Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Rays (100, 7)
Offense is something the Texas Rangers havenโt had to worry about this season. Their .275 team batting average ranks third in the show, while their 4.98 runs per game average is good for fourth overall in the league. But at least recently that potent attack hasn't looked quite as menacing.
Outfielder Nelson Cruz left Saturdayโs game with a left hamstring problem. The team hasnโt released any information about the injury, but will certainly miss his bat if heโs out for a while. Cruz was hitting .320 with 16 homers and 64 RBIs.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Guerrero is sputtering at the dish and Ian Kinsler is still on the DL, so the timing of this latest injury is far from ideal. Texas has managed more than four runs just twice over its last six games.
And to make matters worse, Texas will spend the night dealing with David Priceโs nasty stuff. The 6-foot-6, 255-pound lefty was a little off in his last start, going just five innings on 115 pitches, but did strike out nine Tigers and picked up his 15th win of the year.
Pick: Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland Athletics (-140, 7)
If the Toronto Blue Jays are going to have any hope keeping pace with the rest of the beefed-up AL East, theyโre going to need Shaun Marcum at the top of his game.
Unfortunately for Jays bettors, Marcumโs picked a terrible time for a slump. He allowed four dingers against the Boston Red Sox in Wednesdayโs 10-1 blowout loss as a -110 favorite and has now given up 13 runs over his last two outings.
โIt was one of those days when I didnโt locate anything at all,โ Marcum told reporters after Wednesdayโs game. โMy mechanics felt off a little bit, but thatโs no excuse. Iโve still got to make pitches and try to find out a way to grind out innings and limit those guys to a lower amount of runs over there.
Apparently, Marcumโs surgically reconstructed elbow doesnโt have anything to do with his recent struggles, but itโs definitely something Toronto brass will keep an eye on.
The Jays have handled the Aโs pretty well this year and Marcumโs in a good spot to bounce back against Oaklandโs brutal offense. The Aโs average just over four runs per game.
Pick: Blue Jays