Phillies vs. Rangers: Picks, predictions, how to watch Tuesday’s game

The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers square off on Tuesday with first pitch set for 8:05 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX., and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. The pitching matchup features a former Texas Ranger (Kyle Gibson) and a former-turned-current Texas Ranger (Martin Perez).

The Phillies (36-32) have won five of their past six games and 14 of 17 since firing manager Joe Girardi. The trio of Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper all have an OPS greater than 1.000 this month and have combined for 17 home runs over the team’s past 18 games. However, Harper hasn’t played since Friday due to an infected blister on his left hand. Gibson (4-2, 4.04 ERA) allowed just one run over eight innings in a Phillies victory over the Marlins his last time out.

The Rangers (31-35) have been a disappointment after an offseason spending spree. Marcus Semien has been the main culprit as he is hitting .223 with a .626 OPS just one season after being an MVP candidate with the Blue Jays. Texas’ other high-priced infielder, Corey Seager, hasn’t lived up to the billing either, but he has clobbered four homers in his past 10 games. Outfielder Adolis Garcia has been impressive this month with 14 RBIs and a .928 OPS in 18 games this month. Perez (4-2, 2.10 ERA) hasn’t been as untouchable in June as he was in May, when he was named AL Pitcher of the Month. But in his most recent start, the lefty dealt for seven innings, allowing one run in a Texas win over Detroit.

Phillies vs. Rangers

Pitchers: Kyle Gibson vs. Martin Perez
First pitch: 8:05 p.m. ET
Phillies local broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Rangers local broadcast: Bally Sports Southwest
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run line: Phillies -1.5 (+165)
Run total: 8
Moneyline odds: Rangers -120, Phillies +100

Moneyline pick: Phillies +100

The Phillies have the offensive edge in this matchup, with or without Harper. Although Perez has been generally great this year, the Phillies have hit left-handers better than they hit right-handed pitchers, and they should be able to do enough damage to outscore a Rangers squad that ranks 23rd in baseball in OPS. Plus, a handful of Phillies have posted good career numbers versus Perez, which we will highlight below.

Player prop pick: Nick Castellanos Over 1.5 total bases (+125)

Strangely, Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius, who has been terrible against left-handed pitching throughout his career, has hit three homers in 14 at-bats against Perez. But we’ll talk up Castellanos, a proven lefty crusher, even though he has been in a slump in June. On the bright side, Castellanos is 6-for-14 with three extra-base hits versus the Rangers’ starter and has three doubles in his past six games.

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