Roenis Elias (2-2, 3.07 ERA) and Erasmo Ramirez (3-2, 5.53 ERA) are on the hill in the first of a four-game series between the Seattle Mariners (24-29) and the Tampa Bay Rays (28-26) at Safeco Field. The Mariners come into this series hoping to snap a five-game losing streak. Action begins at 10:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jun. 4 and can be seen on SunSports, ROOT-NW and MLB.
Elias pitched 5.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering four runs, striking out three and walking four in a 4-3 defeat to the Indians. Kyle Seager (.279, 22 Rs, 9 HRs, 29 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday. Ramirez went 7.0 innings, surrendering zero runs, striking out seven and walking one in a 3-0 win over the Orioles in his most recent start. Brandon Guyer (.292, 17 Rs, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs, 6 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday with one run and one stolen base.
Seattle is a -135 favorite against Tampa Bay and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. The Mariners have an overall money line of -969 and a record as the favorite of 17-18.
In games where it is the underdog, Tampa Bay has a 14-14 record and an overall money line of -34. Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an AL-low 3.38 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Rays are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.17 for the season. The Rays have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 8.6 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Mariners have the edge in the season series, 3-0. The Mariners have a 19-23 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Ramirez takes the mound. Elias (LHP) will be on the hill against the Rays, who have a 7-8 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB, O/U – Over
Notes
Seattle has won 50% (8-8) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Tampa Bay has won 53% (10-9) of its games when taking a late lead.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Mariners are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Rays have an 11-1 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
It looks like the Rays have a slight leg up on the Mariners, as the Rays have won their last two games while the Mariners have lost their last five.
When they outhit their opponents, the Mariners are 12-10. The Rays have a 21-5 record when outhitting opponents.
Seattle and Tampa Bay both rank near the bottom of the league in runs. Seattle sits at 28th with 192 runs this season and Tampa Bay ranks 21st with 207.
Seattle and Tampa Bay both rank in the bottom half of the league in walks. Seattle sits at 19th with 146 this season and Tampa Bay ranks 17th with 154.
The Mariners are 21-15 when they hit at least one home run. The Rays perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 20-14 record.
