Rays vs. Rangers: Why Rays Will Oust Defending AL Champs

The Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers both came into their first-round playoff matchup on a roll.

The Rangers had finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak and won 16 of their last 18 games. The Rays won their last five games, including a thrilling, come-from-behind victory against the New York Yankees that helped them clinch a wild-card spot in the last game of the season.

There was never any question both teams headed into the postseason with momentum. The question was, how would they match up?

The Rangers won the season series, 5-4, and boasted one of the best offenses in baseball. But the Rays came into the postseason with a 3.58 ERA, led by starters David Price, James Shields and young sensation Jeremy Hellickson.

In the squads' last matchup of the regular season, the Rays won two out of three games. There's also the dropoff in starter Colby Lewis' play this season and the roller coaster that is Derek Holland, who starts in Game 2. Holland registered a 6.51 ERA this season against the Rays, but he has looked sharp down the stretch and could end that trend.

But there's something about this Rays team. They destroyed Rangers ace C.J. Wilson in Game 1 in Texas, touching him for eight runs (six earned) in five innings of work. You get the feeling that they could make a deep run into the playoffs.

I think Holland's inconsistency this season is going to rear its ugly head in Game 2. The truth is, the Rays have the pitching to excel in the postseason, while the Rangers may find that losing Cliff Lee will be the difference between last season and this season.

The Rangers have always had a dynamic offense. It's the pitching last season that carried them to the World Series. Their bullpen is still stellar, and they certainly have a shot to make it to the promised land again this season, but I think they will lose Game 2 and they won't be able to make up for a two-game deficit.