The Tampa Bay Rays travel to Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers for the one-game playoff before the actual 2013 MLB Postseason takes off. It should be a great game and if you can't watch at home, maybe you should invest on watching the game online. Check out the live stream available as MLB.TV brings you the live action online.
How do both teams matchup? Here are the stats.
The Rangers have the better offense in terms of overall hitting. They ranked seventh in the baseball with a .263 batting average, meanwhile, the Rays ranked 12 in baseball, hitting .257 during the first 162 games of the year. When it comes to power, the Rangers out-slugged the Rays hitting 12 more home runs in 2013. The Rangers finished tied seventh with the Detroit Tigers (172). The Rangers also had more runs batted in and scored throughout the season. Texas finished eighth in the Majors with 689 RBI and 728 runs scored. The Rays, once again, were not far behind, racking up 695 runs scored and driving in 666.
That is the offense. In pitching, well, something things don't change much. The Rangers had a 3.62 ERA, finishing 10th in baseball. in comparison, the Rays' posted a .375 ERA as a pitching staff. The Rays were better at keeping the ball in the ballpark, holding their opposition to 153 home runs in the year. The Rangers were not too far back, allowing 156 in 2013. The Rays and Rangers finished third and fourth, respectively, in strikeouts. The Rays struckout five more hitters, racking up 1,306 K's in 2013, while the Rangers struckout 1,301.
Who has the advantage? You be the judge. The Rangers have power and contact, finishing 29th in total strikeouts (1,063), which is good. The Rays struck out 1,125, finishing 25th in baseball. However, the Rays will have David Price on the mound, a playoff veteran. The Rangers will depend on young star Martin Perez to get them into the A.L. Wild Card Game against the Cleveland Indians. Price is 0-3 against the Rangers in his career in the playoffs with a 4.66 ERA.
Click here for the Rays vs. Rangers live stream as both teams hook up for 2013's Game 163.
