Rangers vs Guardians opens Monday night at Progressive Field with Parker Messick on the mound for the Guardians and a Texas bullpen game across from him at 7:10 p.m. The three-game series begins with first-place implications, and the clubs enter from different directions after Sunday.
Texas arrives after a four-game sweep of Toronto, capped by a 3-2 win. The Guardians answered with a late rally to win the rubber match against the Mariners, but they have won only five of their last 11 games.
Steven Kwan and the Texas split
Steven Kwan is 5 for 10 against Texas this season. That gives Cleveland one hitter who has handled this matchup well, even though the Guardians are only 1-2 against Texas this year and the Rangers lead the overall series 360-348.
The clubs also bring recent history from June in Globe Life Field, when Texas out-homered the Guardians 6-3 in their three-game series. Josh Jung is hitting 5 for 12 against the Guardians this year, and Ezequiel Duran is batting.400, or 4 for 10, against them.
Bibee, deGrom, and Wednesday
Monday is only the start of a three-day pitching plan. Tanner Bibee is scheduled to face Jacob deGrom on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m., and Joey Cantillo is set to take on MacKenzie Gore on Wednesday at 1:10 p.m.
Bibee is 1-0 against Texas this season. Parker Messick and Cantillo are a combined 0-2 against Texas, while deGrom went 1-0 against Cleveland in June.
Progressive Field coverage
will televise Monday’s game. Guardians.TV will carry Tuesday and Wednesday, and the series is also set for WTAM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM, WARF, and the Guardians Radio Network.
Who will start the Rangers’ Monday bullpen game against Messick? That decision shapes the opener, because Texas has already shown it can win this matchup with power, while Cleveland needs its rotation to keep the series from slipping again.
The White Sox are scheduled to arrive Thursday night for a four-game series, but the immediate pressure sits on these three games. Cleveland can change the tone of the week at Progressive Field by taking advantage of a Texas staff that is piecing together Monday and by leaning on Kwan, Bibee, and Cantillo to hold the line.
