The Texas Rangers (64-46) rolled in Jordan Montgomery’s debut on Friday night, and now they’ll look to sew up a series win in game two against the fading Miami Marlins (58-53) on Saturday afternoon. First pitch from Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, is set for 4:05 p.m. ET. Reliever George Soriano (0-0, 1.98 ERA) will start what figures to be a bullpen game for the Marlins, while the Rangers counter with righty Jon Gray (6-5, 3.66).
Despite an aggressive deadline, the wheels are coming off for Miami, who’s now lost six of eight and 14 of their last 19 games to fall a half-game behind the Reds for the third and final NL Wild Card spot. They’ll have a chance to make up that ground next week, when they head to Cincinnati for a crucial three-game set.
Texas was also all-in at the trade deadline, and after successful debuts from Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery on the mound, the Rangers have righted the ship a bit and remain 1.5 games up on the Houston Astros in the AL West. They’ll kick off a West Coast swing in Oakland starting next week.
The Rangers are heavy -192 favorites on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the Marlins at +160. The run total is set at 9.
Marlins-Rangers picks: Saturday, August 5
Injury report
Marlins
Out: RP Matt Barnes (hip), RP Tommy Nance (shoulder), RP Anthony Bender (elbow)
Rangers
Out: SP Nathan Eovaldi (elbow), C Jonah Heim (wrist), DH Brad Miller (hamstring)
Starting pitchers
George Soriano vs. Jon Gray
With Trevor Rogers still on the IL and both Edward Cabrera and Eury Perez sitting in the Minors, Miami will call on Soriano (and likely a cavalcade of relievers) to cover the fifth spot in their rotation. This will be the hard-throwing rookie’s first career MLB start, but he’s given the Marlins some length before, going at least three innings in six different appearances this season. He’s allowed just three earned runs in his last 17.1 frames. Miami’s bullpen has been middling overall, with a 4.12 ERA that ranks 17th in baseball.
Gray was almost untouchable in May and early June, but he’s been struggling badly ever since while fighting through multiple injuries. The righty has a 6.49 ERA and .858 OPS allowed over seven starts dating back to June 18, including coughing up six runs in five innings in a loss to the rival Astros last time out. Gray relies almost exclusively on his fastball and slider, and while the latter has been a very effective pitch for most of the year, his heater hasn’t been nearly as precise in the strike zone as he needs it to be (.333 BA, .542 SLG allowed).
Over/Under pick
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Miami’s pitching plan and Gray’s recent performance, I’m still backing the under here. Dogged by an anemic offense, the Marlins have hit this total just three times in their last 13 games. Soriano, meanwhile, has been very effective in a long role out of the bullpen, and for all of Texas’ offensive firepower they’ve cleared this total in just one of their last seven.
Pick: Under 9
Moneyline pick
The gap between the Rangers’ lineup and Miami’s is just too wide to back the Marlins in this spot. Gray’s been spotty lately, but he’s also been dealing with some nagging injuries, and he has the potential to shine against a Miami crew that struggles against right-handed pitching. Texas should provide enough run support to pick up a win here.
Pick: Rangers
