The Cleveland Guardians won the American League Central a year ago, but this season has been mostly disappointing. With a record of 58-62, the Guardians only trail the Minnesota Twins by 4 ½ games, but they haven’t shown any desire to take charge in the division. It didn’t help that they sunk a lot of resources into signing Noah Syndergaard, only to discover that the awful numbers he was putting up in L.A. were not outliers. This year, he’s giving up even more contact and getting fewer swings-and-misses than he did last year, so it’s unlikely that he will get another big deal when he hits unrestricted free agency at the end of 2023. The Guardians welcome the Detroit Tigers (53-66) for a four-game weekend set, which means an opportunity to gain some ground in the standings. Will the Guardians take advantage? We have MLB betting picks for each game in the Tigers vs Guardians series.
MLB Tigers vs Guardians Betting Lines
» August 17-20, 2023
Tarik Skubal (Tigers) vs Xzavion Curry (Guardians)
When: Thursday, August 17 at 7:15 pm ET
Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
TV/Streaming: FOX
Projected Pitching Matchup: Tarik Skubal (2-2, 4.18 ERA) (DET) vs Xzavion Curry (3-1, 3.39 ERA) (CLE)
Tarik Skubal spent almost the first half of the 2023 season on the injured list rehabbing an injury to his throwing (left) elbow. He has been on a limited pitch count since returning, and it’s been feast or famine since. He’s made seven starts; in four of those starts, he has not permitted a single earned run (one run total). In his other three starts, he has allowed 15 runs on 21 hits over 14 combined innings. He’s only allowed one home run this season, so as he continues to find consistency, he should produce steadier results for the Tigers.
Xzavion Curry has bounced back and forth between the bullpen and the rotation this season. His last two outings, on August 6 and August 11, were both starts, coming against the White Sox and the Rays. He pitched decently against the Sox, allowing a pair of runs on four hits over five innings, but the Rays got to him for five runs on six hits over five innings, slugging a home run off him in the process. Tigers to win.
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Matt Manning (Tigers) vs Gavin Williams (Guardians)
When: Friday, August 18 at 7:10 pm ET
Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
TV/Streaming: MLB.tv
Projected Pitching Matchup: Matt Manning (4-4, 4.60 ERA) (DET) vs Gavin Williams (1-3, 2.80 ERA) (CLE)
The month of August has been tough for Matt Manning, as he has posted a 5.29 ERA since the calendar turned. His last start, against Boston on Saturday, went better, as he held the Sox to one unearned run on a pair of hits and three walks over 5 ⅓ innings, striking out one. In July, he made five starts but only allowed more than one earned run in two of them.
Gavin Williams has had tough luck with the Guardians this year. Since July 8, he has started six games, and he has allowed more than one earned run just twice. Even so, the only decisions he has taken over that stretch is a pair of 2-0 losses, to Texas and Houston. Even when the Cleveland bats have shown up for him, they have come after he left the game, or he hasn’t lasted long enough to get the win. Guardians to win.
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Eduardo Rodriguez (Tigers) vs Tanner Bibee (Guardians)
When: Saturday, August 19 at 7:10 pm ET
Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
TV/Streaming: MLB.tv
Projected Pitching Matchup: Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6, 3.13 ERA) (DET) vs Tanner Bibee (9-2, 2.90 ERA) (CLE)
Eduardo Rodriguez exercised his no-trade clause to stay with the Tigers instead of heading west to join the contending Los Angeles Dodgers, and for the most part, he has continue to provide ace-level pitching. The Red Sox torched him for six runs on ten hits, including a pair of home runs, over five innings on Sunday, but in his two starts before that, he held the Twins and the Pirates to two earned runs over 13 innings in a pair of victories.
Tanner Bibee has only allowed more than two earned runs in a start once since June 18, which is an excellent way to stack up the wins. He has victories in his last two starts, coming against Toronto and Tampa Bay. In those wins, he has thrown 14 combined innings, allowing two runs on 13 hits, striking out 11 without issuing a single walk. Guardians to win.
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Alex Faedo (Tigers) vs Logan Allen (Guardians)
When: Sunday, August 20 at 1:40 pm ET
Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
TV/Streaming: MLB.tv
Projected Pitching Matchup: Alex Faedo (2-4, 5.16 ERA) (DET) vs Logan Allen (6-5, 3.33 ERA) (CLE)
Alex Faedo is still waiting for his season to turn around, but he might have found something recently. In his last three starts, he has two one-hit, scoreless outings, against San Diego and Minnesota. Those games featured 11 combined innings and eight strikeouts, and against the Twins, he only issued a single walk. He struggled earlier in the season, but his 2.79 ERA for August could be a sign of good things to come.
Logan Allen has come along in the month of August, posting a 1.59 ERA in three starts. One of those was a tough-luck 1-0 loss to Toronto, but he picked up wins over the White Sox and the Reds. He has thrown 17 innings in August, allowing three earned runs on a dozen hits and 10 walks, striking out 15. Guardians to win.
Bet on Detroit at Cleveland!
AL Central Standings
Tigers vs Guardians
| Updated at August 16th | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | % | GB | STRK | HOME | AWAY |
| Twins | 63 | 58 | .521 | – | W3 | 34-24 | 29-34 |
| Guardians | 58 | 62 | .483 | 4.5 | W2 | 31-28 | 27-34 |
| Tigers | 53 | 66 | .445 | 9.0 | L2 | 26-33 | 27-33 |
| White Sox | 48 | 72 | .400 | 14.5 | W1 | 25-33 | 23-39 |
| Royals | 39 | 82 | .322 | 24.0 | L1 | 23-38 | 16-44 |
W: Wins | L: Losses | %: Winning Percentage | GB: Games Behind | STRK: Current Streak | HOME: Record at Home | AWAY: Record When Away
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