Baseball purists in Texas are likely in for a treat tonight, as two of baseball's best pitchers go head to head at the Ballpark in Arlington tonight at 8:05 p.m. Justin Verlander (4-3, 1.93 ERA) of the Tigers will face Yu Darvish (6-1, 2.73 ERA) of the Texas Rangers in a game that will be shown on MLB Network and can be live streamed for free here. Rangers fans can listen to the game at 103.3 ESPN, while Tigers fans can catch it on 97.1 The Ticket.
Darvish has electrified baseball this season, and is one of the key catalysts to Texas' 26-14 start that has them atop the American League West standings. In just his second Major League season, Darvish is toying with hitters, striking out 80 batters so far in just 52.2 innings. That's an average of 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings, tops in all of baseball as are the 80 strikeouts.
Speaking on the highly anticipated matchup, Texas manager Ron Washington tried to downplay its significance. "It's great for the fans. If it doesn't go in our favor, it doesn't end our season. If Verlander has his stuff, it will be a long night. If Darvish has his stuff, it will be a long night. By long night, I mean runs will be at a premium, and it will be the first one to make a mistake."
Verlander, the Cy Young winner two years ago, has seen his velocity dip a bit this year but his results have not suffered. He remains in the top 10 of all pitchers in ERA, strikeouts per nine innings (9.994), and wins above replacement (2.1). Verlander credited Darvish for being a quality pitcher, but betrayed no qualms about being matched up with one of baseball's hottest starters.
"I saw him pitch last year a couple times," Verlander said. "I know he's striking out the world this year, but other than that, I haven't seen too much."
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
