Like every other team in the AL West, the Rangers are a straight-up .500 ballclub. That’s why there are just four games separating first and last place in that division. For their part, the Rangers have by far the best run differential of the bunch and stand just a half game behind the first-place A’s.

The three-game series set to start tonight will finish their season set with the Yankees. Back in May, the Yankees swept a three-game set in Texas, then split a four-game set with the Rangers in the Bronx thank in large part to one of the wildest games the Yankees have played in recent memory. That adds up to a 5-2 advantage in the season series for the New Yorkers. Now, if the Rangers are a truely .500 team, they’ll catch fire and sweep the Yanks here to even the season series, then punt their ensuing three-game set against the Royals, leading to much rending of garments among the Bronx Banter readership.

For the more enlightened members of that group, win or lose a highlight of this series should be that we’re getting our first look at rookie Ian Kinsler (.304/.370/.492) who, along with Jose Lopez and the still MIA Robinson Cano, gives the AL an exciting crop of young second basemen.

Tonight Randy Johnson takes on Kevin Millwood. Both veterans have been headed in the right direction of late after rough starts to their seasons, though both also suffered a pre-All-Star break hicup. As is becoming a tradition in my pregame posts for Johnson’s starts, here’s Randy’s combined line in his last three starts: 22 2/3 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 3 HR, 1 BB, 22 K.

Texas Rangers

2006 Record: 51-48 (.515)
2006 Pythagorean Record: 52-47 (.523)

Manager: Buck Showalter
General Manager: Jon Daniels

Home Ballpark (2005 Park Factors): Bankcom Arlingtonia (104/103)

Who’s Replacing Whom?

• Ian Kinsler (DL) replaced Phil Nevin
• Jerry Hairston Jr. replaced D’Angelo Jimenez
• Freddy Guzman replaced Adrian Brown (minors)
• John Rheinecker replaced Kameron Loe (DL)
• John Wasdin replaced Scott Feldman (minors)
• Bryan Corey replaced Antonio Alfonseca
• Wes Littleton replaced Drew Meyer

Current Roster

1B – Mark Teixeira (S)
2B – Ian Kinsler (R)
SS – Michael Young (R)
3B – Hank Blalock (L)
C – Rod Barajas (R)
RF – Kevin Mench (R)
CF – Gary Matthews Jr. (S)
LF – Brad Wilkerson (L)
DH – Mark DeRosa (R)

Bench:

R – Jerry Hairston, Jr. (UT)
S – Freddy Guzman (OF)
R – Gerald Laird (C)

Rotation:

R – Kevin Millwood
L – John Rheinecker
R – John Wasdin
L – John Koronka
R – Vincente Padilla

Bullpen:

R – Akinori Otsuka
R – Francisco Cordero
R – Joaquin Benoit
R – Rick Bauer
L – Ron Mahay
L – C.J. Wilson
R – Bryan Corey
R – Wes Littleton

15-day DL: R – Kameron Loe
60-day DL: R – Adam Eaton

Restricted List: R – Omar Beltre

Typical Lineup

S – Gary Matthews Jr. (CF)
R – Ian Kinsler (2B)
R – Michael Young (SS)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hank Blalock (3B)
R – Mark DeRosa (2B)
R – Kevin Mench (RF)
L – Brad Wilkerson (LF)
R – Rod Barajas (C)