Philadelphia Phillies vs. Texas Rangers | Odds, Preview, & Prediction | Tuesday, May 3rd
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Texas Rangers Preview: Star studded lineups will score runs
The Texas Rangers hit the road to take on the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. These teams made some noise during free agency, which caused MLB fans to believe these teams would improve into possible playoff teams in 2022. To this point in the season, the Phillies and Rangers have underperformed. With all of the offensive talent these teams possess, pitching has been what has let them down. Tonight's matchup is an intriguing one, where we have spotted a game total that we want to attack.
Below, you will find a brief preview of each team followed by a prediction for the game.
Texas Rangers Preview:
The offseason signings of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien gave the Texas Rangers fans something to be excited about. While they have plenty of offense, their pitching staff has struggled to start the year. The Rangers rank fifth worst in the MLB in pitching staff ERA and they rank ninth worst in bullpen ERA. To keep things simple, neither their starters nor bullpen pitchers have been very effective. Jon Gray will get the start for Texas tonight. Gray has a 7.00 ERA this season in only nine innings of work. In his two starts, Gray has allowed three and four earned runs before exiting those outings.
Chopped the champs. #StraightUpTX https://t.co/LYBkzWK3cr
"Chopped the champs."- @ Texas Rangers
Offensively, the Rangers have produced to the tune of 4.36 runs per game; ranking 10th in the MLB. They will face a left-handed pitcher tonight, which is what the Rangers have been doing the most damage against. Texas has hit .257 against left-handers this season, as opposed to .209 versus right-handers.
Philadelphia Phillies Preview:
SCHWARBS DOES IT AGAIN! https://t.co/73y1asEkTi
"SCHWARBS DOES IT AGAIN!" - @ Philadelphia Phillies
Offensively, the Philadelphia Phillies have one of the most talented lineups in the entire MLB. With Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto, and Rhys Hoskins, the team has the ability to score runs at will. Currently, the Phillies are scoring 4.61 runs per game, which ranks sixth in the league. The main problem behind the Phillies' struggles has been their lack of efficient pitching. Both the pitching staff ERA and the bullpen ERA ranks in the bottom 10 in the MLB. Ranger Suarez will get the start for the Philadelphia Phillies tonight, and he hasn't been the most effective to begin his campaign. Suarez has allowed at least two earned runs in three out of his four starts on the season. The key to victory for the Philadelphia Phillies tonight is to get a quality start out of Suarez and rely on the offense to give him run support.
Prediction/Pick: Game Total Over 8.5 (-110)
When looking at the offensive and pitching statistics for each team, it's clear that both teams are capable of scoring runs. It's also very clear that the pitching staff of each team is struggling to hold the opposition off of the scoreboard consistently. The safe bet here is to ride with the offenses combining for 9+ runs. Expect a lot of offense in tonight's game in Philadelphia.