Matt Moore (1-1, 3.60 ERA) and Chris Tillman (1-1, 4.42 ERA) start in the last of a three-game series between the Tampa Bay Rays (10-10) and the Baltimore Orioles (11-8) at Tropicana Field. The Rays won the last game 3-1, and Tampa Bay leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Apr. 27 and can be seen on MAS2 and SUN.
Moore pitched 6.2 innings in his last outing, surrendering four runs, striking out five and walking two in a 6-3 defeat to the Yankees. Logan Forsythe (.306, 13 Rs, 3 HRs, 8 RBIs, 2 SBs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 3 with one run. Tillman went 6.0 innings, surrendering two runs, striking out four and walking three in a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays in his most recent start. Mark Trumbo (.373, 12 Rs, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs, 1 SB) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
The odds for Tampa Bay and Baltimore are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. Within its division, Tampa Bay has a record of 6-4 SU. The Rays have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. Tampa Bay’s batters do not strike out very often, with only 9.3 per game. As for the Tampa Bay defense and pitching staff, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score runs against the Rays. The 2.7 runs that Tampa Bay’s pitchers allow per home game makes them the third-ranked AL staff at home. The Rays are the fourth-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.121 so far this season.
The Orioles are 7-7 against AL East opponents. Offensively, the Orioles have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. The Orioles can change the game with one swing of the bat, ranking fifth in the league with 27 home runs. The Orioles allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – BAL
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Baltimore is 6-3, while Tampa Bay is 4-3.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Orioles are going to have to step it up if they want to win this matchup. The Rays have a 5-1 record in games where opponents scored one run or less.
When they are outhit, the Rays are 2-7. The Orioles have a 2-5 record when opponents outhit them.
Tampa Bay ranks in the top 10 of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 24 this season. Baltimore ranks in the top five with 27.
Ranking 28th, Tampa Bay is near the bottom of the league in hits, notching 7.35 per game. Baltimore ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 9.05.
Ranking first in on-base plus slugging percentage, Baltimore has an OPS of .000 this season. Tampa Bay ranks 24th with an OPS of .687.
The Orioles are 9-3 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Rays are 4-9 when they allow at least one homer.
