Cleveland (45-47) at Texas (54-39)
When: Sunday, July 16th 2023
Where: Globe Life Field,
Arlington, TX
Time: 2:35 ET | TV: mlb.tv
Opening Odds: Texas -135/9.5
The Texas Rangers will look for the three-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians when the teams meet in Arlington on Sunday afternoon. Aroldis Chapman recorded his third save of the season and first with the Rangers in Texas’ 2-0 victory on Saturday. Chapman has not allowed a run in five appearances since being acquired from the Kansas City Royals on June 30. The Guardians outhit the Rangers 8-5, but left eight runners on base and were shut out for the ninth time this season.
Despite being two games below .500, Cleveland is only 1.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. The Guardians best record has come in Game 3 of a series, going 19-10 including 12-5 after a loss. Cleveland will send Tanner Bibee to the mound on Sunday, who is now a very important part of an injury-plagued rotation. Shane Bieber landed on the 15-day injured list (right elbow inflammation) on Saturday and joins starters Triston McKenzie (right elbow) and Cal Quantrill (right shoulder) on the IL.
Meanwhile, the Rangers continue to hold a three-game lead over the Houston Astros in the American League West. After winning just three of their final 11 games before the All-Star break, the Rangers have outscored Cleveland 14-4 in the first two games of this series. Second baseman Marcus Semien broke out of a 3-for-37 slump with two hits and an RBI on Saturday.
Pitchers: Guardians – Tanner Bibee (5-2, 3.34) | Rangers – Martin Perez (7-3, 4.81)
Bibee has been solid since making his Major League debut on April 26. He received a no-decision after allowing one run over five innings against the Kansas City Royals in his last outing on July 6. Control issues have limited Bibee to five innings or fewer in five of his last seven starts. He has a 2.31 ERA in seven home starts, but 4.65 in six outings away from home.
Texas will go with left-hander Martin Perez (7-3, 4.81), who is looking to bounce back after a rough outing against the Astros on July 3. He allowed six runs over just 1 1/3 innings including three home runs. Afterward, the Rangers skipped Perez’s next start to give him an extended All-Star break. In his career against the Guardians, Perez is 1-2 with an 8.16 ERA in eight career appearances (five starts).
I like Bibee in this matchup. Perez has been awful in his career against Cleveland and did not look good in his last outing. The Guardians have only been swept once this year and and have eight wins in Game 3 of a series after losing the first two.
Check out who Bobby Babowski has on his Free MLB Picks page for today.
Pick: Guardians +115
