Michael Pineda (3-0, 3.86 ERA) and Drew Smyly (0-0, 3.86 ERA) are on the hill in the last of a three-game series between the New York Yankees (13-8) and the Tampa Bay Rays (11-10) at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees won the last game 4-2 and New York leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 1:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Apr. 29 and can be seen on SunSports, YES and MLB Netwo.
Pineda is 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts against the Rays. Brett Gardner (.311, 15 Rs, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 6 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run, one RBI, and one stolen base. When pitching against the Yankees, Smyly is 1-0 with a 1.45 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts.
New York is a -157 favorite against Tampa Bay and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. The Yankees have recorded an overall money line of +393 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 6-4. New York is an impressive 4-1 as the favorite over its last 10 games. The Yankees are one of the best in the MLB in terms of extra base hits with 73. New York is one of the best in the AL in terms of walks at home, earning an average of 3.5 per game. New York’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 2.6 runs per game, well under their season average of 4.0. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Yankees, who rank second in the AL in strikeouts per game with 9.2.
In games where it is the underdog, Tampa Bay has a 6-5 record and an overall money line of +244. They are 4-4 as the underdog against fellow AL East members, and 9-8 SU. When it comes to preventing batters from getting hits, the Rays are the best in the AL with an average of 6.9 hits allowed per game. The Rays have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 8.1 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Yankees lead the season series, 5-0. The Yankees have a 4-2 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Smyly takes the mound. Pineda (RHP) will be on the hill against the Rays, who have an 8-6 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYY, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Tampa Bay is 4-4, while New York is 4-5.
The New York batters brought in a solid nine hits last game. Tampa Bay has a record of 0-6 when their opponents get that many hits or more.
It looks like the Yankees have a slight leg up on the Rays, as the Yankees have won their last three games while the Rays have lost their last two.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rays are 10-1. The Yankees have a 7-0 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 13th, Tampa Bay sits in the top half of the league in runs, scoring 84 this season. New York ranks in the top five at third with 107.
New York and Tampa Bay both rank in the top five of the league in walks. New York sits at second with 81 this season and Tampa Bay ranks third with 75.
When the Yankees hit at least one home run, they are 9-7, well-matched with the Rays who are 7-6 when hitting one or more homers.
