Texas Rangers are looking for a way to contain Miguel Cabrera before Game 6
The Texas Rangers have a lot on their mind and their coaching staff is working hard with the pitching contingent to get one matter out of the way. The club’s representatives made their comments known to the press on Friday, October 14, at the Rangers Ballpark
in Arlington. The problem happens to be related to Detroit Tigers’ hitter Miguel Cabrera. The question is, how do you deal with the big man?
The Rangers and the Tigers will meet on Saturday, October 15, for Game 6 of the American League Championship Series and there are high stakes for the Texans, who will be looking for an important win, in order to qualify.
The only problem is that Cabrera can bat really well. He was .344 with the bat during the regular season and he is currently on a .290 batting average in the postseason. If the player wants a chance to hit well, he will most probably go up against every
pitcher that the Rangers throw at him.
Mike Napoli and Yorvit Torrealba have one idea that could solve the problem: walk him to first base. However that could get messy in the later innings. Another happens to be: pitching through the middle. Darren Oliver trusts that idea a lot.
"I'll just throw it down the middle," Oliver said. "He might not be expecting that pitch. That's what I used to do to Tony Gwynn."
However, Cabrera has a .444 standing against those pitches. The question is, can it work?
"A lot of times he'd pop it up," Oliver said. "He didn't know what to do with it, he'd be confused. He's used to hitting nasty pitches. Didn't work all the time, but whatever works. Got to try something."
Another way to pitch Cabrera is towards the inside, but high. The hitter stands .200 on those pitches. However if the ball comes to medium height, Cabrera will have a standing record of .464 and that leaves many wondering on what to do.
Manager Ron Washington had a lot to say about the player. And he surmised the debate in his own words.
"I don't think you have a certain way to pitch to him," Washington said. "I don't think yesterday he needed any luck trying to get base hits. He hits one down there, the possible double play, and it hit the bag [for a double]."
The best thing to do would be to mix up pitches. There is no way of knowing what will tick off Cabrera. The only way to get through Game 6 is by pitching in the moment. Derek Holland stands on top. Cabrera has struck out twice against the pitcher and has
gone 1 – for – 5 in 2011. Could that be the key?
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