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2024-03-16
Texas Rangers
Arizona Diamondbacks
League : MLB

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Texas Rangers Prediction & Preview

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#975 Texas
Rangers 130
 
#976 Arizona
Diamondbacks -130

Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 9:10pm

 

Both the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks have had disappointing 2020 seasons. They have both are in the bottom five in winning percentage and officially eliminated from playoff contention in the last week of the regular season. The Texas Rangers are sending Jordan Lyles to the mound to face the Diamondbacks. Arizona will counter with southpaw Caleb Smith, who they acquired at the Trade Deadline from the Miami Marlins in the Starling Marte trade.

 

The Texas Rangers completely struggle on the road this season as they can’t produce offensively. They are only ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates for team OPS on the road. Their bats completely go silent and luckily they have just four more road games until Spring Training. Only Ronald Guzman has an OPS+ over 100 this season, so the offense needs to step up as well.

 

Lyles Struggles in the Desert

Jordan Lyles’ numbers this year aren’t good. However, he doesn’t pitch well at Chase Field in his career either. In nine career games (five starts) he is 1-4 with a 9.30 ERA in 30 innings. That ERA is the highest in any stadium he has pitched in his career. However, it’s not just in Arizona where he struggles but instead it’s whenever he pitches on the road.

 

 

In his career, he is 19-35 with a 5.47 ERA in 124 career games on the road. Lyles has given up 66 HR and 168 walks both at home and on the road but he has over 40 less innings on the road. Nick Ahmed has the best numbers off him with a 1.155 OPS in 10 career at-bats but the numbers aren’t great otherwise. He faced these same Diamondbacks in his first start of the season on July 28 and he threw 2 hitless innings with a walk and two strikeouts in a no-decision. His record looks bad this season partially because of the lack of run support as the Rangers score 3.39 runs in the seven starts he made this season.

 

The Caleb Smith Experience

When the Miami Marlins traded for Starling Marte at the Trade Deadline almost a month ago, the Diamondbacks added Humberto Mejia and Caleb Smith. This was needed after trading away Robbie Ray and Smith could be a nice piece that won’t cost the team much money. Caleb Smith has been pitching decently in his opening role this season as he has thrown 5 innings and allowed three runs thus far as a member of Arizona’s pitching staff but is averaging 57 pitches in his three outings all season. He was placed on the Injured List when the Miami Marlins had their COVID outbreak but they did not disclose a reason he was placed there.

 

Smith has dominated right-handed batters this season, as they are 3-for-29 (.143) but the only downfall is two of those hits have left the ballpark. Righties are .214 off him since 2018 but have most of the homers allowed. Lefties are hitting .241 in the same timespan but only have 7 of the 46 homers he allowed. He has the advantage against the Rangers as they haven’t seen him. Only Jeff Mathis has seen him but has a sac fly and a walk in his career of Caleb Smith.












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