We've already had a perfect game and a four-homer game this season, but Saturday could hold something even more rare -- C.J. Wilson has a chance at becoming the first starting pitcher since knuckleballer Wilbur Wood in 1973 to lose consecutive games for his team according to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News.
Wilson allowed four runs and retired just one batter before a rain stopped Friday night's game for 1:56 during the first inning, but was still saddled with the loss, as the Rangers went on to win 10-3. He threw just 22 pitches, but Jerome Williams pitched for the Angels after the rain delay, giving up six runs in 6 2/3 innings. Rangers starter Yu Darvish stayed in the game after the delay, going 5 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and three runs and earning the win.
Wilson, the former Ranger who signed with the Angels in the offseason, will give Rangers fans another chance to boo him, as he'll start today's 1:05 p.m. ET game opposite Rangers lefty Matt Harrison. Williams was the scheduled starter for Saturday's game.
The last major-leaguer to start back-to-back games for his team was Rangers' right-hander Aaron Mayette, who was ejected after just four pitches on Sept. 3, 2002 and then came back the next day to pitch three innings in a loss.
Wood, a left-handed knuckleballer for the White Sox, started both ends of a doubleheader against the Yankees on July 20, 1973 and earned the loss in both. Earlier that season, he finished off a 21-inning carryover game that had been suspended two nights earlier, picking up the win before throwing a four-hit shutout against the Indians, picking up two wins in the same day.
The Angels sent Wilson back to the team hotel before the end of the game so he could get a full night's sleep before his Saturday afternoon start.
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