Matt Boyd (1-3, 7.66 ERA) and Cole Hamels (6-8, 3.86 ERA) start in the last of a four-game series between the Detroit Tigers (59-62) and the Texas Rangers (62-59) at Comerica Park. The Rangers won the last game 5-3 and Texas leads the series 2-1. Action begins at 1:08 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 23 and can be seen on FSDT and FSSW.
Boyd pitched 0.2 inning in his most recent start, surrendering one run in a 15-8 defeat to the Cubs. Miguel Cabrera (.365, 51 Rs, 16 HRs, 59 RBIs, 1 SB) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 4. Hamels went 7.0 innings, surrendering three runs, striking out eight and walking four in a 4-3 defeat to the Mariners in his last outing. Rougned Odor (.277, 36 Rs, 10 HRs, 41 RBIs, 5 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
Texas takes on Detroit as a -123 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at eight runs. The Tigers have an overall money line of -334 and a record as the underdog of 26-35. The Tigers have no trouble scoring as they rank fourth in the AL in offense with 4.5 runs per game. The Tigers lead the AL in hits with a phenomenal 9.6 per game.
In games where it is the favorite, Texas has a 12-12 record and an overall money line of +1,936. They have managed to pull off a perfect record over their last ten games playing as the favorite, and have a 7-3 SU record over the same span. Offensively, they average 4.5 runs per game, which is good for fourth in the AL.
The Rangers lead the season series, 2-1. The Tigers have a 17-13 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Hamels takes the mound. Boyd (LHP) will be on the hill against the Rangers, who have a 21-22 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tex, O/U – Over
Notes
Texas has won 43% (23-30) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Detroit has won 51% (28-27) of its games when taking a late lead.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Rangers are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Tigers have a 9-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they outhit their opponents, the Tigers are 49-14. The Rangers have a 47-8 record when outhitting opponents.
Both Detroit and Texas are tied at fifth in runs, each scoring 539 this season.
Detroit and Texas both rank in the top half of the league in walks. Detroit sits at 15th with 342 this season and Texas ranks 12th with 349.
When the Tigers hit at least one home run, they are 43-29. When the Rangers hit at least one homer, they have a 47-24 record.
