Rangers vs Guardians Preview: Pitching Battle Ahead, Gore Takes the Mound

The Rangers are rolling right now with five wins in a row. Their record sits at 43-42, and they just beat Cleveland 4-2 on Monday night. MacKenzie Gore takes the mound tonight, and this guy is electric. He's a first-time All-Star this season with a 3.59 ERA. Gore has won two games already. The Rangers' bats came alive in that last game—Jung and Pederson both went deep. Texas smells blood in the water and wants to keep the winning streak alive against the Guardians.

The Guardians are 44-41 and fighting to stay close. Their problem? Jose Ramirez, their star third baseman, is out for five to seven weeks with a broken hamate bone in his hand. That hurts. Cleveland has dropped their last game, falling to 4-6 in their last ten. Joey Cantillo pitches for the Guardians tonight. He's a 2024 rookie with a 3.97 ERA and two wins on the year. Cleveland's pitching depth keeps them in games, but losing Ramirez's bat and speed stings. They've got to find another way to score runs.

Texas and Cleveland have been trading punches in this series. The Rangers won Monday 4-2, with homers carrying the load. Sunday, Texas crushed Cleveland 6-3 in a shootout. Cleveland's Manzardo and Arias have swung the stick well when their team scores. Texas has Burger, Jung, and Osuna putting pressure on opposing pitchers. Both teams know runs come hard against solid pitching. Tonight's matchup between Gore and Cantillo could be tight. One home run might decide everything. The Rangers have momentum. The Guardians need to spark their offense or fall further behind in this series.