Baltimore (51-51) at Texas (46-55)
When: Monday, August 1st 2022
Where: Globe Life Field,
Arlington, TX
Time: 8:05 ET | TV: MLB.tv
Opening Odds: Texas -155/8
The Baltimore Orioles continue their quest for a postseason berth when they head to Arlington for the first of a three-game set with the Texas Rangers. The Orioles are just 6-7 since their season-high 10-game winning streak came to an end on July 15 at the Tampa Bay Rays. Still, Baltimore is hanging around in the American League wild card race with 60 games remaining. The O’s are three behind the Rays for the third wild card spot and are coming off a series loss at the Cincinnati Reds. The offense let Baltimore down over the weekend, going 3-for-21 with runners in scoring position after Sunday’s 3-2 setback. Anthony Santander enters Monday on an 11-game hitting streak, during which he is hitting .395 (17-for-43) with four homers, 10 RBIs and eight runs.
The Rangers return home after an 11-game road trip that saw them win three of the last four after dropping five of the first seven. Sunday’s 5-2 win at the L.A. Angels gave the Rangers some momentum heading back home as they try and stay in the playoff race. Texas begins Monday’s action 7.5 games out of a wild card spot and must get going soon. Nathaniel Lowe extended his hitting streak to seven games on Sunday with an RBI single in the first inning and was 5-for-12 with one homer, four RBIs and three runs during the previous series against Baltimore. The Orioles swept that three-game set with all games being decided by one run – two of them in extra innings.
Pitchers: Orioles – Spenser Watkins (3-1, 4.03) | Rangers – Jon Gray (7-5, 3.62)
Watkins has been on a roll lately, allowing three runs or less in seven straight starts including a July 6 outing versus Texas. In that game, Watkins allowed one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 2-1 victory. Watkins is coming off a rough outing against Tampa Bay on Tuesday when he allowed 10 hits and three runs over 5 1/3 innings.
Gray had pitched two scoreless outings in a row before allowing four runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday. Gray’s day ended after Julio Rodriguez blasted a three-run homer in the seventh innings. The former Rockie did not pitch in the previous series against Baltimore but beat the Orioles back in 2016 when with Colorado.
The Rangers come into this contest with more momentum than Baltimore as the O’s have struggled a bit since their big winning streak. The Rangers’ offense scored 19 runs in the last three games in Anaheim and they should keep that going at home on Monday. Gray has been solid all year and is 4-0 with a 2.93 ERA in Arlington.
Check out who Bobby Babowski has on his Free MLB Picks page for today.
Pick: Rangers -155
