Houston edged Texas 6-5 to keep pace in the AL West and widen its hold on the second wild-card spot. Blubaugh’s three shutout innings as an opener set the tone, the bullpen finished six innings of solid work, and Houston capitalized on early blows to build a 6-0 lead before a late Ranger rally forced a tense finish. With a crucial Mariners series on the horizon and the Silver Boot trophy at stake, the Astros stay in striking distance for both division and playoff positioning.

Texas saw Merrill Kelly falter, surrendering six runs in three innings, as the Rangers’ playoff hopes took a hit. The win reinforces Houston’s reliance on bullpen depth and timely hitting from Peña, Correa, and Altuve, while the Rangers must regroup quickly to keep wild-card and division ambitions alive.

Kerry Carpenter's pinch-hitter game-tying blast off Cade Smith keeps Detroit alive, but Will Vest falters in the 10th as Cleveland pulls away 7-5. Casey Mize pitched well again, and Spencer Torkelson added a late two-run homer to trim the deficit, yet Detroit couldn’t complete the comeback. The Tigers sit 5½ games up in the AL Central with 11 to play, and the Guardians push to close the gap in a pivotal series opener.

Fantasy takeaway: Carpenter’s late-season hot stretch vs a lefty specialist is noteworthy, and Mize’s swing-and-miss profile continues to trend upward, making him a plausible streaming option. Vest’s bullpen volatility remains a concern for late-inning setups, tempering any immediate trust. Detroit’s lineup still feasts when matching up, but execution in high-leverage spots looms large ahead of a tight race.

The game highlighted Cleveland’s balance—Kwan’s RBI double and timely hits from Ramirez, Arias and Naylor—and Detroit’s depth, with Torkelson delivering a glimmer of power down the stretch. Rest of series implications center on bullpen usage, platoon matchups, and which offense can sustain pressure against the other’s bullpen arms.

Tarik Skubal is lined up to start Thursday for Detroit against Cleveland after a rib-side scare last week. He threw a crisp, max-effort bullpen with no pain, clearing the way for a return appearance.

The Tigers sit seven games from clinching the AL Central at home, and Skubal's 13-5 record with a 2.26 ERA and 224 strikeouts anchors the rotation as they chase the Guardians.

Gavin Williams opposes him for Cleveland in a pivotal showdown; Williams is 10-5 with a 3.16 ERA and 152 strikeouts, a matchup that could swing fantasy expectations and division odds.

Game 151 at Comerica Park features Casey Mize facing Joey Cantillo as Detroit hosts Cleveland in a midseason MLB duel with fantasy implications. Guardians leverage Steven Kwan’s contact and Jose Ramirez’s pop, backed by a deep lineup including Manzardo and Rocchio, while the Tigers lean on Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, and Javier Baez to spark runs against Cantillo’s control. Mize's grounders and DET’s home park dynamics shape the night for fantasy managers.

Key bets lean toward Guardians' top-line bats and Tigers' opportunistic power; bullpen usage and late rests could decide streaming value. Monitor plate discipline, groundball tendencies, and potential stolen-base chances as the game unfolds for daily fantasy and betting angles.