Kyle Lobstein (3-6, 5.02 ERA) and Jake Odorizzi (6-8, 3.35 ERA) are on the hill in the last of a three-game series between the Detroit Tigers (64-74) and the Tampa Bay Rays (67-71) at Comerica Park. The Tigers won the last game 8-7 and Detroit leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 7:08 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sep. 9 and can be seen on SUN and FSDT.
Lobstein pitched 4.1 innings in his most recent start, surrendering six runs, striking out two and walking two in an 8-1 defeat to the Indians. Miguel Cabrera (.351, 58 Rs, 17 HRs, 68 RBIs, 1 SB) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 5 with one run. Odorizzi went 6.2 innings, surrendering five runs, striking out eight and walking two in a 5-2 defeat to the Yankees in his last outing. Logan Forsythe (.286, 61 Rs, 15 HRs, 55 RBIs, 9 SBs) went 1 for 5 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
Tampa Bay takes on Detroit as a -134 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at eight runs. The Tigers have recorded an overall money line of -1,060 and have shown a weak performance as an underdog this season with a record of 29-45. The Tigers have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 3.2 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.3 runs per game. Detroit’s pitching staff has been doing poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 7.7 runs per game, well above its season average of 5.0.
In games where it is the favorite, Tampa Bay has a 32-31 record and an overall money line of -554. The Rays are tough outs for opponents, ranking fifth in the AL with 8.9 hits per road game. Tampa Bay’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL at pitching on the road, with a 3.74 ERA.
The Tigers lead the season series, 3-2. The Tigers have a 44-59 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Odorizzi takes the mound. Lobstein (LHP) will be on the hill against the Rays, who have a 24-15 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB, O/U – Under
Notes
For the 17th time this season, the Rays registered at least two errors in a game.
The Tigers managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Rays who are coming in with a 22-17 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
It looks like the Tigers have a slight leg up on the Rays, as the Tigers have won their last two games while the Rays have lost their last three.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rays are 47-22. The Tigers have a 53-17 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 28th in runs, Tampa Bay has earned 526 this season. Detroit ranks ninth with 601 runs.
Detroit and Tampa Bay both rank in the bottom half of the league in walks. Detroit sits at 18th with 378 this season and Tampa Bay ranks 17th with 379.
The Tigers are 48-34 when they hit at least one home run. The Rays perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 49-39 record.
