In the third of a four-game series between the Texas Rangers (75-54) and the Cleveland Indians (73-54) at Globe Life Park in Arlington, A.J. Griffin (5-3, 4.68 ERA) and Carlos Carrasco (9-6, 3.12 ERA) take the mound. The Indians won the last game 12-1, and the series is currently tied 1-1. The game starts at 8:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 27 and will air on STOh and FSSW.
In his most recent outing, Griffin pitched 5.2 innings, allowing three runs and striking out four in an 8-2 loss to the Rays. Adrian Beltre (.289, 64 Rs, 23 HRs, 84 RBIs) went 1 for 1 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI. The Indians were victorious the last time Carrasco pitched. He had a good outing, pitching 8.0 innings, allowing zero runs and striking out nine in a 1-0 victory over the Athletics. Mike Napoli (.259, 79 Rs, 29 HRs, 88 RBIs, 4 SBs) has been doing well offensively for the Indians, going 2 for 4 yesterday with two runs and one RBI.
Texas, a +115 underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Cleveland. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at nine runs. When playing as the underdog, the Rangers have a 39-33 record and overall money line at +2,599. They have struggled as the underdog over their last 10 games, going 0-2.
Moving on to the opposing team, the Indians come into this game with a solid win percentage of .600 when playing as the favorite (57-38) and an overall money line of +430. They sport the second-ranked offense in the AL, averaging 4.9 runs per game. The Indians have racked up 102 steals on the year, making them one of the most threatening base-running teams in the league. Switching gears to Cleveland’s pitching staff, they average just 8.2 hits allowed per game, best in the AL. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in baseball with an AL-high 8.6 strikeouts per road game.
The Rangers are 3-2 against the Indians this season. This game will feature Carrasco (RHP) on the mound against the Rangers, who have a 56-36 record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Indians will be the right-hander Griffin. They sport a 47-40 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Texas is 35-27, while Cleveland is 28-25.
The Indians are coming into this meeting after a high-scoring game where they scored an impressive 12 runs. The Rangers have a 0-7 record when opponents score that many runs or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rangers are 50-9. The Indians have a 59-6 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking ninth in runs, Texas has earned 598 this season. Cleveland ranks fifth with 631 runs.
Ranking 27th, Texas is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 340 this season. Cleveland ranks in the top half with 387.
The Rangers are 62-36 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Indians are 52-35 when they hit at least one homer.
