Texas Rangers at Philadelphia Phillies
PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — The Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies will decide their season-opening series Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, with both clubs looking to move above .500 after splitting the first two contests.
The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 44 degrees.
The Rangers will send left-hander Jesús Luzardo to the mound. The Phillies counter with right-hander Aaron Nola, who took the loss in Saturday’s 5-4, 10-inning defeat despite striking out seven over five innings.
A key player to watch for Texas is reliever Jacob Latz, who delivered four hitless, scoreless innings in relief to earn the win in that same game. His performance stabilized the game for the Rangers after Nola’s exit.
Philadelphia won the series opener 5-3 on Thursday before Texas’s extra-inning victory Saturday, highlighting the early-season parity. Both teams are 1-1.
According to Interstat’s game simulator, the Phillies are projected to win a low-scoring affair, 2-1. Betting markets align, installing Philadelphia as a -1.5 favorite with an over/under of 8 runs.
Following the game, the Rangers travel to Baltimore for a three-game set starting Monday. The Phillies will remain at home to open a series against the Washington Nationals.