Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cleveland Guardians Prediction: Can Ben Lively, Guardians Even the Series?
The Cleveland Guardians lost a tough one on Monday night after forcing extra innings. Can Ben Lively and the Guardians bounce back against Eduardo Rodriguez and the Diamondbacks tonight? Ben Rajavuori is targeting the pitching disparity in his Diamondbacks vs. Guardians prediction.
Ben Rajavuori - August 6, 2024, 1:33 PM EDT
5 minArizona Diamondbacks vs. Cleveland Guardians Prediction: Can Ben Lively, Guardians Even the Series?
The Cleveland Guardians and Arizona Diamondbacks will square off in game two of their series from Progressive Field in Cleveland. The Guardians took a close game one, as the Guardians scored in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings but eventually fell 7–6 to the Diamondbacks. What should we expect in game two of this series?
Diamondbacks vs. Guardians DATE, TIME AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: August 6, 2024
- Time: 6:40 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB Extra Innings
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cleveland Guardians Prediction
The Cleveland Guardians will face a familiar face tonight as they will bat against Eduardo Rodriguez, who is now with the Diamondbacks. The Guardians are familiar with him because Rodriguez pitched for Detroit in the last two seasons.
Rodriguez has been on the shelf for a bit as he was dealing with a strained shoulder injury, but after taking some time to pitch in the minor leagues, he is back in the MLB with the Diamondbacks.
Rodriguez had a 3.3 ERA with the Tigers last season over 152.2 innings. Rodriguez was a solid piece of their rotation and will bring help to a Diamondbacks rotation that needs it. Aside from Zac Gallen and Brandon Pfaadt, the Diamondbacks are a bit thin in their rotation, and Rodriguez will be a nice addition for the rest of the season. However, as he is coming off his injury, I assume he will be limited on a pitch count and may not be able to go deep into this game, especially considering the Guardians can be a tough team to pitch against and could raise his pitch count quickly. as previously mentioned, the Guardians are also familiar with Rodriguez, as he pitched four times against them just last year as they were in the same division.
On the other side, Ben Lively will get the start for the guardians. In surprising fashion, Lively actually has the lowest ERA on the Guardians rotation this season and is effectively their ace at the moment. In 19 starts this year, Lively has a 3.42 ERA and has pitched with just a 1.15 WHIP. Ben Lively has been even better at home, where he has just a 2.7 ERA in eight starts this year and a 6–1 pitching record.
The Diamondbacks have been one of the hotter teams in baseball over the last 12 games, as they have gone 10–2. The Guardians have gone 10–10 over their last 20 games, but they still hold the best record in baseball at 67–45. Additionally, the Guardians have gone 35–18 at home.
More importantly, the Guardians have been crushing left-handed pitching, and Eduardo Rodriguez is a lefty. The Guardians have gone 25–8 against left-handed starters this year, while they have gone just 42–37 against right-handed starters. I believe it’s a tough spot for Rodriguez to come back into the MLB, as the Guardians will give him a tough test tonight.
Given that Eduardo Rodriguez will probably not pitch deep into this game, the shaky Diamondbacks bullpen will have to back him. The Guardians have one of the best bullpens in baseball, and given that last night's game went to extra innings, the Guardians are in a much better spot in regards to the bullpens. Given all that, I think the Guardians even this series tonight and get the win at home.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cleveland Guardians Pick
Pick: Guardians ML -115 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOKS HAVE THE BEST ODDS FOR THIS PICK
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cleveland Guardians System Projections - August 6th
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