Rangers pin their hopes to Tommy Hunter

Tommy Hunter has broad shoulders and a barrel-sized chest, which is good. The Rangers' hopes of evening the World Series are riding on the 24-year-old right-hander tonight.

Hunter has not pitched into the fifth inning in either of his two postseason starts, though he pretty much dismissed his struggles when asked about them after Saturday night's game. Simple command issues, he said. "I'm excited to get back out there," he said.

Rangers manager Ron Washington offered a little more insight. "When Tommy can command his fastball, his other pitches can come into play," Washington said. "He's not a power pitcher. He's a pitcher that relies on command."

In both of his starts, Hunter was bailed out by quality efforts from Derek Holland. But Holland struggled so much in Game 2 that Washington might not go to the young left-hander so early. He does not have many other choices, though, given the trouble that Mark Lowe has encountered in both of his outings—he’s allowed five runs and only gotten two outs in the World Series.

If not Holland, Washington likely will go with hard-throwing Alexi Ogando, who struck out four and allowed only one hit in a two-inning outing in Game 1. Ogando, though, has been known to over-throw in tight situations.
Burrell, Sandoval out

Giants manager Bruce Bochy has not tinkered much with his lineup through the postseason but he's made some changes for Game 4. They make sense.

Out is Pat Burrell, who struck out in eight of his nine at-bats through the first three games. “It will give Pat a chance to work on some things, and get his timing back,” Bochy said. “Expect to see him tomorrow. He understands. He admits his timing if off a little bit. I told Pat my thinking. He?s fine. He’ll be ready to come up and pinch hit tonight."

Out after one game at DH is Pablo Sandoval, even though the Rangers are starting another right-hander. In his first start of the World Series, Sandoval grounded into a double play, struck out and flew to center in Game 3.

In are Travis Ishikawa at first base and Nate Schierholtz in right field. Aubrey Huff will DH and Cody Ross moves over to left. The starts will be the first of the postseason for Ishikawa (2-for-7 in the postseason) and Schierholtz (2-for-8). Both had RBI hits in the eighth inning of the Giants' Game 1 victory.

“This gives our lineup a little more balance with a couple of more left-handed hitters,” Bochy said. “Gives us a legitimate DH in Aubrey Huff, who has experience in doing that. It tightens up our defense."

Jeff Francoeur will start in right field again as the Rangers go with their standard lineup vs. left-handers. The Giants are starting 21-year-old Madison Bumgarner, who was the winning pitcher in the NLDS clincher against the Braves and who pitched two scoreless relief innings in the clinching victory over the Phillies in the NLCS.