Colby Lewis (3-2, 2.40 ERA) and the Texas Rangers (15-21) take on Danny Salazar (4-1, 3.27 ERA) and the Cleveland Indians (13-21) in a game that has the potential to be low scoring. This is the second of a three-game series at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Indians won the last game 8-3 and Cleveland leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 8:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 16 and can be seen on STO and FSN-SW.
Lewis is 2-1 with a 6.37 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts against the Indians. Prince Fielder (.345, 14 Rs, 5 HRs, 22 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and two RBIs. Against the Rangers, Salazar is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and four strikeouts. Michael Brantley (.349, 19 Rs, 4 HRs, 20 RBIs, 6 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Indians, going 3 for 3 yesterday with two runs, two RBIs, and one stolen base.
Cleveland is a slim -110 favorite over Texas. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently eight runs. The Rangers have an overall money line of -19 and a record as the underdog of 14-18. The Rangers have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 5.1 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.1 runs per game.
Over in the other dugout, Cleveland is coming in with an overall money line of -1,333 and a disappointing record of 8-13as the favorite. Cleveland is excellent at not striking out with just 6.6 per game, ranking third in the AL. Cleveland’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL at pitching on the road, with a 3.86 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting hits, the Indians are fourth in the AL on the road with an average of 7.7 hits allowed per away game. The Indians have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 9.7 strikeouts per game.
The Indians have the edge in the season series, 1-0. The Rangers have a 10-13 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Salazar takes the mound. Lewis (RHP) will be on the hill against the Indians, who have a 9-12 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Texas is 7-12, while Cleveland is 4-9.
The Rangers are coming off of a weak pitching game where they recorded three strikeouts. The Indians have a record of 4-1 when opponents’ pitchers have that many strikeouts or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Indians are 2-16. The Rangers have a 3-16 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 16th in home runs, Cleveland has hit 32 this season. Texas ranks 14th with 33 home runs.
Ranking 12th, Texas is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.91 per game. Cleveland ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 8.42.
Ranking 23rd, Texas is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.684). Cleveland ranks in the top half at 11th with an OPS of .726.
When the Indians allow at least one home run, they are 10-16, well-matched with the Rangers who are 6-17 when allowing at least one homer.
