Nick Martinez (2-0, 1.88 ERA) starts for the Texas Rangers (15-22) as they square off against Carlos Carrasco (4-3, 4.84 ERA) and the Cleveland Indians (14-21) in the last of a three-game series at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Indians won the last game 10-8 and Cleveland leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, May. 17 and can be seen on STO and FSN-SW.
Martinez pitched 6.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering three runs (one unearned), striking out four and walking one in a 7-6 defeat to the Royals. Shin-Soo Choo (.248, 13 Rs, 6 HRs, 17 RBIs) had another good game yesterday, going 3 for 5 with two runs, one home run, and one RBI. Carrasco is 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA when pitching against the Rangers. He takes on a below-average Texas offense which is hitting just .237 this season. Jason Kipnis (.340, 24 Rs, 4 HRs, 17 RBIs, 5 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 3 for 6 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs.
Cleveland takes on Texas as a -121 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at nine runs. The Rangers have an overall money line of -150 and a record as the underdog of 14-18. Texas is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 28 bases.
Over in the other dugout, Cleveland is coming in with an overall money line of -1,212 and a disappointing record of 8-13as the favorite. Cleveland is excellent at not striking out with just 6.5 per game, ranking second in the AL. Cleveland’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL at pitching on the road, with a 3.80 ERA. 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, 2-0. The Rangers have a 10-13 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Carrasco takes the mound. Martinez (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, Cleveland is 5-9, while Texas is 7-13.
The Rangers managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Indians who are coming in with a 5-5 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
It looks like the Indians have a slight leg up on the Rangers, as the Indians have won their last two games while the Rangers have lost their last three.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rangers are 11-3. The Indians have a 12-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Texas and Cleveland both rank in the top half of the league in runs. Texas sits at 15th with 153 runs this season and Cleveland ranks 14th with 158.
Ranking 11th, Texas is in the top half of the league in walks, notching 123 this season. Cleveland ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 125.
When the Rangers hit at least one home run, they are 11-9, well-matched with the Indians who are 12-11 when hitting one or more homers.
