Erasmo Ramirez (0-1, 8.38 ERA) and Chase Whitley (1-1, 3.06 ERA) start in the last of a four-game series between the Tampa Bay Rays (19-16) and the New York Yankees (21-14) at Tropicana Field. The Rays won the last game 3-2 and Tampa Bay leads the series 2-1. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, May. 14 and can be seen on PIX11, SunSports and MLB Net.
Ramirez pitched 2.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering two runs and striking out two in an 11-5 defeat to the Yankees. Whitley is 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA against the Rays in his career. He takes on a below-average Tampa Bay offense that’s batting just .235. Chris Young (.303, 12 Rs, 6 HRs, 12 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
New York is a slim -112 favorite over Tampa Bay. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of eight runs. The Rays have an overall money line of +272 and a record as the underdog of 10-8. Within its division, Tampa Bay has a 7-6 as the underdog and a 15-13 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 second-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.15 so far this season. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Rays, who lead the AL in strikeouts per home game with 9.4.
Over in the other dugout, New York is coming in with an overall money line of +692 and an impressive record of 11-6 as the favorite. They played solid baseball as the favorite over their last 10 games with a 4-1 record, and a 5-5 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 3.33 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 lead the season series, 6-3. The Rays have a 15-10 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Whitley takes the mound. Ramirez (RHP) will be on the hill against the Yankees, who have a very good 16-9 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYY, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Tampa Bay’s last 18 games.
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
Tampa Bay is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games when playing NY Yankees.
Tampa Bay is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing NY Yankees.
Tampa Bay is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against NY Yankees.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games when playing at home against NY Yankees.
The Rays are 15-13 against their divisional rivals, while the Yankees are 16-12 against their division.
The Rays are 1-1 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Yankees are 0-2 in such matchups.
The Yankees are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Rays have a 1-4 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Rays are 3-11. The Yankees have a 4-10 record when opponents outhit them.
Tampa Bay ranks in the top half of the league at 12th when it comes to home runs, hitting 32 this season. New York ranks in the top five at third with 43.
Ranking 13th, Tampa Bay is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.71 per game. New York ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 8.63.
Ranking 22nd, Tampa Bay is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.688). New York ranks in the top five at fifth with an OPS of .747.
When the Yankees allow at least one home run, they are 12-9. When the Rays allow one or more homers, they have an 8-10 record.
