Pittsburgh Pirates vs Texas Rangers Live Streaming
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Texas Rangers Live | Pittsburgh Pirates vs Texas Rangers | Pittsburgh Pirates vs Texas Rangers Streaming | Pittsburgh vs Texas MLB Live Stream TV | Pittsburgh Pirates vs Texas Rangers Live Webcast
8:05 pm EDT Tue Jun 22, 2010
On paper, it would be difficult to come up with a bigger mismatch than this week’s three-game series between the Texas Rangers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. While Texas looks to extend its longest winning streak in five years to nine, the Pirates try to snap an 11-game road losing streak Tuesday night as they open a nine-game trip in Arlington. There is no hotter team in the majors than the Rangers, who finished their recent road trip with eight straight victories over Milwaukee, Florida and Houston. It’s their longest overall winning streak since a nine-game run from May 20-31, 2005. Texas has won 11 of 12 to gain a firm grip on first place in the AL West, thanks in large part to Josh Hamilton. Hamilton, among the top five in the AL in each triple crown category, drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the 10th inning Sunday as the Rangers capped a three-game sweep of the Astros with a 5-4 victory. The slugger had five hits in the game and is batting .484 with seven homers and 23 RBIs during a career-best 16-game hitting streak.
Opposing pitchers are finding a tough time dealing with Texas’ lineup. The Astros intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero, second in the AL with 57 RBIs, in the 10th to get to Hamilton, and the following batter - rookie Justin Smoak - went 7 for 14 with two homers and eight RBIs in the last three games. Plus, the Rangers might welcome back slugger Nelson Cruz on Tuesday. On the disabled list since May 30 with a torn left hamstring, Cruz is hitting .327 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs in 32 games. His return would be just another obstacle for Ross Ohlendorf as Pittsburgh’s right-hander again tries for his first win. Last year, he had 11 victories and a 3.92 ERA. Ohlendorf has struggled in his last two starts, allowing 11 runs and 19 hits in 12 1-3 innings during losses to Detroit and the Chicago White Sox. Texas counters with Tommy Hunter even though the right-hander left his last start Wednesday at Florida after 2 1-3 innings with discomfort in his right hip flexor. Hunter was sharp at home against Tampa Bay and Seattle in his first two starts of 2010 after stints on the disabled list and in the minors, improving to 8-4 with a 3.87 ERA in his career at Rangers Ballpark.
