Haren and Hernandez Face-Off in A.L. West Showdown

It seems as though every team in the American League West has the same philosophy on winning. Three of the 4 teams in the division are ranked in the top 7 in team earned run average, but the one team that isn’t is the one that’s leading the pack. The Texas Rangers do it with offense, and they have plenty of fire-power throughout their line-up to sustain a lead over the rest of the West. However, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Seattle Mariners have the potential to make a run at Texas if they can get some clutch hitting out of their line-up over the second half of the season.

The Angels and Mariners are battling this weekend to stay within arms-reach of the Rangers. Both squads weren’t expected to finish above Texas this season, but baseball experts are starting to realize that their pitching staffs are far better than anticipated. Sunday’s match-up will almost certainly be a low scoring affair as two of the best pitchers in the A.L. this season do their best to shut-down the opposing teams’ line-up.

Dan Haren may be over-shadowed by the phenomenal season that Jered Weaver is having, but his numbers have been outstanding this year. A 9-5 record could be more like 12-3 had he received a few more runs in some of his starts, but 107 strikeouts and a 2.65 ERA are much of the reason why the Angels are just 1 game behind Texas. Haren will have a major test Sunday when he faces-off against what many MLB experts consider the best pitcher in baseball.

Felix Hernandez is the reigning Cy Young award winner in the American League despite finishing last season with a 13-12 record. His record alone should be a good indication of how incredibly remarkable his 2010 campaign was. Hernandez is having another solid season, but unfortunately he’s received the same amount of run support from the Seattle batting order that he did a year ago, and is sitting at a 8-7 record.

Anaheim is certainly the hotter team at this point, but Hernandez has the ability to cool down major league line-ups. Tune in Sunday as the Angels and Mariners look to gain some ground on the Rangers behind some solid pitching from two of the best in the American League.

 

Related posts:

1. Mariners throw Hernandez at Red Hot Rangers
2. Rangers host Athletics in A.L. West Showdown
3. The Angels are making their Move in the A.L. West
4. Oakland vs. Seattle in American League West Showdown
5. American Leagues best Pitcher’s face off Sunday

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