davis - 0-2, 1 SO
Rafael Soriano - 0-1
Joaquin Benoit - Never faced
Randy Choate - 0-1, 1 SO
Grant Balfour - 1-6, 2 SO, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Lance Cormier - 3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Dan Wheeler - 3-6, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
MICHAEL YOUNG
David Price - 2-7, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 2B, 5 RBI
Matt Garza - 5-19, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Wade Davis - 1-3, 2 RBI
Rafael Soriano - 0-6, 3 BB, 4 SO
Joaquin Benoit - Never faced
Randy Choate - 0-1
Grant Balfour - 1-6, 3 BB, 2 SO
Lance Cormier - 2-5, 1 RBI
Dan Wheeler - 0-4, 3 SO
ELVIS ANDRUS
David Price - 2-6, 3 BB, 2 SO, 1 RBI
Matt Garza - 3-12, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1 RBI
Wade Davis - 1-3, 2 SO, 1 RBI
Rafael Soriano - 0-1
Joaquin Benoit - 1-1
Randy Choate - 0-1, 1 SO
Grant Balfour - 0-3, 1 SO
Lance Cormier - 0-1, 1 BB
Dan Wheeler - 0-1
ANDRES BLANCO
David Price - 0-2, 2 SO
Matt Garza - 2-5, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Wade Davis - Never faced
Rafael Soriano - 1-2
Joaquin Benoit - 1-3, 1 RBI
Randy Choate - Never faced
Grant Balfour - Never faced
Lance Cormier - Never faced
Dan Wheeler - Never faced
JULIO BORBON
David Price - Never faced
Matt Garza - 1-10, 1 BB, 3 SO
Wade Davis - 2-2
Rafael Soriano - Never faced
Joaquin Benoit - 0-1, 1 SO
Randy Choate - 0-2, 1 SO
Grant Balfour - Never faced
Lance Cormier - 1-2
Dan Wheeler - Never faced
NELSON CRUZ
David Price - 2-4, 2 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Matt Garza - 0-3, 1 SO, 1 RBI
Wade Davis - Never faced
Rafael Soriano - Never faced
Joaquin Benoit - Never faced
Randy Choate - 0-1
Grant Balfour - 0-2, 1 SO
Lance Cormier - 2-2, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Dan Wheeler - 0-1
JEFF FRANCOEUR
David Price - Never faced
Matt Garza - Never faced
Wade Davis - Never faced
Rafael Soriano - 0-2, 1 SO
Joaquin Benoit - Never faced
Randy Choate - Never faced
Grant Balfour - Never faced
Lance Cormier - 0-1
Dan Wheeler - Never faced
JOSH HAMILTON
David Price - 1-6, 2 SO
Matt Garza - 2-15, 2 BB, 6 SO
Wade Davis - 2-2, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Rafael Soriano - 1-1
Joaquin Benoit - 0-1, 1 SO
Randy Choate - 1-3, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2 RBI
Grant Balfour - 0-1, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 RBI
Lance Cormier - 1-6, 1 SO, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Dan Wheeler - 1-4, 1 SO, 1 RBI
DAVID MURPHY
David Price - 1-5, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Matt Garza - 5-22, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Wade Davis - 0-2
Rafael Soriano - Never faced
Joaquin Benoit - 0-1, 1 SO
Randy Choate - 1-3, 1 SO, 1 RBI
Grant Balfour - 1-4, 3 SO
Lance Cormier - 2-2, 2 BB, 1 2B, 1 3B
Dan Wheeler - 1-1, 1 2B
VLADIMIR GUERRERO
David Price - 2-7, 1 BB, 1 SO
Matt Garza - 4-13, 1 BB, 3 SO, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Wade Davis - 0-2
Rafael Soriano - 5-9, 1 SO
Joaquin Benoit - 4-15, 4 BB, 3 SO, 2 2B
Randy Choate - 0-2, 1 BB
Grant Balfour - 3-6, 1 SO, 1 RBI
Lance Cormier - 1-5, 1 SO, 2 RBI
Dan Wheeler - 3-5, 2 BB, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI
OK...hitting the pause button before we move on to how our pitchers have fared against their hitters. Some things that could be interesting to note.
Ranger hitters don't have a ton of at bats against Rafael Soriano and Randy Choate, but those two have shut down our hitters for a combined 11-49 with 16 strikeouts.
None of our hitters have had a great deal of success against the likely top 3 starters from the Rays. Kinsler and Andrus are both 2-6 against Price while Cruz is 2-4. And Borbon is 2-2 against Wade Davis. That's about it.
Now on to how our pitchers have fared against the mainstays of the Rays lineup.
CLIFF LEE
Carl Crawford - 7-29, 6 SO, 1 3B, 1 RBI
Ben Zobrist - 4-13, 1 SO, 1 RBI
Carlos Pena - 6-29, 1 BB, 6 SO, 3 HR, 4 RBI
Jason Bartlett - 5-19, 3 SO, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Evan Longoria - 3-18, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1 2B, 2 RBI
BJ Upton - 7-21, 1 BB, 6 SO, 3 2B, 1 RBI
CJ WILSON
Carl Crawford - 2-12, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Ben Zobrist - 2-6, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 2B
Carlos Pena - 0-5, 3 BB, 1 SO, 1 RBI
Jason Bartlett - 2-2, 1 RBI
Evan Longoria - 0-6
BJ Upton - 0-5, 1 BB, 2 SO
COLBY LEWIS
Carl Crawford - 1-4, 2 BB, 1 SO, 1 RBI
Ben Zobrist - Never faced
Carlos Pena - 0-1, 1 SO
Jason Bartlett - 0-1, 1 SO
Evan Longoria - Never faced
BJ Upton - Never faced
TOMMY HUNTER
Carl Crawford - 4-11, 1 BB, 1 3B, 1 RBI
Ben Zobrist - 2-9, 2 BB
Carlos Pena - 3-10, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Jason Bartlett - 2-7, 2 SO
Evan Longoria - 2-11, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI
BJ Upton - 2-10, 4 SO, 1 RBI
NEFTALI FELIZ
Carl Crawford - 0-1
Ben Zobrist - 0-2
Carlos Pena - 0-2
Jason Bartlett - 0-1, 1 SO
Evan Longoria - 0-2, 1 SO
BJ Upton - 0-2, 2 SO
DARREN OLIVER
Carl Crawford - 2-3, 1 SO, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Ben Zobrist - 0-2, 1 BB, 1 SO
Carlos Pena - 2-7, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 2B, 5 RBI
Jason Bartlett - 2-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Evan Longoria - 1-3, 2 BB, 1 HR, 1 RBI
BJ Upton - 0-3, 1 SO, 1 RBI
DARREN O'DAY
Carl Crawford - 1-5, 1 SO, 1 RBI
Ben Zobrist - 2-2, 3 RBI
Carlos Pena - 0-1
Jason Bartlett - 3-5, 1 BB, 1 SO
Evan Longoria - 1-4, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 2B, 1 RBI
BJ Upton - 0-7, 2 SO
ALEXI OGANDO
Carl Crawford - 0-0, 1 RBI
Ben Zobrist - 0-0, 1 BB
Carlos Pena - Never faced
Jason Bartlett - 0-1, 1 SO
Evan Longoria - 0-1, 1 SO
BJ Upton - 1-1
DEREK HOLLAND
Carl Crawford - 2-7, 2 BB, 2 SO, 1 2B
Ben Zobrist - 1-6, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Carlos Pena - 0-6, 3 SO
Jason Bartlett - 2-6, 3 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Evan Longoria - 5-9, 1 SO, 3 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI
BJ Upton - 3-6, 2 BB, 3 SO, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
DUSTIN NIPPERT
Carl Crawford - 0-4, 1 RBI
Ben Zobrist - 3-6, 1 BB, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Carlos Pena - 3-5, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Jason Bartlett - 2-4, 2 RBI
Evan Longoria - 2-4, 1 2B
BJ Upton - 3-5, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI
MICHAEL KIRKMAN
Never faced Rays.
Some notes from the pitcher stats...
If it gets to Feliz time, the numbers tell us the game is over. Not one of those 6 main hitters has gotten to him yet and in his career against the Rays he hasn't allowed a run and has a WHIP of 0.35.
In the debate over whether to start Cliff Lee on three days rest or Tommy Hunter fresh for a possible game 4, it's interesting to note that Cliff has pretty much shut down the nucleus of the Rays lineup outside of BJ Upton. Hunter doesn't have a large sample size against Tampa, but he looks like he's been touched up a little bit. Makes for an interesting argument should it arise.
So that's how Tampa looks against Texas. Game 1 is 12:37 Central time on Wednesday (Eff you TBS) as Cliff Lee will take on David Price...should be fun. I'm expecting Tampa to take games 1 and 2, Texas to win game 3, and then have Tampa close it out against Hunter next Sunday. Hoping I'm wrong.
What are your thoughts? Leave them in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter with your thoughts. @SportsByDallas
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