Tight Game Expected Between Rangers And Rays

Rangers vs. Rays, 3:00 ET

The first pitch is almost here my friends. Back in March, we were anxiously awaiting this time, and now it is finally here. Baseball playoffs are upon us and we have more series than we've ever had before (not today, but six teams from each league made it for the first time). Personally, I was a little unsure of the new format, but now, I like it. I'm going to start my approach for a perfect playoffs with the opening game between the Rangers and Rays.

How did the Rangers get here? They started the season very hot and were a bit of a surprise as they were able to be one of the best offensive teams in the game. In the offseason, they invested in their pitching and had Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi in the rotation. deGrom, as often happens, unfortunately, was injured and shut down for the season pretty early in the year. Eovaldi was pitching great then he also became injured. The rest of the starters were surprisingly effective though and gave the squad enough momentum to win 90 games for the season. Their bullpen is one of the weakest in the entire playoffs though. They had to battle to maintain their playoff spot as well. After leading the division for most of the season, it was a three-team race for two (maybe three if they all could've overthrown the Blue Jays) spots. Jordan Montgomery is taking the ball today for the Rangers. He was a midseason acquisition from the Cardinals. In 11 starts with the Rangers, he was able to put together eight quality starts. He didn't face the Rays this season, but he hasn't had the greatest success against them as he has allowed 25 hits in 84 at-bats to them.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 28: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers in action against the New York Mets during a game at Citi Field on August 28, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

The Rays have had one of the more interesting seasons in recent memory. After starting the season with 13 straight wins, they went 10 games over .500 for the rest of the first half. In the second half, they were able to go 41-28. But, maybe the most interesting is that they are 18-15 since the Wander Franco incident. They've lost arguably their best hitter (probably forever) and they've lost their best pitcher, Shane McClanahan. Somehow, the Rays always seem to keep everything together and keep moving. Built on a strong bullpen and a balanced lineup, if they get hot, there really is no reason to believe they can't win the World Series. Their journey starts with Tyler Glasnow on the hill today. Glasnow has not been great lately as he has allowed 18 earned runs over 33.1 innings. It was his worst month of the season, with the exception of May when he had only one start. He did face Texas at home once this season and allowed just one hit over six innings, a solo home run. He's had a lot more success against the Rangers with seven hits allowed in 37 at-bats.

Unfortunately, the Rays line is a bit higher than I would like to play straight up, and I don't think the run line is a safe option here. Instead, I think this is going to be a low-scoring game. Montgomery will probably allow a couple of runs but he's pitching well overall lately. Glasnow has a better history against the Rangers, but he hasn't pitched very well lately. The thing is, if he gets in any trouble, he will be pulled immediately and the bullpen is one you can trust. I am going to play the under in this game.

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