Cleveland Guardians vs. Seattle Mariners August 28 Betting Preview

After dropping the first two games of the series, the Cleveland Guardians (67-58) were able to take the third game from the Seattle Mariners (69-58) on Saturday, 4-3. 

With an eye on getting a split, Cleveland will finish the series in Seattle Sunday at T-Mobile Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m.

Offensively, Jose Ramirez hit a home run and ended the day two for four with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Steven Kwan also had two hits in the victory.

The Mariners hit three home runs on the day, but those were the only three hits for Seattle in the entire game. Aside from those three hits, they had no walks and struck out seven times.

Betting Odds

The Mariners are the favorites in the finale Sunday, playing at home. They are -154 to win while the Guardians’ moneyline sits at +130. The ruline features Cleveland +1.5 (-182), and the over/under for total runs is seven.

Bet on the MLB for free with betJACK Training Camp! Practice betting now to win real cash on January 1!

Pitching Matchup

The Guardians will turn to 27-year-old righty Aaron Civale. In 15 games, he is 2-5 with a 5.37 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and he has 70 strikeouts in 68.2 innings. In his last three starts combined, he has given up just four runs over 14.2 innings while striking out 18 in that span.

The Mariners will turn to southpaw Robbie Ray to try to secure a series win. In 25 games, he is 10-8 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and he has 173 strikeouts in 148.2 innings.

Cleveland Need Every Victory

At 67-58, the Cleveland Guardians sit in first in the AL Central, three games ahead of the Minnesota Twins. Still, with just under 40 games left, every win is crucial as both the division and Wild Card are tight races.

With his big night Saturday, Jose Ramirez continues to be the best hitter on the team. He is now hitting .285/.356/.553 with a team-leading 26 home runs, 106 runs batted in, and 71 runs scored.

Against Robbie Ray, the only player that has had much success is Amed Rosario. Albeit in just seven at bats, Rosario is hitting .714 off of the lefty.

AL Wild Card Up For Grabs

While the Mariners sit 11.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the division, they are right in the thick of the Wild Card chase. The only problem for Seattle is that there isn’t much room for error. The three in Wild Card spots are separated by just a half-game, and the Orioles are lurking 1.5 games out of a playoff spot.

One player, the Mariners, have been able to count on this season, is rookie outfielder Julio Rodriguez. With his home run Saturday, he is now hitting .267/.326/.473 with 21 home runs, 65 runs batted in, 65 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases.

Eugenio Suarez also had one of the solo shots for Seattle. He now leads the team with 24 home runs and 72 runs batted in despite hitting just .228/.335/.446.

Cleveland Looks For The Split

Despite losing the first two games and trailing in the third game through seven innings, the Guardians were able to claw back and get a victory Saturday and now have an opportunity Sunday for a series split.

Like Saturday, they come in as the underdogs as the pitching matchup favors the Mariners on paper. Still, Aaron Civale has thrown better as of late, and if he can limit the Mariners’ offense, Cleveland should have enough firepower to tack on some runs against Robbie Ray.

It won’t be easy for Cleveland, but if they can find a way to pick up the victory Sunday, they will have a happy flight home as they get a day off Monday before starting their next series with the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.