Two of the better young pitchers in the American League West square off tonight in Arlington as the Texas Rangers look for their third straight win on Tuesday night. Both starting pitchers, Alexi Ogando and Michael Pineda, were named to the 2011 American League All-Star team last month.
For Texas, Ogando will look for his 12th win of the season. Ogando's record currently sits at 11-5 while sporting a 2.88 ERA, .217 BAA and 1.05 WHIP. Ogando has recorded 100 strikeouts against just 32 walks in 131.1 innings on the season. All in all, the numbers are nothing shy of remarkable for Ogando who entered spring training as the likely setup man to Neftali Feliz in Texas' bullpen.
Seattle will send their rookie sensation Michael Pineda to the mound to counter Ogando. Pineda has been excellent in his rookie campaign, striking out more than a batter an inning (133 strikeouts in 130 innings) while holding opponents to a .205 average. Pineda will be looking for his 10th win of the season, serving as one of the bright spots in an otherwise dismal season for the Mariners.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT.