Free Pick | MLB | Friday | May 1

#913 Texas Rangers (Gore) EVEN over Detroit Tigers (Flaherty) 5:40 PM CT

Jack Flaherty hasn’t pitched well this season.  He mostly struggled last season as well, even with a strong strikeout rate, as Flaherty hasn’t been the pitcher he was in a great 2024 season. Flaherty’s command has been the biggest issue so far this season with 22 walks allowed in just over 25 innings of work. Flaherty has been fortunate to not allow more damage, as his FIP is 6.05. Detroit is in a tie for first place in the AL Central, but this is just a .500 team so far. A 10-2 home record keeps the Tigers favored to start this series, but Detroit didn’t get an off day yesterday after a long road trip with back-to-back series defeats. Texas did have Thursday off following a win over the Yankees on Wednesday and Mackenzie Gore has posted an incredible strikeout rate in his first season with the Rangers with a 12.2 K/9 in 31 innings of work. Gore has allowed three or fewer runs in five of his six starts this season and the Tigers are batting .219 with fewer than 4.0 runs per nine vs. left-handers on the season. The bullpen for Texas has some of the best relief pitching numbers in baseball this season and the Rangers have competed well despite a difficult road schedule so far in 2026. Texas just faced Seattle, Pittsburgh, and the Yankees in the past four series, three teams that are among the league’s top six pitching teams at this points as the offense for the Rangers has more potential than the recent splits show.