The Texas Rangers (24-24) travel to face off against the Philadelphia Phillies (34-14) on Tuesday, May 21st. This game will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and televised on NSPPH. The Phillies are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Rangers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Angels. First pitch is set for 6:40 ET.
Rangers vs Phillies
The Rangers will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Angels with a 4-1 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 7th inning before the Angels scored four runs in the top of the 7th. Texas was the -159 favorite at home going into the game.
Michael Lorenzen pitched well for the Rangers, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up just two runs on three hits. He also issued only three walks and struck out six Angels batters. However, the Rangers’ bullpen couldnjson’t close things out, and Texas took the loss. Corey Seager had only one hit, but it was a home run, and the Rangers’s offense scored their only run in the 4th inning.
Texas is at an even 24-24 overall heading into their road matchup vs. the Phillies. The Rangers are 2nd in the AL West, two games behind the Mariners for the division lead. So far, they have gone just 9-11 in divisional games.
The Rangers dropped two of three games in their series vs. the Angels. They are just 3-7 over their last 10 games. As the road team, the Rangers are 12-11 this year compared to 12-13 at home. So far, they have been an even 15-15 as the favorite.
When the Rangers win, they do so by an average of 3.8 runs per game, but when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.5 runs per game. Their run line record is 19-29, and they are 10-13 against the run line on the road. They have failed to cover the run line in their last five road games and are 9-21 against the run line as the favorite.
The Texas Rangers have played 25 games this season with over/under lines higher than 8.5 runs, and the over has hit in 52.1% of their games overall. Their games have averaged 9.0 runs per game, and their over/under record is 20-27. Their games have averaged 9.0 runs per game, and their over/under record is 20-27. Their last two games have gone under the total, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8.5 runs is 5-10.
Jon Gray Gets The Start For The Rangers
Right-hander Jon Gray gets the start for the Rangers today as he faces the Phillies on the road. Gray has made nine starts this season and has a record of 2-1 with an ERA of 2.08. In his 10 appearances, he has turned in five quality starts and is coming off a great outing in which he didn’t allow a run. In that May 15th start vs. the Guardians, Gray went 6 1/3 innings, picking up the win. One of the big keys for Gray today will be keeping the ball in the park, as he has allowed two homers in each of his last two starts.
Rangers Offense Breakdown
Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien have been two of the Rangers’ top run producers this season, as they are both among the league leaders in RBIs and have hit 11 and nine home runs, respectively. However, Garcia is hitting just .182 over his last eight games, while Semien has also been struggling, hitting just .222 over his last nine games. Corey Seager has been hot of late, going 10/31 in his last nine games, including three homers.
As a team, the Rangers are averaging 4.6 runs per game, and they have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are the 10th ranked home run-hitting team in the league and have the 7th best team batting average.
The Phillies’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Nationals, closing out their series with an 11-5 win. After allowing a run in the top of the first, the Phillies responded with a run of their own and added another in the 2nd inning. Philadelphia went on to score a total of four runs in the 3rd to break things open, and Alec Bohm’s three-run homer was the big hit.
Starting for the Phillies was Aaron Nola, who picked up the win and went seven innings, giving up just two runs on two hits. He only had five strikeouts in the outing and issued just three walks. The Phillies’s bullpen allowed another two runs in the top of the 9th but closed things out to pick up the win.
With a record of 34-14, the Phillies lead the NL East by five games over the Braves. The Phillies will be hosting the Rangers today with a three-game winning streak, and they won the final three games of their series vs. the Nationals. This season, they have been good vs. other teams in the NL East, going 11-5.
At home, the Phillies are 19-8 this season, and they have gone 15-6 on the road. So far, they have been really good in night games, going 22-7 this season. As the favorite, the Phillies are 29-11, and they are 5-3 as the underdog. Looking at their overall series record, the Phillies are 10-2-4 this season and have won four straight series on the road.
When it comes to the run line, the Phillies have been a solid bet this season, going 26-22 overall. They have been particularly good on the road, going 13-8 against the run line. Their average run margin for the season is +1.7 runs per game, and they have been favored in 40 of their 45 games this season.
The Phillies have played 45 games this season, and the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs in 11 of them. Their games have averaged 9.0 runs per game, and their over/under record is 24-21. In the 11 games with an over/under line of 8.5, the over has gone 4-7. Overall, the over has hit in 23 of their 45 games, and their games have averaged 8.0 runs per game.
Ranger Suárez Gets The Start For The Phillies
Ranger Suárez is looking to build on his record of 8-0 today as he gets the start for the Phillies vs. the Rangers. He has made nine starts this year and has a WHIP of .76 to go along with his 1.37 ERA. Suárez has one complete game shutout this year and has turned in seven quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 8.85 strikeouts and just 1.53 walks. The left-hander most recently faced the Mets, where he gave up two earned runs in five innings of work. He got the win in that outing.
Phillies Offense Breakdown
Philadelphia comes into today’s game as the top-scoring team in the league, averaging 5.3 runs per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.6 runs per game. The Phillies are also near the top of the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
Over the past five games, Alec Bohm has gone 6/20 with two runs scored and one home run. This has helped him maintain his team-leading batting average of .330. Bohm also has a team-high 42 RBIs. Bryce Harper is hitting .273 for the season and is 7th in the league with 10 home runs.
Rangers vs Phillies Prediction
Given the money line payout, we would recommend taking the Phillies to beat the Rangers at home. However, we actually like the over/under line better, and we have this game ending with a 5-4 win for the Phillies.
Looking at the starters, we have Jon Gray finishing with six strikeouts, and Ranger Suarez finishing with four. Suarez is actually a better pick to pick up the win, as he has the fourth-best odds among starters, compared to Gray, who is 10th.
Offensively, our projections have the Phillies finishing with eight hits and the Rangers with eight. If you’re looking for a home run prediction, the Phillies are projected to hit nine, compared to the Rangers with just three.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 21, 2024 Phillies, Rangers