The Cleveland Guardians will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night. The Guardians defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 on Sunday to bring their overall record to 52-49 on the year. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks now find themselves at 45-56 on the season after losing Sunday's game to the Atlanta Braves.
The Diamondbacks now trail by 23 games in the National League West division. At the same time, the Guardians are now only one game back in the American League Central division heading into Monday's contest.
"We'd like some apologies for the mean things you said 5 hours ago. #ForTheLand" - Guardians
Cal Quantrill gets the ball Monday for the Guardians, carrying a 7-5 record and a 3.97 ERA. In his last start, Quantrill threw 5 1/3 innings, giving up eight hits and five earned runs, while striking out four in a win versus the Boston Red Sox.
The right-hander has been better at home, carrying a 5-0 record and 3.19 ERA at Progressive Field. The Diamondbacks' offense is averaging under four runs per contest over their last seven, so expect Quantrill to have a better outing than he did last time out.
Zach Davies will start Monday for the visiting Diamondbacks. He is 2-4, with a 3.94 ERA in 15 starts so far. Davies' xERA sits at 4.71, significantly higher than his actual ERA. This indicates that he's due for regression at some point this year. He doesn't have overpowering stuff, but he still manages to keep his club in most ballgames.
The Guardians rank 15th in both runs per game and OPS, but they are capable of having big games from time to time.
Cleveland Guardians vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Match Details
Fixture: Arizona Diamondbacks @ Cleveland Guardians
Date & Time: Monday, August 1, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Venue: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland Guardians vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Betting Odds
Cleveland Guardians vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Best Picks
Quantrill struggled in Fenway Park against a good Red Sox lineup in his last start, but he should bounce back on Monday. Look for him to limit runs in the series opener against a team that just traded away one of their better hitters in David Peralta.
"Cal Quantrill, Nasty 89mph Cutter...and Sword." - Rob Friedman
Pick: Cal Quantrill Under 2.5 Earned Runs Allowed (+110)
Cleveland Guardians vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Betting Prediction
The Diamondbacks have a winning percentage below 40% on the road this season, and they're also just 5-10 in Quantrill's starts. Look for the home team to lead after five as they open an interleague series.
Prediction: Guardians First 5 Innings -0.5 (-108)