The Cincinnati Reds (14-11) head to Globe Life Field on Saturday to take on the Texas Rangers (13-13) in an exciting interleague matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM ET.
Pitching Matchup
The probable pitchers for this game are Hunter Greene (0-0) for the Reds and Michael Lorenzen (0-0) for the Rangers.
Greene, one of Cincinnati’s top young arms, will look to build on a promising rookie campaign. Lorenzen, a former Red, returns to the rotation for Texas after spending last season in the bullpen.
Betting Odds
The Rangers opened as -138 moneyline favorites, with the Reds at +118 underdogs. The over/under for total runs scored is set at 9. Texas has been favored in most of their matchups with Cincinnati in recent years.
Injury Updates
The Rangers have been hit hard by injuries to their starting rotation. Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle are both out with elbow issues, while Max Scherzer is sidelined with a back injury.
However, Scherzer is expected to return sooner than deGrom and Mahle, who are not likely to be back until after the All-Star break.
To bolster their pitching depth, the Rangers recently signed veteran Johnny Cueto to a minor league deal.
The 38-year-old former All-Star could provide valuable innings until the rotation returns to full strength.
For the Reds, TJ Friedl is out with a wrist injury, while Matt McLain and Graham Ashcraft are sidelined with shoulder issues.
Ashcraft delivered a strong outing in his last start against Texas exactly one year ago, despite Cincinnati ultimately losing that emotional game.
Recent Form and Trends
The Rangers have lost 3 of their last 5 games overall, but are 7-6 at home this season. They are 4-7 as betting favorites and 8-6 as underdogs.
The over has hit in just 4 of Texas’ 13 home games. Cincinnati has won 5 of their last 7 games and scored 7+ runs in 4 of those victories. The Reds have been in fine form lately.
However, they are just 5-4 on the road this year. As underdogs, the Reds are 4-7. The over is 10-4 in their games as underdogs.
Picks and Predictions
Most experts and prediction models are leaning towards the Rangers in this matchup, despite their injury woes. The Action Network projects Texas as -138 favorites, while Winners and Whiners also pick the Rangers to prevail at home.
However, some experts like the Reds as underdogs. An analyst at Bleacher Nation predicts a 4-3 Cincinnati victory, noting that Ashcraft has been effective for the Reds this season, and we expect more of the same on Friday.
With both teams at nearly .500 and trying to stay afloat amid early-season adversity, Saturday’s showdown in Arlington figures to be a closely contested battle.
Will the Rangers ride their home-field advantage to a win, or can the resilient Reds pull off the upset? Tune in to find out in this exciting interleague clash.
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