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Tigers, Rangers meet in battle of struggling pitching staffs

Aug 18, 2008 - 1:02 PM Detroit (60-64) at Texas (62-63) 8:05 pm EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Even though the Detroit Tigers surrendered a season-high 16 runs on Sunday, their pitching woes pale in comparison to the Texas Rangers' season-long struggles.

Two of the league's best offenses square off against a pair of struggling pitching staffs Monday when the Tigers begin a three-game set against the Rangers.

Detroit's offense - the majors' sixth-best - held up its end of the bargain but could only watch as Baltimore torched its pitching staff in a 16-8 rout on Sunday.

While the Tigers' 4.55 ERA is right around the mark they achieved last season, the Rangers' 5.42 team ERA is by far the worst in the majors and well above the 4.75 mark they reached in 2007.

Texas' 757 runs allowed are 88 more than second-worst Pittsburgh while the Rangers' 671 earned runs allowed are 41 more than the Pirates.

Those marks figure to only get worse if Scott Feldman (4-5, 5.18 ERA) repeats his last outing. The righthander surrendered 10 first-inning runs - and 12 overall, but only six were earned - and 10 hits over 2 2/3 innings in Tuesday's 19-17 setback against Boston.

Detroit will counter with Kenny Rogers (8-10, 4.95), who is in the midst of a four-start losing streak. In Wednesday's 4-3 defeat vs. Toronto, the lefthander permitted four runs and seven hits over 6 1/3 frames.