Can Bibee and Rodriguez Survive the Offensive Onslaught Set to Test Their Limits?

You ever wonder if the expanded Wild Card is baseball’s brightest innovation or just a maddening plot twist that messes with our playoff expectations? Well, tonight’s matchup between the Guardians and the Diamondbacks perfectly captures that love-hate dynamic. The Guardians, fresh off a much-needed hot streak, are clawing their way back into contention—not quite out of the woods but dang close—while the Diamondbacks have pretty much waved the white flag after shipping off key players at the trade deadline. Tanner Bibee is on the mound for Cleveland, a pitcher whose road record leaves a lot to be desired yet somehow the team keeps eking out wins when he pitches. On the flip side, Eduardo Rodriguez takes the hill for Arizona, a guy who’s a mixed bag at best but has nonetheless helped his team snap a rough patch recently. The real question—can either starter contain the bats, or are we in for a run fest? I’m leaning towards fireworks and crooked numbers on the scoreboard, and maybe some surprises along the way. Ready to dig in? LEARN MORE.

Guardians vs. Diamondbacks, 9:40 ET

Some days I think the best thing that baseball has ever done is add the expanded Wild Cards. Other days, I think it is one of the worst things they have done. The good thing is that more teams are in contention for longer. The bad thing is that it ruins the trade deadline a bit, and the swings of teams’ records drastically change your thoughts on their playoff chances. Today we have one team who still is in contention, the Guardians, take on a team that has given up on the season, the Diamondbacks. 

The Guardians are lucky they had a recent hot streak to vault them back into the playoff conversation. They are not there yet, though. They are 8.5 games back of the Tigers for the division, so it is pretty unlikely they will find their way into the playoffs in that route. Their best chance is the Wild Card. Currently, they sit three games back of the final spot, behind the Red Sox. Technically, they are behind the Yankees, Mariners, and Red Sox, as all three are tied for the top three spots for the Wild Card. The Royals are not far behind the Guardians as well, just 3.5 games back. The Rangers are six games back and a recent cold streak makes it seem like they have no chance to make it. Today the Guardians send out Tanner Bibee with hopes of getting another win for the club. For the season, Bibee is 9-9 with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Bibee has struggled on the road with a 5.59 ERA this season, but the Guardians have won the past seven Bibee starts. I would say they have won in spite of him, not because of him as he has allowed four earned runs in four of the past seven outings. He hasn’t faced the Diamondbacks a lot, as they have just three hits in 13 at-bats. 

The Diamondbacks decided to call it a season around the trade deadline as they decided to send off Josh Naylor, Euenio Suarez, and Merrill Kelly. Despite those subtractions, the Diamondbacks still have a fairly potent offense. Arizona is six games under .500 which is actually not that bad considering they gave away 20% of their starting pitchers and two of their bigger bats in the lineup. Next season still brings them a lot of hope as their roster is still well constructed and they should have some pitchers coming back that will be difference makers. Today, they send out Eduardo Rodriguez to the mound. He is 5-7 for the season with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP. Rodriguez has been slightly worse at home than he has been on the road. The Diamondbacks have won his past three starts, with Rodriguez giving up eight earned runs over the past 17.1 innings. Guardians hitters have done fairly well against Rodriguez in the past with them getting 18 hits in 75 at-bats. Jose Ramirez, of course, is the main source of torment for Rodriguez. 

There are a lot of people who think that Tanner Bibee will eventually be a stud pitcher. He is a decent enough hurler, but I’m not overly confident that he is going to be more than an average starter. Rodriguez is not a very good starter, but he is okay. This is a game where the offenses should really be showcased. I’m excited to see some crooked numbers on the board with these starters on the mound. Back the over. 

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