The Texas Rangers are looking for their sixth straight series win tonight, and they'll be relying on Scott Feldman to turn in a strong pitching performance tonight and show the Rangers' tremendous depth on their pitching staff.
Feldman will make his 2012 starting debut after two relief outings as the club's long man, reprising his role from last year as the team's spot starter, and after a great spring when he was arguably the best Rangers pitcher going during the spring.
Last season, during the dog days of the summer, Feldman made a couple of spot starts to spell Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando, who were reaching their breaking point, and turned in two very solid outings, including a scoreless outing against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Due to last weekend's rainout in Detroit, and subsequent doubleheader on Saturday, the Rangers' rotation was thrown off as Harrison had to pitch on Saturday instead of Friday, meaning he's still not on his scheduled four-days rest.
Luckily for Feldman, he'll be squaring off against the Yankees' Phil Hughes, who is most known around these parts for being removed in the seventh inning of a no-hitter against the Rangers during his rookie year because of injury, and then being rocked by the Rangers in two starts during the 2010 ALCS, which was the last time he faced the Rangers.
If Feldman can give a good six innings tonight, that'll be plenty considering the break the bullpen has received recently with some strong starting performances and the lesser guys being used in Monday's loss to the Yankees.
