Thursday's 3-Unit **MLB Game of the Week** - 4/19/2007 8:10:00 PM

Texas Rangers (Padilla) +130

***MLB Game of the Week*** The Rangers were no-hit Wednesday by Mark Buehrle and that sets us up great here. Javier Vazquez has looked very sharp in his first two starts this season with two quality outings and we know what that means. It?s time for Vazquez to come back to reality. While he isn?t considered to be on one of the lower pitching tiers in the league, he is nowhere near the top where he used to be when he left Montreal. With two straight quality starts behind him, it?s time to blow up especially with some of his recent work. Since coming to the American League in 2004, he has an ERA of 4.66 and WHIP of 1.28.

He has struggled against the Rangers in his career despite showing a 2-1 record. He has a 6.87 ERA and 1.69 WHIP in three starts with the most damage coming last season in two outings where he posted an ERA of 8.03 and a WHIP of 1.95. He goes up against Vicente Padilla who has started out just the opposite of Vazquez and should very well turn it around here. He was hit hard in his first outing at Los Angeles and he has been decent in his last two starts, allowing just 10 hits in 13 innings after allowing nine in 4.2 innings against the Angels.

Padilla has been solid against the White Sox. He has posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in four career starts and has allowed just one run in his last 15 innings against Chicago. He was much better on the road last season which is the case for a lot of Texas pitchers. He will be facing the worst offense in baseball as the White Sox are dead last in average at .215 and second to last in slugging percentage at .338. Chicago has scored one run or no runs in five of its last eight games, averaging just 2.5 rpg over that span.

The Rangers offense has been a disappointment as well but it is coming around. After averaging 2.3 rpg through their first four games, they have averaged 5.0 rpg in their nine games since. During the three starts with Padilla on the hill, Texas has hit .129, .161 and .182 so it is due for a breakout for sure. The Rangers are averaging only 2.7 rpg in those three games and while run support, or lack thereof, is contagious, it doesn?t run for too long and with Vazquez pitching, Texas gets it going. Play Texas Rangers 3 Units

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