Luis Perdomo (5-6, 6.80 ERA) and the San Diego Padres (50-67) are in Tampa Bay to go up against Drew Smyly (4-11, 5.04 ERA) and the Rays (47-69) in a game that could have plenty of offense. This is the first of a three-game series at Tropicana Field. The game gets underway at 7:10 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 15 and will air on FSSD and SUN.
In his most recent outing, Smyly pitched 6.0 innings, allowing two runs, striking out two and walking three in a 9-2 victory over the Blue Jays. Evan Longoria (.289, 60 Rs, 26 HRs, 70 RBIs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 3 for 4 with one run and four RBIs. The Padres were unsuccessful against the Pirates 6-4 the last time Perdomo pitched. He went 5.0 innings, allowing six runs (one unearned), striking out three and walking three. Wil Myers (.276, 78 Rs, 23 HRs, 70 RBIs, 21 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run.
Tampa Bay, a -170 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against San Diego. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is eight runs. When playing as the favorite, the Rays have a 27-36 record and overall money line at -2,953. They come into the game with concerning records of 3-6 as the favorite and 7-10 SU against the NL. The Rays don’t give up many hits at home to opposing batters at Tropicana Field, leading the AL with only 8.2 hits allowed per home game. They have been extremely effective at striking opposing batters out, averaging 8.4 strikeouts per game.
Moving on to the away team, the Padres come into this game in an interesting position. They have won more than 60 percent of games played as the underdog (38-59) but have a negative money line (+140). Against teams in the American League, they are 5-9 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 4-9 record. When it comes to scoring runs, the Padres have performed much better than normal against teams from the AL. During those games, they averaged six runs per game, above their 4.4 season average. The Padres have racked up 99 steals on the year, making them one of the most threatening base-running teams in the league. San Diego’s pitching staff tends to perform poorly when they play AL opponents. They’ve allowed an average of 8.0 runs per game against teams from the AL, higher than their season average of 4.8.
This game will feature Perdomo (RHP) on the mound against the Rays, who have a 34-53 record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Padres will be the left-hander Smyly. They sport a 15-13 record against southpaws.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB, O/U – Over
Notes
Tampa Bay has won 38% (19-31) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, San Diego has won 44% (21-27) of its games when taking a late lead.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Padres are going to have to step it up if they want to win this matchup. The Rays have a 13-2 record in games where opponents scored one run or less.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rays are 30-10. The Padres have a 38-9 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 25th in runs, Tampa Bay has earned 473 this season. San Diego ranks 19th with 515 runs.
Ranking 24th, San Diego is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 328 this season. Tampa Bay ranks in the bottom half at 16th with 346.
The Rays are 40-42 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Padres are 42-35 when they hit at least one homer.
