In this Phillies at Guardians prediction, the Phillies continue their road trip with a stop in Cleveland as part of a three-game interleague series. The Phillies are coming off a sweep of the Rays in Tampa and are chasing the Mets for the top spot in the NL East. The Guardians are nearly as hot and just behind the Tigers in the AL Central Division. The middle game of this weekend series will feature Phillies’ southpaw Ranger Suarez (0-0, 17.17) taking on Guardians’ righty Tanner Bibee (3-2, 4.26). The first pitch is scheduled for 6:10 PM EST. Read on for more in this Phillies/Guardians prediction, and grab our top MLB predictions to increase your bankroll!
Philadelphia heating up
The Phillies arrived in Cleveland on Friday night following a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida. The Phillies are climbing the ranks in the NL East and are now just behind the Mets for the division lead. On Thursday night, the Phillies came back from a 5-1 deficit with three runs in the eighth, two more in the ninth to tie it, and then two more runs in the 10th inning to pull out the victory, 7-6. Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh each had two hits and both drove in a run in the decisive 10th inning to help the Phillies complete the sweep of the Rays.
*This article was written before the completion of Friday night’s Phillies/Guardians game.
The Phillies are back near the top of the division standings as the season steams ahead toward summer. They’ll try to keep pace with the Mets on Saturday, sending lefty Ranger Suarez to the hill in just his second start of the season. Suarez started the season on IL before returning to face the Diamondbacks on Sunday. Suarez had a rough outing in his first start, allowing seven hits and seven runs in just 3.2 innings of work. Last season, Suarez finished the year 12-8 with a 3.46 ERA and a WHIP of 1.20 in 27 starts. He had 11 quality starts on the season in what was a breakout year for Suarez. He is one of three left-handers in the Phillies’ starting rotation.
Key Injuries: RP Jose Ruiz, SS Carson Taylor, and RP Christian McGowan are out.
Guardians chasing the Tigers
The Guardians welcome the Phillies to town this weekend on the heels of a two-game winning streak of their own, after defeating the Nationals in each of the final two games of their three-game series. They ended the series on Wednesday with an 8-6 win thanks to an explosive eight-run sixth inning to secure the victory. Carlos Santana delivered the big blow with a bases-clearing double to drive in three runs. The Guardians used eight pitchers to pick up the win, with Emmanuel Clase closing things out in the 9th inning to pick up his 8th save of the season.
*This article was written before the completion of Friday night’s Phillies/Guardians game.
The Guardians have now won four of their last five games entering Friday night’s series opener with the Phillies. They’ll look to keep things going on Saturday when they send righty Tanner Bibee to the hill. Bibee is 3-2 on the season in seven starts, including two quality starts. He has an ERA of 4.86 and a WHIP of 1.32 thus far. Bibee has allowed 34 hits in 38 innings of work with 16 walks and 28 strikeouts. Bibee has coughed up nine home runs on the season. In his last start, a 5-4 win at Toronto, he went five innings and allowed five hits and two earned runs. Bibee walked two and struck out three in the outing. The Guardians are 4-1 in Bibee’s last five starts this season.
Key Injuries: SP Slade Cecconi, CF Lane Thomas, RP Trevor Stephan, and 1B David Fry are out.
Best Bets for Philadelphia Phillies vs. Cleveland Guardians
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Phillies come into this series red-hot, winners of five of six games. They are also a perfect 3-0 on this road trip heading into Friday night’s game. Suarez has his first outing out of the way, and he likely shed the rust in his first start against Arizona. He’ll also have the advantage against a Guardians team that is hitting just .223 against lefties this season and .229 at home. Guardians’ starter Bibee could be in for a long night against the power-hitting Phillies. He has already given up nine home runs this season in just seven starts. He’ll be ripe for the picking against a Phillies’ lineup that features sluggers like Harper, Schwarber, and Castellanos. The Phillies will stay hot on Saturday.
Take the Phillies with the money line.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
Despite Suarez’s rough first outing, the Guardians may find runs hard to come by against the lefty. As noted, they are hitting under .230 against lefties this season and have struggled to hit at home. The Guardians have also gone under the total in four of their last five games. The Phillies will likely do much of the damage on Saturday, but this game will stay under the number.
Take the under.
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