To say the Rangers have face planted as defending World Series champions would be a vast understatement.
They are on pace for a top-three worst defending-champion campaign since the AL shifted to 162 games in 1961, entering Wednesday’s game with a 66-73 record.
Texas has less than a one percent chance of making the postseason after sticking to its guns at the trade deadline and going 12-15 in August.
The Rangers dropped a wacky series to the Yankees in that time that made for 12 runs scored per nine innings.
Nathan Eovaldi’s start was a stinker, as he allowed three earned runs in three innings before exiting as precaution to tightness in his right side.
The Yankees claimed that game, 8-0.
Eovaldi looks to redeem his poor Bronx fortunes in Arlington on Wednesday against Marcus Stroman, who hasn’t been the $37 million pitcher the Yankees signed him to be in January.
Since ending June with a 3.29 ERA, Stroman is 3-3 with a 4.95 ERA spanning his last eight starts. He’s yielded 56 hits in 43 2/3 innings in that stretch.
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Yankees pitchers have allowed a .308 average on balls hit into play in their last two road series, both of which they dropped to non-playoff contenders.
The first two games in this series have featured 12 and 11 runs, respectively.
The Yankees grabbed the opener, 8-4, behind a strong performance from Gerrit Cole.
They came close to grabbing Tuesday’s game but Clay Holmes tallied his 11th blown save when he surrendered a walk-off grand slam in the 7-4 loss.
THE PLAY: Yankees-Rangers Over 8.5 (FanDuel, -122)