Mike Montgomery (0-0, 1.50 ERA) and the Seattle Mariners (25-31) meet Chris Archer (6-4, 2.01 ERA) and the Tampa Bay Rays (30-27) in the last of a four-game series at Safeco Field. The Mariners won the last game 2-1 and Tampa Bay leads the series 2-1. The game gets underway at 4:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jun. 7 and will air on SunSports and ROOT-NW.
In his last start, Montgomery pitched 6.0 innings, allowing one run, striking out four and walking two in a 5-3 loss to the Yankees. Nelson Cruz (.326, 32 Rs, 18 HRs, 39 RBIs, 1 SB) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 4. In his career against the Mariners, Archer is 0-2 with a 2.70 ERA. He meets a less-than-stellar Seattle offense that’s batting just .238.
Seattle, a +121 underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Tampa Bay. The matchup currently has a seven-run Over/Under (O/U). The Mariners perform poorly as an underdog with a 7-11 record and have an overall money line of -1,198. With a 0-2 record as the underdog, they have had a tough time over their last 10 games. The Mariners will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In the last 10 games, Seattle has only averaged 2.1 runs per game compared to the 3.5 they’ve averaged on the season. Seattle’s pitching staff can be considered one of the best in the AL. The Mariners have a team ERA of 3.65, one of the lowest in their league.
On the other side, the Rays have a record of 13-12 when they are favored and are +289 overall with the money line. The Rays are a problem for opposing batters, sporting an AL-low 3.29 ERA this season. They have a WHIP of 1.18, third best in the MLB. The Tampa Bay pitching staff has been an intimidating group this year, averaging 8.6 strikeouts per game.
The Mariners have mostly come out on top against the Rays in their previous six games this season, earning a 4-2 record. The Mariners will take on a right-hander (Archer) in this game and have a 19-25 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The left-handed Montgomery will take the mound against the Rays, who have a 10-8 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB, O/U – Under
Notes
Tampa Bay has won 50% (10-10) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Seattle has won 53% (9-8) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Seattle batters brought in a solid nine hits last game. Tampa Bay has a record of 5-15 when their opponents get that many hits or more.
When they are outhit, the Rays are 5-18. The Mariners have a 9-16 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 14th in home runs, Tampa Bay has hit 53 this season. Seattle ranks fifth with 63 home runs.
Seattle and Tampa Bay both rank in the top half of the league in hits. Seattle sits at 13th with 8.02 hits per game and Tampa Bay ranks 12th with 8.09.
Both Seattle and Tampa Bay are tied at 20th for their on-base plus slugging percentage of .690.
The Rays are 13-19 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Mariners are 10-26 when they allow at least one homer.
