The Cleveland Guardians are on the road at the Texas Rangers to start a three game series on Monday. The Cleveland Guardians come into the game in first place in the American League Central. Cleveland is 25-16, and coming into the game fresh off a 7-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
For the Texas Rangers, they are 22-20 on the season. The defending World Series Champions have dropped three in a row. Those three losses all came on the road at the Colorado Rockies over the weekend. The Rangers are in second place, behind Seattle in the American League West.
The Texas Rangers are -120 at home over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.
Bibee Takes Ball for Guardians
Tanner Bibee is going to get the start for Cleveland in this game. The 25 year old from California has made 8 starts this season. He is 2-1 on the season with a 4.91 earned run average. Bibee has thrown 40.1 innings this season, and struck out 44 batters. Bibee is coming off going just four innings against the Tigers on May 8th.
The Guardians have done a ton of damage with their bats this season. Cleveland is scoring 4.7 runs per game, and have a team batting average that is 18th in the league. But, in the end, Cleveland is known for their pitching. The Guardians are allowing just 3.8 runs per game.
The top offensive threats for Cleveland this season have been Steven Kwan, with his .353 batting average, along with Jose Ramirez. Ramirez has clubbed 9 homeruns, which is second on the team to Josh Naylor, who has 9.
Rangers Counter with Lorenzen
For the Texas Rangers, veteran right hander Michael Lorenzen will get the nod. Lorenzen is 2-2 on the season with a 4.66 earned run average. He has thrown 29 innings, and struck out 23 batters, while walking 14 on the season.
The defending World Series Champions had all sorts of issues in Colorado. The Rangers scored just a total of 6 runs in the series. That came after a 12 run outburst in the second game of a doubleheader on Wednesday. All in all, the Rangers are scoring 5 runs per game, which is in the Top 5 of Major League Baseball.
The top bats for the Rangers have been Jonah Heim, with his .297 batting average, Marcus Semien, who is at .280, and Adolis Garcia. Garcia has clubbed 8 homeruns on the season. Texas as a team has 41.
Rangers Drop Fourth in a Row
The Texas Rangers need to get back on track. Michael Lorenzen has the potential to do that. But, we like Tanner Bibee and his throwing ability more in this game. The Guardians find another way to win the game.
We like Cleveland as the underdog here. Our final bet for this game is the Cleveland Guardians at +110 over the Texas Rangers on Monday. Enjoy the game and good luck!
