MLB Games Of The Day For Thursday, August 11
Odds and analysis for the most anticipated matchups
Matthew Horner - Aug 11, 2022, 11:35am EDTRangers vs. Astros is always an interesting matchup to me because it is the battle of Texas, and it really gets people riled up down there in the Lone Star state. While Houston has been far and away the more dominant team lately, Texas has been doing its best the last few seasons to rebuild their team. Corey Seager, Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis Garcia have been key players for the Rangers in 2022, and they are here to bridge the gap between being awful and competing for championships. They actually have been better than their record shows. with just a -3 run differential at the time of this writing. The Astros are in their prime window right now, and it shows, as they are one of the very best teams in baseball. A young gun on the mound here is why I am excited to watch this one, and see how he does against a potent Houston lineup in his second start of the season.
Cole Ragans gets the nod for his second career start on Thursday. In his first start of his career, he went five innings while striking out three in a no-decision, allowing one unearned run on three hits and four walks. He gets this start after that strong debut against the White Sox, but he'll need to cut down on the walks to consistently succeed in the big leagues. Still, that was a great debut for the 24-year-old, and I'm intrigued to see how he does going forward. It looks like he should have at least a few starts with Jon Gray still on the IL.
Rangers vs. Astros is always an interesting matchup to me because it is the battle of Texas, and it really gets people riled up down there in the Lone Star state. While Houston has been far and away the more dominant team lately, Texas has been doing its best the last few seasons to rebuild their team. Corey Seager, Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis Garcia have been key players for the Rangers in 2022, and they are here to bridge the gap between being awful and competing for championships. They actually have been better than their record shows. with just a -3 run differential at the time of this writing. The Astros are in their prime window right now, and it shows, as they are one of the very best teams in baseball. A young gun on the mound here is why I am excited to watch this one, and see how he does against a potent Houston lineup in his second start of the season.
Cole Ragans gets the nod for his second career start on Thursday. In his first start of his career, he went five innings while striking out three in a no-decision, allowing one unearned run on three hits and four walks. He gets this start after that strong debut against the White Sox, but he'll need to cut down on the walks to consistently succeed in the big leagues. Still, that was a great debut for the 24-year-old, and I'm intrigued to see how he does going forward. It looks like he should have at least a few starts with Jon Gray still on the IL.
The mustache is the key to being unstoppable as a pitcher in MLB, and Dylan Cease is the prime example of that. He has been absolutely owning opposing offenses this season, and it cannot be a coincidence that he just so happens to be sporting a rather large and wide 'stache on his upper lip. All jokes aside, Cease should be one of the favorites to win the Cy Young this season, because the streak he has been on is straight up historic. The Royals offense is awful, and one of the worst in baseball. They should be no match against our hero as he looks to continue his run. Let's take a little look at what he has done this season.
In his last start, Cease allowed one run on two hits and three walks over six innings, striking out five and earning a win over the Rangers. He hasn't given up more than one earned run in a start since May 24. In 13 starts since that date, Cease is holding a spectacular 0.59 ERA with a 95:34 K-to-BB. On the year, he owns a 1.98 ERA through 122.2 frames.
A guy that I have been looking to fade heavily is playing in this one, so it makes the list of games that I am looking forward to seeing on Thursday. Kyle Gibson owns a 4.36 ERA, and he has been on a crazy run as of late that I really do not think is a true tale of his performance. His last start produced his fourth quality start in his last five trips to the mound, a stretch during which he's posted a sharp 2.87 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB through 31.1 innings. However, that isn't the pitcher he has been for a majority of the year, and I think some regression is on the way. The Marlins may not be the best offense in the world, but I think they can put up some numbers on him.
Miami will send Edward Cabrera out to the hill. He was dominant in his last start, striking out eight and issuing three walks over five no-hit scoreless innings. Unless the Marlins permanently expand to a six-man rotation though, he may not be long for a starting role. Trevor Rogers is almost back from his injury, and will most likely replace Cabrera in the rotation. Still, Cabrera has been good in the limited time he has been able to secure a spot on the mound. Miami may be a sneaky play as an underdog to get a win here.
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