Nathan Karns (2-1, 3.79 ERA) and Adam Warren (2-1, 4.65 ERA) start in the third of a four-game series between the Tampa Bay Rays (18-16) and the New York Yankees (21-13) at Tropicana Field. The Rays won the last game 4-2 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May. 13 and can be seen on YES and SunSports.
Karns pitched 7.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering two runs, striking out nine and walking two in an 8-2 win over the Rangers. David DeJesus (.311, 9 Rs, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs, 1 SB) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Warren is 0-1 with a 3.62 ERA when pitching against the Rays. He takes on a below-average Tampa Bay offense which is hitting just .234 this season. Brett Gardner (.318, 24 Rs, 3 HRs, 16 RBIs, 10 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Yankees, going 2 for 3 yesterday with one run.
Tampa Bay is a narrow -110 favorite at home against New York. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at seven runs for this matchup. The Rays have an overall money line of +72 and a record as the favorite of 7-8. Within its division, Tampa Bay has a 5-6 record as favorite and a 13-13 record SU. The Rays have seen a decline in scoring against teams inside their division, averaging 3.4 runs per game. They average 3.8 runs per game on the season. Turning to the pitchers, the Rays are the third-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.14 so far this season.
As for their opponent, New York is coming in with an overall money line of +898 and an impressive record of 10-6 as the dog. They have been playing solid baseball as the underdog with a 7-5 record against AL East opponents, and a 16-10 record SU. The Yankees have a dynamic offense, ranking third in the league with 115 extra base hits. New York’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an AL-low 3.29 ERA. The Yankees have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 8.9 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Yankees have controlled the season series, 6-2. The Rays have a 13-10 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Warren takes the mound. Karns (RHP) will be on the hill against the Yankees, who have a very good 16-7 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYY, O/U – Over
Notes
The Rays are 1-1 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Yankees are 0-2 in such matchups.
After a weak showing last week where they got in eight hits, the Yankees need to step it up. The Rays have a record of 18-8 when opponents get eight hits or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rays are 14-2. The Yankees have a 13-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 20th, Tampa Bay is in the bottom half of the league in runs, scoring 130 this season. New York ranks in the top five at second with 162.
Ranking seventh, Tampa Bay is in the top 10 of the league in walks, notching 112 this season. New York ranks in the top five at third with 119.
The Rays are 11-9 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Yankees are 17-8 when they hit at least one homer.
