On Deck will be here all season to provide you with everything you need to know (and a few things you don't) about every Rangers series during the 2014 season.
The Opponent: In an odd split four-game series, the Rangers and Rockies pack up and head to Arlington for two games after two Rockies' bludgeonings in Denver.
Past 2014 Meetings: The Rockies outscored the Rangers 20-3 in the two games in Denver, including Tuesday's 12-1 victory.
Pitching Matchups: Wednesday — Colby Lewis (2-1, 4.22 ERA) vs. Jorge De La Rosa (3-3, 5.11); Thursday — Matt Harrison (0-0, 4.35) vs. Franklin Morales (3-1, 5.05)
What's Hot: Not much for the Rangers, as they managed just the three runs in the hitters' paradise that is Coors Field. Adrian Beltre hit his first home run of the year on Tuesday, so that was a bright spot. Shin-Soo Choo continues his tear this season and is now sporting a .370 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage. He's been a machine.
Speaking of machines, the Rockies' offense has been just that, and not just against the Rangers. In Tuesday's blowout, all eight hitters (other than the pitcher spot in the lineup) had at least an RBI. Carlos Gonzalez went 5-for-5 with three RBIs, and Troy Tulowitzki continued his tear with a 3-for-4 night.
What's Not: Pretty much everyone else. The Rangers really need nice starts in these games from Lewis and Harrison, who have struggled in recent outings. The Rangers' bullpen is toast already, as evidenced by Mitch Moreland pitching an inning on Tuesday night, so another early exit from a starter could be devastating.
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De La Rosa and Morales each struggled in their most recent outing, so the Rangers hope their offense can break out of this funk back home. You'd think it'd be pretty hard to get into said funk in Coors Field, but the Rangers managed it.
Familiar Faces: No familiar players on either side here, but the surprise of baseball, Charlie Blackmon, was born in Dallas. So there you go.
