Cleveland Guardians at Texas Rangers

Tanner Bibee (0-7, 4.57) goes Saturday for the Guardians opposite Jack Leiter (3-4, 4.34), and on paper the win-loss columns are doing Bibee dirty. Cleveland's run support has been brutal for him all year, and the no-decision against Boston on May 31 — 6 innings, 3 earned, 5 K — was vintage Bibee getting nothing back.

Leiter, meanwhile, is the hottest version of himself we've seen. He matched a career-high 10 strikeouts in 5.2 scoreless innings against Kansas City last time out, sitting 98-99 with the heater and a chase rate that was, by his catcher's account, fantastic. Cleveland's lineup will see velocity it didn't have to deal with from Parker Messick in the opener.

Cleveland Guardians

(36-29)

Jun 6L@ Rangers2-3

Jun 4L@ Yankees1-2

Jun 3W@ Yankees5-4

Jun 2W@ Yankees9-4

May 31Lvs Red Sox4-9

Texas Rangers

(31-32)

Jun 6Wvs Guardians3-2

Jun 3L@ Cardinals3-5

Jun 2W@ Cardinals7-4

Jun 1W@ Cardinals2-1

May 31Wvs Royals6-3

About that opener: Corey Seager came off the IL Friday and immediately ended an 0-for-29 slump with the go-ahead homer in a 3-2 Texas win. Kyle Higashioka also went deep. Travis Bazzana led off the game with the first leadoff bomb of his career and finished with three hits for Cleveland, which is to say the Guardians did plenty offensively and still lost. That's the season in a nutshell.

Cleveland Guardians

(3)

• Day-To-DayCarlos Hernandez RP — Hernandez (shoulder) began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Friday.
• 15-Day-ILErik Sabrowski RP — Sabrowski (elbow) underwent an MRI on Tuesday which confirmed inflammation but no structural damage, MLB.com reports.
• 60-Day-ILGabriel Arias SS — no

Texas Rangers

(10)

• Day-To-DaySebastian Walcott SS — Rangers GM Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Walcott could be ready for game action in August, "if all things according to plan" in his rehab from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
• 10-Day-ILJosh Smith 2B — Smith (glute/wrist/illness) took live batting practice Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
• 15-Day-ILCole Winn RP — Winn (arm) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.
• 15-Day-ILChris Martin RP — The Rangers placed Martin on the 15-day injured list Monday with a right shoulder impingement.
• 60-Day-ILJordan Montgomery SP — Montgomery (elbow) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
• 60-Day-ILRobert Garcia RP — The Rangers transferred Garcia (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.
• 60-Day-ILCarter Baumler RP — Baumler (intercostal) has been shut down from his rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.
• 60-Day-ILCody Bradford SP — Bradford (elbow) began throwing from 60 feet during the Rangers' most recent homestand, MLB.com reports

Texas is still without Jordan Montgomery, Cody Bradford, and a chunk of the bullpen (Chris Martin, Robert Garcia), so any length Leiter gives them matters. Cleveland is the healthier side outside of Gabriel Arias at short, and they enter at 36-29 against a Rangers club still scraping above water at 31-32 after the Cardinals took 2 of 3 last weekend.

Pinnacle has Texas at -113 with the total sitting on 8.5. That feels about right — Leiter's stuff plays, Bibee's process plays, and the bullpens have been the bigger swing factor in this matchup than either starter. If the Guardians want to flip the series, Bibee finally pitching with a lead would be a nice change of pace.