Williams Perez (0-0, 15.43 ERA) and Jake Odorizzi (3-3, 2.36 ERA) are on the hill in the second of a two-game series between the Atlanta Braves (18-20) and the Tampa Bay Rays (22-18) at Turner Field. The Rays won the last game 5-3 and Tampa Bay leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May. 20 and can be seen on SunSports and SPSO.
Perez pitched 2.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering zero runs, striking out two and walking two in a 5-1 defeat to the Reds. A.J. Pierzynski (.306, 12 Rs, 3 HRs, 16 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run. Odorizzi went 6.0 innings, surrendering three runs and striking out five in a 3-2 defeat to the Twins in his last outing. David DeJesus (.319, 12 Rs, 3 HRs, 16 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one RBI.
Tampa Bay takes on Atlanta as a -125 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at seven runs. The Braves have an overall money line of +133 and a record as the underdog of 13-15. Against the AL, they have had a solid season, earning 2-1 and 2-1 records as the underdog and SU respectively. The Braves have seen an uptick in scoring against teams in the AL, averaging 6.0 runs per game. They average 4.3 runs per game on the season. Atlanta’s pitchers fall apart when American League teams are on the field. Its average runs allowed per game rises to 5.0 against AL teams, compared to its 4.4 season average.
In games where it is the favorite, Tampa Bay has a 10-8 record and an overall money line of +282. They played solid baseball as the favorite over their last 10 games with a 5-2 record, and a 6-4 record SU. Offensively, the Rays have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 4.0 runs per game by averaging 5.1 during that stretch. Tampa Bay is excellent at drawing walks with 3.2 per road game, ranking fifth in the AL. Moving on to Tampa Bay’s pitching staff and defense, the The Rays allow just 3.6 runs per game, ranking them first in the AL. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Rays are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.14 for the season.
The Rays have the edge in the season series, 1-0. The Braves have a 16-17 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Odorizzi takes the mound. Perez (RHP) will be on the hill against the Rays, who have a 17-12 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB, O/U – Over
Notes
When the Rays play into extra innings, they have a 1-1 record. The Braves are 0-1 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Rays are coming off of a hot pitching game where they recorded nine strikeouts. The Braves have a record of 1-6 when they are struck out that many times or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Braves are 14-6. The Rays have a 17-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Atlanta and Tampa Bay both rank in the top half of the league in runs. Atlanta sits at 14th with 162 runs this season and Tampa Bay ranks 15th with 161.
Ranking 16th, Atlanta is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 115 this season. Tampa Bay ranks in the top half at 14th with 122.
When the Braves hit at least one home run, they are 12-7. When the Rays hit at least one homer, they have a 14-11 record.
