The Miami Marlins and Texas Rangers will begin their weekend interleague series this evening. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Lefty Jesus Luzardo (8-5, 3.38) gets the nod for the Marlins while Jordan Montgomery (6-9, 3.42) will make his debut for the Rangers.
Texas enters the game as a -142 favorite on the moneyline over at DraftKings Sportsbook, while Miami is a +120 underdog. The run total is set at 8.5.
Marlins-Rangers picks: Friday, August 4
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
Jesus Luzardo vs. Jordan Montgomery
Luzardo has been extremely reliable for the Marlins as of late and as a result, the team has won in five of his last six outings. That includes Sunday’s start against the Tigers, where he yielded four earned runs in 4.2 innings and was backed up by his offense. He’ll try to improve his road splits this evening as he’s sporting a 4.63 ERA with a .288 opponent batting average away from home.
As mentioned before, Montgomery is making his first start for the Rangers after being dealt by the Cardinals this past Sunday. His last two starts for the Cards didn’t go in his favor as he yielded eight earned through a combined 12 innings, taking two losses against the Cubs. Now with an American League contender, he’ll get an opportunity at a fresh start heading into the final two months of the regular season.
Over/Under pick
Both offenses have been mostly middling in the runs department for the past week, but primary batters like Mitch Garver, Marcus Semien, Jesus Sanchez, and Luis Arraez have all done well for themselves at the plate during that stretch. This is a pitching matchup of two talented starters who haven’t been totally flawless and 8.5 is a low enough bar for both clubs to clear.
Pick: Over 8.5
Moneyline pick
Miami is coming off a rough series against the Phillies where it dropped three of four to its NL East (and NL Wild Card) rival. I’ll predict that they get back on track tonight and avoid sliding further back in the NL standings for one night.
Pick: Marlins