Two right-handers who hope to remain part of the starting rotation next season will go head-to-head when the Los Angeles Angels host the Texas Rangers on Monday in the opener of a three-game series at Angel Stadium.Adrian Sampson is scheduled to make his fourth career start and third with the Rangers. Felix Pena will make his 17th start for the Angels since being converted from a reliever earlier this season.Sampson (0-2 [url=http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-brad-miller-jersey]http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-brad-miller-jersey[/url] , 4.09 ERA) made his starting debut with the Rangers on Sept. 11 at Angel Stadium. He held Los Angeles (75-81) to one run and two hits in five innings, but eight Angels relievers combined to shut out the Rangers 1-0 after holding them without a hit for 7 1/3 innings.Article continues below ...Angels first baseman Jose Fernandez hit his first major league home run in the second inning to account for the only run.The Rangers (66-89) didn’t provide any run support in Sampson’s second start either. He allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 3-0 loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. In the 10 2/3 innings that Sampson has been in the game as a starter, Texas has combined for one hit.Sampson told MLB.com after his last outing that he’s always been slotted as a fastball pitcher but likes the way he has been executing all of his pitches lately.“It has been good for two starts,” he said. “I am a workhorse and I can go deep in games. I can help the team. I can give them innings as a starting pitcher. I just want to show them that.”Before Texas manager Jeff Banister was fired Friday, he said the last week of the season will be important for players like Sampson.“These guys are still out here competing on a daily basis,” Banister told MLB.com after Sampson’s last start. Pena (3-5, 4.20) made his only appearance against the Rangers on Sept. 12 in Anaheim, throwing six shutout innings in the 8-1 victory. Pena has performed a lot more like that lately than he did in his last outing, when he gave up six runs and six hits in four innings of a 10-0 loss to the Oakland A’s on Wednesday.Pena told MLB.com after the loss that he planned to quickly put that appearance behind him.“Some days you’re going to feel good, but you’re not going to be able to control what happens [url=http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-joey-wendle-jersey]Joey Wendle Jersey[/url] ,” he said. “The only thing that I can control is to keep working hard like I’ve been doing and prepare for my next start.”Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons left a 6-2 loss at the Houston Astros on Sunday with a left knee injury but told reporters after the game that he hoped to play Monday.Angels center fielder Mike Trout rested Sunday after hitting a home run in five of the previous six games. He has 38 home runs this season, three shy of his career high set in 2015. Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesThe 2018MLB playoff field is nearly set.All five American League teams and three of the five National League teams have clinched a spot. That leaves the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers fighting for the NL West title and the whoever loses out on the division crown battling with the St. Louis Cardinals for the second NL wild-card spot.Also still up for grabs is the right to host the AL Wild Card Game and the NL Central title, as the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are separated by just a half game.Here's a look at how the playoff field would line up if the season ended Wednesday, as well as some updated World Series odds:Current Playoff MatchupsAmerican LeagueWild Card Game: (WC2) Oakland Athletics at (WC1) New York YankeesALDS: (1) Boston Red Sox vs. (WC) New York Yankees/Oakland AthleticsALDS: (2) Houston Astros vs. (3) Cleveland IndiansNational LeagueWild Card Game: (WC2) Los Angeles Dodgers at (WC1) Milwaukee BrewersNLDS: (1) Chicago Cubs vs. (WC) Los Angeles Dodgers/Milwaukee BrewersNLDS: (2) Atlanta Braves vs. (3) Colorado RockiesOdds to Win 2018 World SeriesChris SaleAdam Glanzman/Getty ImagesBoston Red Sox: 3-1Houston Astros: 7-2Los Angeles Dodgers: 11-2Chicago Cubs: 15-2Cleveland Indians: 8-1New York Yankees: 12-1Atlanta Braves: 12-1Oakland Athletics: 15-1Milwaukee Brewers: 18-1Colorado Rockies: 30-1St. Louis Cardinals: 30-1Odds courtesy of OddsSharkand last updated Tuesday. OverviewBob Levey/Getty ImagesThe Red Sox have won a franchise-record 107 games, so it's no surprise to see them listed as the World Series favorite.Paced by a high-powered offense that leads the majors in batting average (.268), OPS (.791), runs (855) and runs per game (5.38), the Red Sox also have a dangerous starting staff and one of the best closers in baseball.Chris Sale (12-4, 2.11 ERA) and David Price (16-7, 3.58 ERA) form a lethal one-two punch atop the rotation [url=http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-christian-arroyo-jersey]http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-christian-arroyo-jersey[/url] , while Craig Kimbrel (42/47 SV, 2.79 ERA, 13.7 K/9) can slam the door with the best of them.Of course, the defending champion Astros will have something to say about the AL side of things.Houston leads the majors in starters' ERA (3.20) and team ERA (3.13), and a playoff rotation of Justin Verlander (16-9, 2.60 ERA), Gerrit Cole (15-5 2.92 ERA), Charlie Morton (15-3, 3.18 ERA) and Dallas Keuchel (12-11, 3.75 ERA) is going to be awfully tough.The Yankees lead the majors in home runs (256) [url=http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-nathan-eovaldi-jersey]http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-nathan-eovaldi-jersey[/url] , the Indians are the first team in MLB history to have four pitchers reach 200 strikeouts in a season, and the A's have the best record in baseball (41-21) since the All-Star break.In other words, don't count anyone out in the American League.The Dodgers are still trying to win their division, yet they're pegged as the favorites on the NL side.Walker Buehler could be a huge X-factor for the Dodgers this postseason.Rob Leiter/Getty ImagesA 10-4 record in their last 14 games gives them some welcome momentum, and with the starting staff of Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu all pitching well right now, there's no question they're dangerous.Likewise, the Cubs are still trying to lock down a division title over the streaking Brewers.With a 3-4 record in their last seven games and a bullpen that's leaking like a sieve, this isn't the same Cubs team we've seen in recent seasons [url=http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-daniel-robertson-jersey]http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-daniel-robertson-jersey[/url] , but their combination of talent and experience could be enough to flip the switch in October.This is uncharted territory for the upstart Braves, but they've had the luxury of clinching their spot well in advance, which has given them time to rest up and properly line up their playoff rotation. They'll go as far as Mike Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman atop the staffcan carry them.The Rockies and Cardinals are still duking it out for the final wild-card spot, and both teams have been playing extremely well since the All-Star break.It looks like whoever captures the NL pennant this year is going to have their work cut out for them against whichever club emerges from the AL race, but anything can happen in October.All stats courtesy of Baseball Referenceand accurate through Wednesday.