Lucas Giolito will look to end their five-game losing streak against the hosts Cleveland Guardians Open a three-game series against the promoted team Texas Rangers.
The 29-year-old Giolito allowed one home run, four runs and seven hits in six innings in a 7-for-3 loss to the Rangers on August 15. He is 3-1 with a 3.95 ERA in five career appearances, all as a starter against Texas.
The Guardians (69-78) lost for the eighth time in 11 games as they lost 6×5 in 10 innings to the hosts San Francisco Giants On Wednesday.
The Guardians went 2-5 on their recently completed road trip to Anaheim and San Francisco, and four of their five losses were by a run. Cleveland has 29 losses this year by a margin of one, the most of the season Big leagues.
Cleveland is eight games behind Minnesota Twins (77-70), leader of the central department of the American League, with 15 players left to play this season. The Twins’ magic number to win the division is eight.
The Guardians have won their last five home series against the Rangers: 3-1 in 2017 and 2-1 in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 (the teams did not play each other in 2020).
The Texas Rangers will look to continue their winning streak
Most recently, the Texas Rangers (82-64) rebounded from losing 16 of their last 20 games by winning six in a row and coming within a half game of losing Houston Astros (83-64), leaders of the American League West Division.
Rangers, who defeated away Toronto Blue Jays 9×2 last Thursday to complete a four-game sweep as they cling to a one-game lead over their division rivals Seattle Mariners (81-65) for the second wild card in the American League.
Texas law, Jon Grey (8-7, 3.96 ERA) is scheduled to be the starter this Friday, September 15th. The 31-year-old Gray left Sunday’s game without a decision for the third straight game despite allowing four runs (three earned) and four hits in 2.2 innings Oakland Athletics.
During a no-decision against Cleveland on July 14, he allowed four runs in six innings. Gray is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in three career appearances, all as a starter, against Cleveland.
The Rangers won all four games of their weekend series in Toronto, defeating the Blue Jays 35×9.
It was only the second time in the last ten seasons that Texas won a four-game road series. The Rangers did the same in Baltimore in 2019 (September 5-8).
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