Bullpen Advantage Might Go O's Way

If the Rangers and Orioles get to the sixth inning of tonight's AL Wild Card Game and the Rangers don't have a lead of at least two runs, it will be a reason to start worrying for Rangers fans.

One, it would've meant the Rangers either didn't jump on Orioles starter Joe Saunders, who they've owned over his career, or that Yu Darvish got jumped on, himself.

Either way, it won't be good as it will put the Orioles' bullpen in play, and if the Orioles have an advantage over the Rangers, on paper, anywhere, it's in the bullpen.

There's closer Jim Johnson, who has 51 saves this year, but he's not the only strong piece in the back of the Orioles' pen. There's also guys like former Rangers Darren O'Day (2.28 ERA) and Pedro Strop (2.44), as well as Luis Ayala (2.64).

The Rangers' bullpen is loaded in its own right, but Alexi Ogando has struggled and Mike Adams is injured. Koji Uehara, the former Orioles reliever, is pitching just as good, if not better, than any reliever in baseball right now.

So yeah, the Rangers' bullpen is one of the game's best, but one of those who have a better pen just might be Baltimore, meaning the Rangers won't be in good shape if they get to that point in the game.

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