Matt Moore (2-4, 6.48 ERA) and the Tampa Bay Rays (75-81) meet Adam Conley (4-1, 3.93 ERA) and the Miami Marlins (69-87) in the first of a three-game interleague series at Tropicana Field. The Marlins enter this series looking to continue a five-game winning streak. The game gets underway at 7:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sep. 29 and will air on SUN and FSFL.
In his last start, Moore pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two runs, striking out seven and walking two in a 5-2 victory over the Red Sox. Logan Forsythe (.281, 69 Rs, 17 HRs, 68 RBIs, 9 SBs) went 1 for 4 Sunday with one RBI. The Marlins were unsuccessful to the Phillies 4-3 the last time Conley pitched. He went 6.0 innings, giving up one run, striking out eight and walking one. Justin Bour (.268, 41 Rs, 23 HRs, 71 RBIs) has been hitting the ball well for the Marlins, going 2 for 4 Sunday with two runs, two home runs, and three RBIs.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Rays have an 11-6 record SU against the NL. Tampa Bay has averaged 5.3 runs per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 3.9. As for the pitching staff, the Rays rank third in the NL in ERA with a 3.76 team average.
Against AL opponents, the Marlins are 7-10 SU. Miami has been playing better lately, averaging 4.9 runs per game, more than their season average of 3.8. Miami is a terror on the base paths, ranking fourth in the MLB with 110 stolen bases. Miami’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 5.4 runs per game during the last 10 games, higher than their season average of 4.2. They also average just 8.2 hits allowed per road game, third-best in the NL.
The Rays are 2-1 against the Marlins this season. The Rays will take on a left-hander (Conley) in this game and have a 28-22 record against left-handed starting pitchers this season. The left-handed Moore will take the mound against the Marlins, who have a 13-17 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB
Notes
The Rays are coming off of a weak pitching game where they recorded four strikeouts. The Marlins have a record of 16-12 when opponents’ pitchers have that many strikeouts or fewer.
It looks like the Marlins have a slight leg up on the Rays, as the Marlins have won their last five games while the Rays have lost their last three.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rays are 54-25. The Marlins have a 50-21 record when outhitting opponents.
Both falling near the bottom of the league based on total runs this season, Tampa Bay ranks 26th with 610 runs and Miami is 29th with 592.
Ranking 29th, Miami is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 361 this season. Tampa Bay ranks in the bottom half at 20th with 425.
The Rays are 57-45 when they hit at least one home run. The Marlins perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 43-42 record.
