The Texas Rangers' recent road trip certainly didn't go as planned. The three-series trip which included trips to Minnesota, the Bronx and Atlanta was ugly for Texas, as the Rangers went just 3-7 and now find themselves in a virtual tie for first place in the AL West. On Monday night, the Rangers return home to take on the Houston Astros as interleague play continues.
Derek Holland gets the nod tonight for the Rangers. Holland has been quite inconsistent on the season, and his most recent start against the Yankees certainly highlights the ugly side of his year to date. Holland lasted just five innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and five walks without recording a strikeout. The awful start against New York raised Holland's ERA to 4.78 and his WHIP to 1.48.
The Astros are sending J.A. Happ to the mound. Happ was acquired from Philadelphia last year a part of the Roy Oswalt deal, and owns a 3-8 record along with a 4.95 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 2011 thus far. Happ has 66 strikeouts in 80 innings while opponents are hitting .252 off of him.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT.