Cleveland Guardians at Texas Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — The Cleveland Guardians will try to build on a series-opening shutout when they face the Texas Rangers on Saturday at Globe Life Field. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. CT, with rain in the forecast and temperatures around 80 degrees.

Cleveland (36-28) won the opener 1-0 on Friday and now sends right-hander Tanner Bibee (0-7) to the mound in search of his first win this season. Bibee has struggled through 12 starts, and the Guardians are hoping a change of scenery helps. Right-hander Jack Leiter (3-4) is also listed as a probable pitcher for Cleveland, though it is unclear whether he will start or be used out of the bullpen.

Texas (30-32) had not announced a starter as of Saturday morning. The Rangers dropped the series opener despite strong relief from Robby Ahlstrom, who fired 1.1 scoreless innings Wednesday at St. Louis. In that game, designated hitter Joc Pederson drove in two runs on one hit.

A player to watch for Cleveland is right-hander Slade Cecconi, who earned the win Friday with six innings of one-run ball against the Rangers. Cecconi has been sharp recently, posting a 2.84 ERA over his past five starts. His best outing this season came May 18 at Detroit, when he pitched 7.1 innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out four in an 8-2 win. Cecconi is expected to start Sunday’s series finale.

For Texas, Ahlstrom has been effective in limited work. His only recent appearance was the scoreless frame against the Cardinals, but he struck out two and did not allow a hit.

The Guardians have won three of their past four games. The Rangers have lost two of three.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 6-5 Cleveland victory. The Guardians are favored by 1.5 runs, and the over/under for total runs is set at eight.

Cleveland returns home after this series for six games against the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers. Texas travels to Kansas City for a three-game set beginning Tuesday.