The Texas Rangers (46-28) take their league-best lineup on the road to face the New York Yankees (41-34) at Yankee Stadium on Friday for the first of a three-game series.
The Rangers are in the midst of a six-game road trip. They won two out of three in their last series against the White Sox, taking the finale 6-3 on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Nathaniel Lowe was 1 for 2 with a double, one run, and one RBI, walking three times. Jonah Heim added a home run, two runs, and three RBIs.
The Yankees are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They won two of three against the Mariners in their last series, dropping the finale 10-2 on Thursday at Yankee Stadium. Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 1 for 1 with a home run and two RBIs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Rangers have won three of four in the season series between the teams, including a 15-2 victory in their most recent meeting on April 30 at Globe Life Field. Martin Perez went six innings, giving up one run on six hits, to get the win.
ON THE MOUND
Dane Dunning (6-1, 2.78 ERA) is slated for the start for Texas. The righty allowed two runs over six innings in his last start, a 4-2 road win over the Blue Jays on Saturday. He earned the win, scattering six hits while striking out three and walking one.
Dunning has made one previous appearance against the Yankees this season, a 5-2 home victory on April 28. He surrendered two runs on three hits over 3.1 innings, striking out one.
Right-hander Clarke Schmidt (2-6, 4.65 ERA) takes the mound for New York. He has made one prior start against the Rangers this season, giving up five runs over five innings in a 5-2 road defeat on April 28.
He gave up 10 hits and walked one while striking out eight in the loss. In his last start on Sunday, Schmidt took a no-decision on the road against the Red Sox. He threw 4.2 innings and gave up two runs on five hits, striking out three and walking three in the 6-2 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
The Texas offense is averaging 6.1 runs per game for the season, the best in the league, with a slash line of .272/.341/.456. Leody Taveras leads the team in OPS at .833. The center fielder is slashing .299/.352/.481 with eight home runs, 32 RBIs, and 37 runs over 60 games.
Against righties like Schmidt this season, the Rangers have a .787 OPS, second highest in MLB. Lowe is the team’s best performer against right-handers with a .832 OPS in 195 at-bats.
New York is slashing .229/.297/.411 for the season and averaging 4.4 runs per game. Anthony Rizzo leads the team with a .786 OPS. The first baseman has 11 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 35 runs scored with a slash line of .268/.349/.437.
New York is averaging only 2.4 runs per game in the last five with their slash line slipping across the board (.176/.241/.333). The Yanks have a .706 OPS against right-handers in 2023. With a 1.186 OPS over 144 at-bats, Aaron Judge has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Texas is 22-15 in road games in 2023, scoring 5.8 runs per game while allowing 3.8 runs. New York has gone 23-18 at their home park this season, averaging 4.3 runs per game while surrendering 3.9. In the last 10 meetings at Yankee Stadium, New York is 8-2 with an average scoreline of 4.4-2.3.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Rangers lead the AL West by five games over the Astros. The Yankees are third in the AL East, nine games behind the Rays.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
NY Yankees (-115)
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