Both the Texas Rangers (68-47 entering the series) and San Francisco Giants (62-53) plan on being busy this October. However, there's still a lot of work before that point, including this three-game weekend set. Game two is scheduled for Saturday at 9:05 p.m. EDT. Friday will give a glimpse of this matchup before this game potentially determines a series winner. Here's what each team has been up to lately.
An unexpected loss to the Oakland Athletics brought an eight-game Texas heater to an end. Their goal this weekend is to stack more Ws as they hunt for the American League's best record. They got blanked in that Wednesday loss, a rarity for the highest-scoring team in the majors. Ranking second in all three slash line categories, thanks to a lineup riddled with All-Stars, the Rangers punish most pitchers. Even with Jonah Heim and Josh Jung injured, there are few batting orders better than Texas. Base-stealing aside, this is clearly one of the most fearsome offenses in 2023.
Seager smash! #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/G4XYgxDL2m
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) August 9, 2023
Injuries have also ravaged the rotation, but Texas' staff has held firm through the storm. This game's starter, Andrew Heaney, has been a mainstay every fifth day. Despite a career-worst walk rate, Heaney has managed a 105 ERA+ this season. That number is greatly aided by three scoreless starts among his last five outings. All three shutout appearances were at home, whereas his last 8.0 innings on the road include 11 runs allowed. Let's see if Heaney can bring his momentum with him to the Bay Area.