Traction in the American League West race continues to elude the Texas Rangers . But they also don't lose any ground.
Texas is stuck in neutral, to use the car analogy. But so is everyone else in the race. But each game brings a new opportunity for the Rangers to build some momentum as they try to catch the Houston Astros in the division. The Rangers are only one game back as they prepare to host the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.
Texas (64-66) lost to Los Angeles on Saturday, and the Astros (65-65) lost to the Athletics . The division bottom feeders are giving the front runners all kinds of trouble. The Astros are wrapping up a nine-game homestand on Sunday and they're 4-6 in their last 10 games. The Rangers have been at home all week and they're also 4-6 in their last 10 games.
The Rangers enter Sunday's game tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the final berth in the American West and the Rangers would have the tiebreaker of the postseason started on Sunday. The bad news is there are five other teams pursuing the Rangers in that race.
Texas first baseman Jake Burger is in the lineup after he was hit by a pitch in the left wrist on Saturday. X-rays are negative but Burger said the swelling is significant. So is Logan O'Hoppe, who was recalled from Round Rock on Sunday and will make his Rangers debut.
Texas Rangers right fielder Brandon Nimmo. Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
SS Corey Seager (L)
RF Brandon Nimmo (L)
1B Jake Burger
DH Logan O'Hoppe
3B Cody Freeman
Where:Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
Sunday:1:35 p.m. - TV: Rangers:Rangers Sports Network, can be streamed on BZZR; Angels:ABTV; Radio: Rangers:KRLD 1080, KFLC 1270; Angels: KLAA 830
Sunday: TexasRHP Cal Quantrill (5-4, 3.13) vs. Angels Yusei Kikuchi (0-3, 5.81)
Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Corey Seager:His five-game streak with at least two hits in a game ended on Saturday but he's in the middle of his hottest stretch of the season so the Rangers are unlikely to bench him. He has a good history against Kikuchi, too. He is batting .250 in 16 career at-bats and has the only home run off him in the Rangers' lineup all-time.
Nicky Lopez :This is a good day to get Lopez involved in some way. He's a career .273 hitter against Kikuchi in 11 at-bats with an RBI. He's also a good matchup as a left-handed hitter against left-handed pitching. The Rangers could also use his defense and again they need to win to keep pace with the Astros and the AL West.
Wyatt Langford:It The Rangers have already given Langford back-to-back designated hitter days this week so he should be able to handle playing the field in a day game after a night game. Like Seager, he has a good history against Kikuchi with a .333 average in 12 at-bats. The Rangers need him to bring some slug on Sunday.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/rangers/onsi as Where Logan O'Hoppe Fits in Rangers Lineup Entering Angels Finale .
