Contenders Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays Ready for 'Great Series'

The Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays, the two best teams in the AL, meet for the first time on Friday night.

It isn’t lost on Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy that the opener of Friday’s series with the Tampa Bay Rays represents a matchup of the teams with the two best records in the American League and in MLB.

But all he has his eye on is Friday night.

“I’ll be honest, I’m just looking at the next game,” Bochy said before the Rangers left for the three-game road trip to Tampa Bay.

The AL West-leading Rangers (40-21) are the best offensive team in baseball, with a team batting average of .277 and the game’s best batting average with runners in scoring position. No one has scored more runs than the Rangers’ 371.

The Rays (46-19) are no slouch, though, as they’re second in batting average and runs scored. The AL East leaders got off to the best start in baseball, winning 30 of their first 40 games. The Rays enter Friday’s game on a six-game tear, having just finished off a sweep of the Minnesota Twins.

The Rangers were on Thursday but enter the series having won five of their last six.

This has the makings of an October playoff preview.

“It’s going to be a great series,” Bochy said. “Two really good clubs going at it. We’re looking forward to it. We’re playing well. They’re playing well.”

The Rangers will start left-hander Andrew Heaney (4-3, 4.03) on Friday, with the Rays sending out right-hander Tyler Glasnow. He’s made just two starts this season and has a 3.72 ERA. He missed the first two months of the season with a grade two strain of his left oblique. First pitch is set for 5:40 p.m. CT.

The weekend features a pair of Cy Young contenders, though they won’t be squaring off against each other. Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (8-2, 2.24) draws the Saturday start against right-hander Taj Bradley (4-2, 3.60), who was among the game’s Top 100 prospects before making his MLB debut on April 12.

On Sunday, the Rays will start Shane McClanahan, a third-year player who leads MLB in wins (9-1) and ERA (2.02). He’ll face Rangers left-hander Martín Pérez (6-1, 3.97).

If the Rangers are looking for a chance to test themselves — and the Rays for that matter — this series should do it.

“I think we’ve already shown that we can play with anybody if we play our game,” Bochy said.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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