Texas Rangers (65-84) vs Cleveland Guardians (83-67)
Friday, September 23, 2022 at 8:05 pm
You won't see a team like the Rangers favored over the Guardians very often, but not only does this game contain a clear pitching mismatch, but this is also an awful spot for Cleveland. The Guardians are coming off an emotional series sweep over their division rivals in the White Sox to put themselves far ahead in the AL Central standings. The Guardians have not clinched the division yet, but this race is OVER as the White Sox are seven games out and have virtually no chance. Cleveland will be playing tonight for the 15th straight day and this is their 16th game in 15 days. That is not easy for any MLB team, especially in the midst of a road trip going from one time zone to another. The Rangers, on the other hand, beat up on the Angels and got to stay at home after that series. Jon Gray has been good in this rotation and I expect the Rangers to do some damage on Cody Morris, who has an xERA above 5.00 and an xFIP above 4.00. The Rangers' bullpen is dreadful at times, but I think Texas is up by a few runs late and it should be a large enough lead to hold onto and grab the W.