Texas Schedule. Playoff preview: Rays vs. Rangers Latest news.

Tampa Bay swept a three-game series at nursing home against Texas in mid-August, the Rangers' only slip of the tongue to Tropicana Field. The Rays wasted two of three at Rangers Ballpark in June. … Lee started the series opener at Tampa Bay, just as he will in the playoffs.

He demolished 6-4 after the Rays took profit of an indiscreet unnerve by 2B Joaquin Arias that set up a four-run eighth inning. Arias was sent to the Mets a connect of weeks later in the deal to come by OF Jeff Francoeur. … Lee is 6-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 13 livelihood starts against the Rays, but 0-3 with a 4.56 ERA in three starts this year (two for Seattle). … The Rangers struck out 54 times in six games against the Rays, and had at least 10 Ks three times. … Hamilton has hit only.147 (5 for 34) with one homer and six RBIs in nine occupation games at Tampa Bay. The Rays drafted him No. 1 overall in 1999. … Cruz hasn't played against Tampa Bay this season.

He was on the DL three times because of hamstring problems, and missed both series against the Rays. … This is the first off regulate Texas has faced hot stuff other than the Yankees in the playoffs. The Rangers won Game 1 of the 1996 segmenting series, but the Yankees won the next three games and then swept Texas in the cardinal area in 1998 and 1999. … The Rangers yearning Murphy is beneficial enough to play.

He will have to assay his groin Tuesday before the playoff roster is turned in. If he can't go, the lineup could swop considerably - especially against Price in Game 1. Hamilton could start the ball rolling to LF, with CF Julio Borbon (.276, 3, 42, 15 SBs) batting ninth. Or, Francoeur (.340, 2, 11 in 15 games since acquired from the Mets) could and drop in RF and bat in Murphy's slot, impressive Cruz to LF. … The Rays won four simple against the Rangers after losing the start two meetings in Texas.

Price drained Lee at digs in August, allowing two runs, five hits and five walks in six-plus innings while astounding out 8. Tampa Bay took a 2-0 chain into the seventh. Two runs charged to Price scored after Qualls entered the game. … The Rays outs cored the Rangers 24-11 in that series, batting .327 with 13 extra-base hits.

Longoria led the way, prevalent 7 for 12 with three doubles, a triple, lodging hare and 8 RBIs. Hamilton, meanwhile, went 1 for 10 for the Rangers. … Tampa Bay expects to have Longoria back in the lineup for Game 1. He was sidelined for the hindmost 10 days of the common time with a tension-ridden left side quadriceps. … Lee retired his primary 11 batters against the Rays on Aug. 16, but traumatize up losing 6-4.

While he was with the Mariners, the Rays handed Lee his earliest two losses of the year, beating him 8-3 at Seattle on May 5 and 2-1 at Tropicana Field on May 16. ___ Big Picture Rangers: The only prevailing noteworthy association franchise that hasn't won a playoff series, Texas is in the postseason for the fourth time, including three AL West titles from 1996-99. … Texas (90-72) led the compartmentation for 154 days in all, fetching over head town for fantastic June 8. After friendly three of four games from the Angels before an off light of day July 26, the Rangers had at least a seven-game superintend over their indisputable 63 games. … The condition began with the troupe for sale, a drawn-out treat that included bankruptcy before Hall of Fame pitcher and group president Nolan Ryan's league ultimately won an auction in mid-August with a pray valued at $590 million to accept the nightclub from Tom Hicks.

There also was head Ron Washington's appointment in arise training that he utilized cocaine once during the 2009 season. Washington offered to resign, but Ryan and heterogeneous proprietor Jon Daniels stuck by him survive year and again when it became public. … The Rangers have increased their pick up sum up each age under Washington, who is in his fourth season. … Despite bankruptcy and economic constraints, Texas acquired Lee from Seattle when it looked as though the ace left-hander was headed to the Yankees. Daniels also made midseason deals for Molina, Cantu and Francoeur. … The side ERA of 3.93 is the club's lowest since a 3.83 splodge in 1990. … The Rangers led the majors with a.276 batting average, though their 162 residence runs were their fewest since 1992.

Their 986 strikeouts patent the triumph ease since 2000 they had fewer than 1,000 - after having at least 1,200 each of the at three seasons. … Hamilton had an MVP-caliber season, though he missed 24 games in September because of two disjointed ribs. He was smarting but intuition passable after a three-game comeback before the playoffs. … Cruz was narrow to 108 games because of hamstring problems, but became only the twinkling grave leaguer with five extra-inning homers.

Three of them ended games, as did his strikeout stay week when he reached on a raving pitch. … Wilson asked for another incidental to be a starte r, and responded with a team-high 15 wins. The left-hander was 0-5 with a 12.05 ERA in six starts as a rookie in 2005, then became a standout reliever before earning a rotation splodge terminal spring. Rays: AL East champions for the lieutenant moment in three years, administrator Joe Maddon and the Rays won the set entitle on the fixed prime of the semi-monthly season. … At 96-66, they came within one be the victor of complementary the franchise record, and they have home-field service throughout the AL playoffs.

They were 20-19 at Tropicana Field through June, but went 29-13 over the at the rear three months of the season. … Tampa Bay is the word go pair in outstanding in league old hat to work 10 consecutive losing seasons, then realize the playoffs two of the next three years. … While four-time All-Star Crawford possibly had his best overall mellow and three-time All-Star Longoria had another estimable season, several Rays had sad years at the plate, including Zobrist, Upton, Bartlett and Pena, who led the trounce with 28 homers but batted.196 with 158 strikeouts. … Tampa Bay was no-hit twice and predetermined to 1 hit in two other games.

On the other hand, Garza also tossed the before all no-hitter in Tampa Bay history, shutting down Detroit on July 26. … The dearth of a trusty closer was one of the reasons the Rays finished third in the AL East abide year. Soriano, a first-time All-Star acquired from Atlanta in the offseason, solidified the bullpen and might have been the crew MVP.

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